Dorian Greer has added two animals to her menagerie of three dogs and 20 cats. Her new additions are not the kind of animals she can feed and cuddle, though. They are bald eagles, a pair nesting atop a 50- to 60-foot Sycamore tree across from her property on Mississippi 3 near Redwood.

&#8220These are my babies,” she said.

The birds are one of two pairs in Warren County and make up the 31 occupied territories documented by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, said bird conservation coordinator Nick Winstead.

Greer noticed the birds about four years ago when she moved to her home off the highway. It is only now, though, that she has become infatuated with the wide-winged birds, which were designated America’s national bird in 1782.

Though she could see them flying early on, the male and female didn’t begin preparing their nest for eggs until about a month ago. Greer borrowed a spotting scope and now says she’s hooked.

&#8220I’m in hog heaven with this nest,” Greer said.

The tree where the birds are nesting is on the property of Willow Break Hunting Club, across from Greer’s front porch. She sits there hour upon hour, watching.

The siting and Greer’s vested interest is good news to Winstead, who has left it up to her to monitor the birds. He made her responsible for the chronology of the nesting.

&#8220I think I monitor them more than he wanted me to, though,” she said. &#8220This is what I do – I get my coffee and look at them.”

Greer is documenting when the birds began incubating and when she sees the first sign of chicks – expected to be one or two in about a month, said Bruce Reid of Mississippi Audubon.

&#8220To have eyes and ears, plus enjoyment,” said Reid, a longtime birdwatcher himself. &#8220To have a window into their world – that’s rare.”

The two are proof in Warren County that the bird is making a boost in population. The bald eagle species was declared endangered in 1967 in all areas of the United States under a law that preceded the Endangered Species Act of 1973, according to a Web site devoted to the national bird.

The site, www.baldeagleinfo.com, cites that, until 1995, the bald eagle had been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, and listed as threatened in five states. In 1995, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service upgraded the status of bald eagles in the lower 48 states to &#8220threatened.”

The bird’s near extinction was due in large part to DDT pesticide poisoning, but a ban on the chemical in 1972, as well as providing habitat protections, has helped with the growth of the species.

Now the bald eagle is close to being delisted. H. Dale Hall, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said when the eagles are delisted from the Endangered Species Act, the birds will continue to be protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Both acts protect bald eagles by prohibiting killing, selling or otherwise harming eagles, their nests or eggs.

Winstead said populations have increased to a point that endangerment may not be a threat anymore. Another pair have made a home near Eagle Lake, where they have been documented since the mid-1980s, Reid said.

&#8220It’s a big success story for our national bird,” he said.

Greer said the eagles protect themselves, taking turns protecting the nest that has doubled or tripled in size in about 10 days.

Her near-constant attention has made her somewhat of an expert. She recognizes their sound, a high-pitched screech, from videos she remembers seeing on the birds when she was in high school. She can also tell the difference between the male and female by looking at them from her scope.

&#8220She’s bigger. I was like, ‘You go, girl,’” Greer said. &#8220She is just awesome.”

And Greer feels lucky to have her new pets.

&#8220How many grandparents can say, ‘That’s your national bird,’?” she said.