I am amazed - and heartened - by the continued (and increasing) reports of BALD EAGLES in the area. I have been looking into their increase in numbers because of my interest in the case of the shooting in Caroline in December. An article in Wikipedia noted that the US population crashed from some 300,000-500,000 birds in the 18th century to only 412 nesting pairs in the Lower 48 by the 1950’s. The primary causes of the decline were loss of habitat, shooting, and the effects of DDT (weakening eggshells so that they collapsed under the weight of the nesting adults).
With the passage of several laws (1918 Migratory Bird Treaty and 1950 Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act) the population rebounded to some 100,000 birds in the early 1980’s. In the mid-1970’s New York State launched the most comprehensive restoration program in the country. In1976 a site was chosen at Tschache Pool in the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge for the first hacking tower in the state with young wild birds brought in from the upper midwest. That program was discontinued in 1989 when the goal of ten nesting pairs was reached. The large Bald Eagle statue along the wildlife drive was recently installed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the start of that program. Today the MNWR boasts ten active nests with several more in the North Montezuma Wetlands Complex. During a recent winter raptor survey LaRue St. Clair spotted 59 birds in one morning. In recent days the agglomeration of nearly 50 roosting Bald Eagles at the east end of Onondaga Lake has drawn national attention. See this article: https://www.syracuse.com/outdoors/2019/01/how-to-see-wintering-bald-eagles-on-onondaga-lake.html For us at the south end of Cayuga Lake, there has been an active nest at Maplewood for several years now as well as a nest in Spencer Marsh (I believe). And it appears that the eagle shot in Caroline may have been prospecting for a nest site in the Geotchus Preserve on Flat Iron Road. Bob McGuire (I am happy to be corrected/updated on any of the above information.) > On Feb 4, 2019, at 5:49 PM, Annette Nadeau <[email protected]> wrote: > > I was surprised and thrilled to have a nice look (with binocs) of an immature > Bald Eagle flying over the East Hill Rec Way against a beautiful blue sky in > Ithaca at about 2:45 this afternoon. > > Annette Nadeau > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > Archives: > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > Please submit your observations to eBird <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! > -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
