The Bald Eagle
My Aerie, built on
craggy cliff,
or in a tree top high.
I soar above the reaching
hills,
on lifting winds I fly.
I raise my young with tender
care,
until they fly away.
Their destiny to fly alone,
it is
but Nature's way
My prey I seek with piercing eye,
grasp
with talon strong.
Then lift into the endless sky
to sing my
victory song.
By strength of wing will soar on high.
My
future yet to be,
to glide beyond restricting Earth.
Eternity
to see.
My place in Nature is secure.
I'm viewed now with
respect.
A Symbol for the strong and free,
I fly with no
regret.
With courage yet unquestioned,
there's challenge in
my cry,
I lift to heights, unhindered,
An EAGLE... flying
high.
– Don R. Wilkins
Thanks to thousands of
reports from citizen scientists during February and March 2020, 707
bald eagle nests have been confirmed in Ohio, according to the Ohio
Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
The bald eagle is one of
Ohio’s greatest wildlife success stories. The nest census was the
first undertaking to discover all such sites for the first time in
eight years. The results show an increase of 151% from the 2012
census, when 281 nests were recorded in Ohio. The high number of
nests represents the hard work and dedication put forth for Ohio’s
wildlife.
The Division of Wildlife
received approximately 2,500 reports from the public for the 2020
census. Wildlife staff, including wildlife officers and biologists,
verified nest locations in 85 counties.
The 2020 nest census was
completed in an attempt to locate every active bald eagle nest in
Ohio. The majority of nests were confirmed on private property, while
less than 150 were on public lands. Of those, 43 nests were located
on Division of Wildlife properties.
Scioto County was reported as home to two nesting sites, the same as the number in the 2012 census.
About Ohio Eagles
Female bald eagles in Ohio
typically lay one to three eggs sometime in mid-February or late
March. Eggs are incubated by both parents for about 35 days, and the
young eagles leave the nest about three months later, usually before
the Fourth of July.
Although
eagle sightings in the Buckeye State are more common today, bald
eagles were once an endangered species. In 1979, there were just four
bald eagle nests in Ohio. Thanks to partnerships between the Ohio
Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife, Ohio
zoos, rehabilitation facilities and concerned landowners, bald eagle
numbers began to climb.
Bald eagles were removed
from the federal list of threatened and endangered species in 2007
and from the Ohio listing in 2012. During the 2018 nesting season,
ODNR Division of Wildlife biologists estimate that there were 286
eagle nests in the state, with mature eagles raising approximately
445 young eaglets.
Although bald eagles are
no longer endangered, they are still protected under the federal Bald
and Golden Eagle Protection Act. It is illegal to disturb bald
eagles. When viewing these majestic birds, remember to respect the
animal’s space and stay at least 100 yards away from the animal or
nest. Disturbing bald eagles at the nest site could led the pair to
abandon the eggs.
As with many of Ohio’s
native wildlife species, bald eagles require specific habitat
conditions to thrive. Bald eagle habitat protection and research is
funded by the sale of bald eagle conservation license plates, income
tax check-off donations to the Endangered Species and Wildlife
Diversity Fund and sales of the Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp. Learn how
to support Ohio’s magnificent wildlife like the bald eagle at
wildohio.gov/support.
My Experiences
I never thought I would
see a bald eagle in the Scioto County wilds. Of course, as a lifelong
resident, I never thought I would see coyotes or, from an early age,
even the common sighting of deer although the name “Scioto”
is derived from the Wyandot word “skɛnǫ·tǫ” meaning
“deer.” I have asked many people my age if they remember seeing
deer here as children or young adults and they say “no.” Now we
even have bear sightings in the county.
Within
the last couple years, I have been fortunate to see three separate
bald eagle sightings here. The first, and by far the most memorable,
was on Rt. 23 not a half mile past Clay overpass. I was heading north
rather early one morning and noticed something in the road. Of
course, I assumed it was litter, or a large piece of tire, or
roadkill. I slowed and as I got closer to the object, I saw it was a
magnificent bald eagle. I crept closer, and it let me get pretty
close, then spread its large wings and took off for the shelter of a
nearby tree. I was so excited that I could barely catch my breath.
My
next sighting was in the Scioto bottoms. As I was driving on 104, not
far from the Mex-Itali, I saw from a pretty far distance two eagles
doing what I considered “playing” (maybe mating?) among the
shrubby trees in the river bottoms. They appeared to be having a ball
in whatever activity in which they were engaged. I wish I would have
been closer to them.
My
third encounter was from a pontoon boat on the Ohio River near the
mouth of the Scioto. I saw an eagle in flight but it was just a
glimpse from behind. The experience was a fleeting moment because the
bird was so soon out of sight. I really wished I could have spotted
the eagle sooner for a better view. Oh well, the thrill was still
tremendous. I felt privileged to be a spectator.
Have you had a bald eagle encounter? I would love to hear your story and view any photos you snapped. I hope you, like me, are proud of your native environment. I hope strides toward conservation and clean water will continue. We live in such a beautiful area. We should all become good stewards of the land and advocates for natural preservation. These hills, rivers, and fields occupy a special place in our hearts. Bald eagles – long may they multiply in our native land.
Trivia
As a
closer, here is some bald eagle trivia to entertain you.
The word "bald" in the bald eagle's name comes from the adjective "piebald" meaning "composed of two different colors.
The call of the bald eagle isn't very majestic. The iconic, loud shreek that's become so recognizable in film as belonging to the bald eagle is actually the call of its cousin, a red-tail hawk, that's been dubbed over.
Healthy adult bald eagles are not preyed on in the wild and are thus considered apex predators. However, some animals, such as squirrels, raccoons, ravens and great horned owls, will attack nests and feed on eggs or nestlings.
The bald eagle is a powerful flier, and soars on thermal convection currents. It reaches speeds of 56-70 km/h (35-43 mph) when gliding and flapping, and about 48 km/h (30 mph) while carrying fish. Its dive speed is between 120-160 km/h (75-99 mph), though it seldom dives vertically.
Bald eagles live in every state in the Union, except for Hawaii.
Bald eagles are good swimmers. The bird does an avian equivalent of the butterfly stroke. Why? Sometimes an eagle gets a hold of something that is just too heavy, long, or unwieldy to get into the air, or the bird doesn’t have the speed and momentum to provide enough lift. As long as the eagle is fairly close to shore, it can do a breaststroke of sorts to row its meal to land and feast.
Bald eagles reach sexual maturity at around four or five years of age. They stick with the same partner for life. However, if a mate dies or does not return to the nesting site for the breeding season, studies show that the surviving eagle generally will find a new mate very quickly.
Bald eagles lay from one to three eggs, and the 35 days of incubation duties are shared by both male and female. The mortality rate for first-year bald eagles is over 50%.
Male bald eagles weigh between 7 and 10 pounds. Females are considerably larger, weighing up to 14 pounds. The female bald eagle is 35 to 37 inches, slightly larger than the male. And wingspan of the bird ranges from 72 to 90 inches. Lifting power is about four pounds.
A bald eagle subsists mainly on fish, which it swoops down and snatches from the water with its talons. The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a member of the sea and fish eagle group. Benjamin Franklin, who advocated for the wild turkey to be the national bird, was not a fan of the bald eagle. Of its fishing ability, old Ben in a letter to his daughter said:
“For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.”
Eagles use both monocular and binocular vision, meaning they can use their eyes independently or together depending on what they are looking at. A bald eagle can see something the size of a rabbit at more than three miles away.
Native Americans believe that eagles are monuments of flesh and feather, the sinews to the spirit world, Because eagles are the highest flying birds, they were seen to be nearer to the Creator. The Shawnees among themselves called the Ohio River in their own tongue "Kiskepila Sepe,” from “Kiskepila” meaning “an eagle,” and “Sepe” meaning “a river."
"Our
culture is derivative of the natural resources. If our culture dies,
the only ruminants are its physical attributes, which will soon be
dispersed to the natural environment. If that happens, there will be
no trace of our living culture …
"When
the Eagle returns, we will again be a great nation."
– Jonas Shawandase, Spanish American War Veteran & Tribal Elder of the 1950s
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