Eagles Nest

[ovrszd]

I have seen two bald eagles here in NW Florida. The first one was 11 years ago when we were building the house. On one of our Panama City trips for building material, we saw one beside Highway 20, eating roadkill. Cars and trucks were going by doing 65-70 mph and he was paying them no mind. The other one was last year on my road. There was a doe on the shoulder of the road, and he was standing on the body having a snack. He only flew when I stopped right beside him. They are very cool to see. Hope we get more of them down here.Larro

I'll spot an Eagle at least 50 times a year here. I always comment if someone is with me. I always stop and observe if the Eagle allows it. I've been close enough to them sitting in trees to see their eyes looking at me. People here often confuse Juveniles for Buzzards when flying. They are generally 5 years old when they get white heads and tail. They also start losing body mass at that time. The young ones are noticeably larger.Last year my wife and I were cruising back roads during Winter. Came upon two eating a deer carcass in a field about 200 feet from the road. They flew off and one circled and came right back and continued feeding with us sitting in the pickup watching. The other sat in a tree about 200 yards away and scolded us until we left.

 

[namyessam]

I think you probably watched it in 2012. The eagles surprised RRP last spring and started using the new nest. They did not have a camera on the new nest for last years hatch but put up a camera on the new nest over this winter. They say it is not unusual for a pair to have two nests. Who knows it they will ever use the old nest again. They say the pair have been together since the winter of 2007-2008. They raised 2 in 2008, 3 each year 2009 thru 2013 and have 1 hatched and 2 more eggs this year. They put a gps tracker on one and tracked it for several months up to Polar Bear Provincial Park on Hudson Bay in Canada and back to northern Iowa. I don't know if the tracker is still working. They lost two to electroction, One at the fish hatchery near the nest and I'm not sure where the other one happened. They have a lot of historical information below the live video and a lot of links to other video and information.

namyesam

 

[ovrszd]

You may be right, thought it was last Summer, but now thinking it was year before.

Not unusual to have two nests? Hey, humans do that. Most times there's another female involved though.

 

[namyessam]

You may be right, thought it was last Summer, but now thinking it was year before.

Not unusual to have two nests? Hey, humans do that. Most times there's another female involved though.

The only difference is they say eagles mate for life.:laughing:

the other eagle flew in earlier and brought what looked like a bird for the nest setter to eat.

 

[ovrszd]

The only difference is they say eagles mate for life.:laughing:

the other eagle flew in earlier and brought what looked like a bird for the nest setter to eat.

By mid Summer when we watched them the nest was littered with "kills".

My wife loves me dearly,,, but she would not be impressed if she was "setting" and I brought her a dead bird for Dinner.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Found out tonight there's an eagle nest on one of the roads i sometime drive, I've never noticed it but will check it out next time I go that way.
That is a cool picture.

 

[namyessam]

Second Decorah Iowa eagle has hatched overnight 4-3-14

 

[ovrszd]

Awesome, we gotta start watching!!!

 

[TomSeller]

Very nice.

Not long ago it was unlawful to travel with 750 ft of a nesting bald eagle.

What ever you do ...do not pick up any feathers you my find from that area. A friend of mine learned a hard lesson. He paid a hefty fine and was thankful to not have been incarcerated for picking up and being in possession of an eagle feather.
USFWS Midwest Region - Bald and Golden Eagle Permits
USFWS Midwest Region Eagle Incidental Take Permit

Do you know if there is a distance limitation now?

The reason I ask is that I have a pair of balds nesting in my trees. I was working the field below their observation tree the other day and went to back up and almost ran over two dept of fish and wildlife officers. Seems they would know better than to walk onto my property and walk up behind me on my tractor, but they did. I stopped the engine and asked if I could help them. They said I could not work within 650' but could not come up with any literature to prove it. I have had eagles on the property for 20 years and consider them distant pets. They help clean up dead calves, dead coyotes (don't ask) etc. and I don't mind them a bit ( except when they killed the barn owl) nor do they mind me. But I have never been told I need to stay back from the trees.

 

[RobertBrown]

Do you know if there is a distance limitation now?

The species has been removed from the endangered and threatened species list, but it is still protected. Part of the language of the "Bald Eagle Protection Act" includes "disturbing" bald eagles. It could be argued that you are disturbing the nesting eagles by being too close.
You mentioned the "fish and wildlife officers" but you didn't mention if it was federal or state. I don't know what state you live in and/or if they (local authorities) have laws protecting bald eagles.
I would avoid the nest until the eaglets are fledged if you can't find out if you are in fact in violation of any laws.
I personally do my best to avoid conflicts with anyone that has a badge. They like it when you give them a reason for wearing it.