FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Eagle Census - From Yesterday's Oak Ridge Paper

[Bates Estabrooks <bldg9212@xxxxxxxxx>]

Story last updated at 12:31 p.m. on January 8, 2004


Look out for eagles

 

SPOTTED: The target dates of Friday and Saturday are most important for 
sightings of bald eagles. 

By: Tom Wiest | Oak Ridger Staff
tom.wiest@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Get your binoculars and step outside. The pleasure of seeing a bald eagle 
soaring has extra meaning in January. They need to be counted. The first 15 
days of the year are designated as the time for the annual national census of 
eagles by the U.S. Geological Survey and the general public can play a key 
role. 

The target dates of Friday and Saturday are most important for sightings of 
bald eagles, golden eagles and osprey. Individuals who spot any of these can 
report it to the USGS or the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. When 
reporting a sighting be ready with the following: your name and address or 
phone number; time, date and place of observation; and, for bald and golden 
eagles, whether they are mature or juvenile. Contact Pete Wyatt (800-332-0900) 
or Richard Kirk (615-781-6619). 
Kirk is the TWRA statewide coordinator for the eagle census; Wyatt is in charge 
of East Tennessee. "The count is under way and citizen participation is very 
important," said Kirk. "We want calls over the whole 15 days." 
Bald eagles and osprey eat fish almost exclusively and primarily live in 
aquatic areas. The larger goldens eat a wide variety of animals: rodents and 
rabbits mostly, but also snakes, fish and medium-sized mammals. They can be 
found anywhere in non-urban settings. 
In the 1960s there were fewer than 300 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the 
United States, mostly in Alaska, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In 
1980, the bald eagle was listed as endangered by the Endangered Species Act. 
Recovery efforts intensified in the lower 48 states. From 1986-2000 populations 
increased about 2 percent each year. In 1995, the majestic national symbol was 
upgraded to the threatened status. Today, there are nearly 6,000 nesting pairs 
in the country. 
Tennessee has identified about 50 active eagles' nests in 2003; the year before 
the number was 44. Many of these birds of prey winter in this area due to the 
copious lakes and rivers. Most reside in the western part of the state, 
especially Reelfoot Lake and Dale Hollow Reservoir. However, bald eagles are 
often seen on area lakes. There are two confirmed nesting pairs on Douglas 
Lake. 
Last year 315 bald eagles were reported, 200 adults and 115 juveniles. East 
Tennessee had 57 of those sightings. Chickamauga Reservoir had the most with 
24. Other area lakes include: Watts Bar 11, Douglas six, Nickajack four, 
Cherokee three, and one each for South Holston, Norris and Melton Hill. 
East Tennessee has seen many eagles released to the wild in recent years. The 
American Eagle Foundation, based at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, is a prominent 
national organization for rehabilitation and reintroduction of eagles. They 
have hacked (released) 71 birds since the 1980s. The most recent was last 
August from their hacking tower on Douglas Lake when the AEF released four 
juvenile eagles, a male and female bald and golden. The AEF is the world's 
largest breeder of eagles and 36 of their offspring have been set free in this 
area. 
Eagles can live for 40 years if they make it through their first one. Mortality 
hurdles to overcome include poachers, predator poisons and power lines. They 
mate for life. 
SIDE NOTE 
PBS Television's Nature will air "Shadow Over the Sun - A Story of Eagles" at 8 
p.m. (check local listings) on Jan. 18. It portrays the nomadic lifestyle of 
eagles in the Scottish Highlands.



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