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. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation. ----------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ----------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s) endorse the views or opinions expressed by the members of this discussion group. Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ========================================================