GREAT OUTDOORS: Bald eagles continue to thrive in Ohio

I feel compelled to remind local readers that this is the best time of the year to spot bald eagles that are presently gathered here in abundance. I was inspired to revisit the topic when without even really trying I noticed three new nests built since last year while on my way from Bowling Green to Port Clinton last week. They really stand out this time of year due to additional branches covered with a fresh coating of dark mud and, most importantly, the lack of leaves on the trees. It wasn't always this easy. When I was in high school in the 1970s, only four eagle nests remained and access to them was tightly controlled. One of our Ornithology class field trips was dedicated to getting a glimpse of one of them and the birds just inside the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. We used a spotting scope. The nests themselves in their hugeness are impressive, but capturing a glimpse of their builders is even better. Even though I have seen hundreds of bald eagles, I still strain my neck to sneak a peek every time I spot one while driving. Within a half mile of the bridge over Muddy Creek on State Route 53, a very reliable spot to watch for them, I saw five eagles contrasted against the rare, deep blue winter sky. Then, while on a bench outside of the Port Clinton Airport absorbing the warm sunshine while waiting for a flight to Put-in-Bay, another five eagles could be seen crisscrossing the runways and adjacent woodlot. According to Mark Shieldcastle, Director of Research at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, bald eagles become concentrated around Western Lake Erie, the Sandusky Bay and the area's coastal marshes in the winter because of the abundant supply of prey, large perching trees along the shoreline and a seasonal pause in defending territory outside of their nesting season. The types of prey that they favor around the marshes include fish, waterfowl and mammals, especially muskrats. However, our national symbol is not opposed to eating road-killed animals. I have often seen eagles feasting on road-killed carrion, including raccoons, groundhogs, squirrels, skunks and deer, putting themselves at risk of joining their meal as another casualty. While "Head of Eagle Recovery" at the Ohio Division of Wildlife's Magee Marsh Experimental Station from 1985-2009, Shieldcastle was instrumental in the recovery of their population. Western Lake Erie's remaining eagles, like other birds at the time, produced eggs with shells too thin to support the weight of the incubating parents due to the bio-accumulation of the insecticide DDT. During Shieldcastle's tenure, they pioneered the use of healthy foster eggs procured elsewhere into the local nests. The banning of DDT and federal listing on the endangered species list allowed the species to recover. My last article on this subject was in 2020 when the Ohio Division of Wildlife asked for help locating all of the nests to update their records, believed at the time to number approximately 350 statewide. I participated by submitting the latitude and longitude of each of the dozens of nests that I was familiar with on wildohio.gov and noted whether they were attended by a pair of adult birds. When the dust settled and the reported nests were confirmed by Wildlife personnel, the official number was 707, with local counties hosting 90 (Ottawa), 50 (Sandusky) and 32 (Erie), respectively. Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker has recently reported the current count at approximately 824. Some nests have been built in poorly chosen locations. One example is the one built this year within 100 yards of a wind turbine at the Wood County landfill. Others were constructed in parking lots (Magee Marsh Wildlife Area), golf courses, cemeteries (Oak Harbor), adjacent to airport runways (Port Clinton, Middle Bass, Sandusky) and other high-traffic areas. Current threats include motor vehicles, wind turbines, Avian flu, West Nile disease and botulism outbreaks.