Eagle nests destroyed in Florida

HarryB · Mar 24, 2007

Hi y'all

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-meagles2107mar21,0,5048201.story

Be sure to check out the pics that accompany the story. At least our friends whom we met during MI IV from the Raptor Center were there to care for the fledgling.

Matt S · Mar 24, 2007

That's too bad. A tough call, Safety vs. environment. I have personally seen what a bird will do to an aircraft, not pretty. Damage happens, replacing a life...... well not so easy to fix.

Hope the fledgling survives the ordeal and is able to be reintroduced into the "wild".

Lou Buscher · Mar 24, 2007

I don't know, what they are doing right now could become a problem as this is a rather large eaglet (9Lbs.) and a female being placed in another nest with young. A female this large could take over the nest and push the others over the edge. I would think they might give hacking a though or maybe they already have but they have to get it placed soon or it will imprint on the people feeding it.
I am sure these people know what has to be done but I have to wonder why did this have to be done now? Why wasn't the tree cut before nesting? The eagle is on the threatened list and by June 27 the Federal Fish and Wildlife has to come up with an explantion of the word DISTURBANCE as it applies to the American Symbol The Bald Eagle.
My own thoughts here are someone is getting away with breaking the law.
This entire thing stinks and the State of Florida should be ashamed of itself for letting it come to this.
Lou
www.loubuscher.com

Matt S · Mar 24, 2007

Lou you nailed it when you asked why wasn't the tree cut prior to nesting.

cajun angel · Mar 24, 2007

I'm so choked up I don't know what to say, except I hope the eaglet will be okay.

Lou Buscher · Mar 25, 2007

Anyone else want to contact a big news media???

(CBS) CBS Evening News, Weekdays editions:

ADDRESS:
CBS Evening News
524 West 57th St.
New York, NY 10019

E-MAIL: evening@cbsnews.com

I did====Lou

cajun angel · Mar 25, 2007

Lou Buscher said:
Dianne I can say with 99% feeling this eaglet will be fine. How ever it's the adults I am thinking about now as in my experience when a pair of adult birds move and build a new nest due to disturbance it is useally not far from the original nest so where does this leave them??? I tell you this makes me so mad I'd like to take a bulldozer and cut the State of Florida off and let it float to Cuba. (Of cause with all the good people evacuated first):smile: What in the world is wrong with the politians in Florida to let a thing like this happen at such a time. Damn I am Pissed off when I read things like this. I think I am going to write to the White House (not much will come of that letter) about it or maybe CBS and NBC News. I am glad the link got posted.
Lou

Well, I meant to say about the parents too. I hate this sort of thing!

HarryB · Mar 25, 2007

I agree that when the eagles presence creates a danger to planes then a solution to the problem must befound. In this case I'm pretty sure what they are doing will be no solution to their problem.

First they are assuming that even though there are dozens of eagle nests in the area that these 3 nests are the likeliest sources of their problem. That's not the case with birds. The eagles hanging out by the airport ain't hanging out there for the heck of it. The only thing that would attract them would be food. Now at some point some eagle got a meal from that area and has been returning for more food. There is no assurance that the eagles from the 3 impacted nests are those eagles.

Now will destroying the nests drive the eagles out of the area? The answer is a simple no. At Viera our eagles had a nest that they had been using for years. Then last year a horned owl took over the the nest and kicked the eagles out. The eagles didn't flee the area they just built another nest in the same area. They still hang out on their same perches in the wetlands as they did before. They still hunt in the wetlands as they did before.

This just looks like somebody felt he/she had to do something so it would look like they were doing their job. Nobody did the studies that are normally required. I am quite certain that we will be hearing more about the "eagle problem" at the Sanford Airport in the future.

Lou Buscher · Mar 25, 2007

HarryB said:
I agree that when the eagles presence creates a danger to planes then a solution to the problem must befound. In this case I'm pretty sure what they are doing will be no solution to their problem.

First they are assuming that even though there are dozens of eagle nests in the area that these 3 nests are the likeliest sources of their problem. That's not the case with birds. The eagles hanging out by the airport ain't hanging out there for the heck of it. The only thing that would attract them would be food. Now at some point some eagle got a meal from that area and has been returning for more food. There is no assurance that the eagles from the 3 impacted nests are those eagles.

Now will destroying the nests drive the eagles out of the area? The answer is a simple no. At Viera our eagles had a nest that they had been using for years. Then last year a horned owl took over the the nest and kicked the eagles out. The eagles didn't flee the area they just built another nest in the same area. They still hang out on their same perches in the wetlands as they did before. They still hunt in the wetlands as they did before.

This just looks like somebody felt he/she had to do something so it would look like they were doing their job. Nobody did the studies that are normally required. I am quite certain that we will be hearing more about the "eagle problem" at the Sanford Airport in the future.

Harry you are 100% right fish is the primary food for the bald egle and if a wet lands is there so will they. I would think someone down there should get the ball rolling against this airport group even if they loose a hard time should be given. I have several nests I monitor for the DEC and I have gotten into it with a town redoing a road and driveing the birds off the nest . I fough like hell with them and wanted the town arrested but it was in vane but the point is I made them think about the next time as this pair now has 3 nests all within about 800 feet of each other and I never know what one they will use.
We did recover one egg from the disturbed nest
Lou
www.loubuscher.com