Eagles nest - more photos

Going to my greenhouse space in Hillsborough, I have noticed people stopping on the road and looking down a power line clear cut with binoculars.  Now I know why.

This photo is taken with my cell phone.  Will bring camera on next trip.


I hope the space between those lines is greater than an eagle's wingspan. Hard to judge scale from the picture.


I spoke with a designated eagles nest monitor.  She mentioned that the eagles have nested on this tower for 5 years.


tomcat said:
I spoke with a designated eagles nest monitor.  She mentioned that the eagles have nested on this tower for 5 years.

 Did she say whether they flew nest material in, or truck it?   cheese 


tomcat said:
I spoke with a designated eagles nest monitor.  She mentioned that the eagles have nested on this tower for 5 years.

Good to hear. They really are the pictionary definition of the word "majestic".  I saw a bald eagle out at the Great Swamp last year and the size of it in the sky blew me away.


Very cool! I've been posting some raptor cams on my bird thread. Thought I saw an eagle on my street but it could have been a hawk. He was on the ground eating his kill. Hope you get some great pictures.


These photos are taken with a Point & Shoot, which has 26 x optic zoom.  Not great, but better than the camera in the phone.

The two nestlings are quite large already.  


Thanks tomcat, pretty exciting!


So cool!  Thanks for the pics.


Today I brought the SLR + 500 mm lens.  Unfortunately the weather was not cooperating, so results are not as good as hoped for.


Wow, the last shot is awesome!


Gorgeous. We drove up the Hudson in the winter to look at bald eagles (and saw quite a few) but obviously they can be seen closer to home!


NJ has gone from a single nesting pair in 1982, to 150+ nesting pairs in 2016.  Not all nests produce young each year, but 216 young eagles were raised that year.

I have not seen a report for 2017 yet, but the population is clearly growing.

Several years ago Tabby and I drove out to Delaware Water Gap and up the river to see eagles.  It had rained for several days earlier that week, so the river was running high with very muddy water.  As a result, we saw only a solitary eagle on the opposite shore.



  


If you want to see Eagles, in January or February, go to


Rio Reservoir, off of Rt 42, Northwest of Port Jervis, N.Y.  Dress warmly and bring food and water.  Eagle sightings are guaranteed.


Eaglets are as large as the parents now, and starting to exercise their wings.  Just wish they would face the camera instead of giving us their backsides.



The youngsters are now taking to their wings.


Nice. The adult pose on June 3 is like one of the U.S. coins.


Quality of photos is not great, but they are taken at a distance of about 1/4 to 1/3 mile.  I don't even want to know what a larger zoom lense would go for. 


tomcat said:
Quality of photos is not great, but they are taken at a distance of about 1/4 to 1/3 mile.  I don't even want to know what a larger zoom lense would go for. 

If you have a Nikon camera, I can loan you a lens.


I use a Canon, but thanks for the offer anyway


The nest is still occupied.  Eagles have enlarged the nest, so it is difficult to see what is going on from the road.

However, NJ.com has a photo report on this years brood:

https://expo.nj.com/news/g66l-2019/05/066e9599e56747/bald-eagle-chicks-nesting-in-transmission-tower-get-banded-and-health-check-.html


Imagine the stress that bird endures during the handling. If the bird were injured I could  understand intervening but this is just scientific curiosity and sad.


Morganna,

While I can understand your view, I have to beg to differ.

The bald eagle was virtually wiped out in NJ back in the 1960's & early 70's (due to DDT use).  

If we do not let the scientists do responsible monitoring & measurements, we do not have sound fact based knowledge of how the species is doing in our environment.  In the absence of such facts, it is impossible to tell whether intervention is required.

Intervention can take many forms:

  • Closing of a beach (or lake) during the breeding season (piping plover & black skimmer).
  • Release of birds from other regions to broaden the genetic base in the population (as was done with turkeys).
  • Captive breeding program (California condor).
  • Protection of a threatened prey species (horseshoe crabs during the red knot migration).
  • Etc.

The bald eagle has made a good comeback in NJ (close to 300 nesting pairs now).  However, stopping the monitoring is a good way to allow it to become threatened again.


I don't know @tomcat. I can't help believing that there is a compromise to studying a species that doesn't involve all of the handling. I pay very close attention to endangered species and I devote much of my FB page to postings from such sites as the Center for Biological Diversity and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I've had a couple of rescued large birds, so nothing would thrill me more than having an opportunity to work close with birds, particularly raptors. But we as a species seem to tinker a bit too much and always find a way to justify. Hope everyone has had a chance to visit The Raptor Trust here in NJ.

I'm influenced by my background running an animal rights group in the city where my particular focus was on vivisection, experiments on animals. I pushed myself to read mind numbing details from what is commonly called no goal research. I'm merely mentioning that as it left me with a natural skepticism about how we tend to feel whatever we do is for the greater good. Just me being hyper sensitive.

Anyway, love that you shared these photos and feel free to post anything similar on the thread The Uncaged Bird, which usually consists of photos of the winged beasties which show up at the feeder and I have to confess if an owl came my way, I would try my best to convince him that he would be better off living in my house!



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