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The eagles have landed

Courtesy photo. Bald eagle in flight.
Courtesy photo. Bald eagle in flight.
Courtesy photo. Adult bald eagle in Jackson County.
Courtesy photo. Adult bald eagle in Jackson County.

(Chelsea Update would like to thank Tom Hodgson and the Waterloo Natural History Association for the information and photos in this column.)

In 2009, there was a great deal of excitement among area birders when a pair of bald eagles began building a nest in a large cottonwood in a remote area in Northeastern Jackson County. As is often the case with first time nesters, no eggs were ever laid.

The following March, hopes were raised again as the pair added more material to the nest. However, early in this nesting cycle one of the pair mysteriously disappeared and nesting ceased once again.

In 2011, two adult eagles returned to the nest and once again began adding material in preparation for nesting. They laid two eggs, and after 35 days of incubation, hatched two young eaglets.

Biologists from the DNR non-game wildlife program examined and banded the young while still in the nest and found them in good health. They also nested successfully in 2012 and again this year. Young eagles leave the nest at about 10-to-12 weeks. Once they leave, they may not return to the nest again, but remain in the territory for the rest of the summer. They spend most of their time perched in nearby trees waiting for their parents to feed them. The parents are very obliging, keeping them well supplied throughout the summer months. When the young birds are 4-or-5 months old, this gravy train ends and they are left to fend for themselves.

Courtesy photo. Immature bald eagle.
Courtesy photo. Immature bald eagle.

Life is hazardous for young eagles. Fifty percent die during their first year of life. Some are victims of accidents while learning to fly, while others die of starvation before they fully acquire their hunting skills.  Those that survive will not gain their adult plumage (white head and tail feathers) until they are 5 or 6 years old. If they survive their first year, they may live another 15-to-20 years in the wild. Until they reach maturity, these young birds will lead nomadic lives, often in association with other immature eagles. When they reach breeding age, they may return to the general area from which they were fledged to establish territories of their own. Not too close, however, as their parent’s territory (if still occupied) may extend up to two square miles. More likely the nest site they choose will be 5-to-10 miles from their birth nest.

Courtesy photo. A fourth year bird showing adult head feathers.
Courtesy photo. A fourth year bird showing adult head feathers.

The bald eagle has made a remarkable come-back.

In the 1960’s, the population was reduced to just 400 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states by the wide spread use of the insecticide DDT. At that time, there were fewer than 30 nesting pairs in Michigan. The pesticide caused a thinning of the eagle’s egg shells, making them unable to withstand the weight of the adult birds during incubation.

The banning of DDT in 1972 and the passing of the Endangered Species Act in 1973 are largely credited for the bald eagle’s recovery. Michigan now has more than 400 nesting pairs – including at least one each in Jackson and Washtenaw counties.

The current Jackson County nest is located in an inaccessible area on private land within 2 miles of Big Portage Lake Unit near the western part of the park. The eagles may range for several miles while hunting for food, so visitors and area residents may see them anywhere in the western half of the park.  Perhaps the best viewing is at the Haehnle Audubon Sanctuary located on Seymour Road approximately 1.5 miles west of the Race Road intersection. The observation hill adjacent to the main parking lot provides a commanding view of Mud Lake Marsh where the eagles often hunt. Binoculars are recommended.

They are being seen with increasing frequency in other areas as well. This year, an immature eagle was spotted over Mill Lake, and an adult was observed perched in a tree along Cavanaugh Lake Road about a quarter mile west of the lake.

Bald eagles are essentially non-migratory and will stay near their nesting territory all winter if food is available. When the lakes and rivers freeze over they survive primarily on road killed animals and on deer that were injured during the hunting season and eventually died.

This has truly been a wildlife success story. If the population growth continues, there will be more and more bald eagles in the Chelsea area for all to enjoy.

Courtesy photo. Bald eagle nest in Jackson County.
Courtesy photo. Bald eagle nest in Jackson County.
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4 thoughts on “The eagles have landed”

  1. Thanks, Tom. Very nice story and photographs. I always look forward to your posts on ChelseaUpdate. They bring an appreciation for the wonderful web of all existence of which we humans are a part.

  2. My mom who works at the Chelsea Hospital said she saw one flying over the hospital a couple of months ago. I was excited to hear that they were around and had no idea that they were making their way south. I had seen a few up north and in Wisconsin will look forward to seeing them soon. Thanks for the article. Very informative.

  3. We have been seeing them on Cavanaugh Lake a number of times the last couple months. My kids saw one dive into the lake and catch a fish. So cool!

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