Health & Fitness
Update: Pinellas Eagle Watch Season 2011-2012
Bald Eagle Nesting Season in Florida is from October 1st through May 15th. Pinellas has a very active volunteer base and reports on eagles from all areas of the county.
We left off last season with concerns about several eagles and several nesting territories in Pinellas. For example, the Honeymoon Island eagle left with a hook in his lower beak. In a neighborhood in Dunedin, we worry about perch tree removal in the immediate vicinity of the nest. This is the same nest the eaglet named 'Hoover' was adopted into in 2010. Several nests have fallen or were lost.
The nest at John Chesnut Park fell near the end of the season but at that time the tree was healthy. During August, the nest tree died very quickly of apparent lightning strike. It is very visible traveling north on East Lake Road. If the eagles rebuild in the dead tree, the nest and the eagles will also be much more visible, particularly when passing the Fire Department at East Lake Woodlands.
In the John Chesnut Park territory there are two live super canopy pine trees with excellent structure should the eagles choose to move. The same thing happened to the nest tree at Anderson Park a couple of years ago. Anderson Park's nest was in a dead tree and the limbs broke so the nest collapsed. Last year we suspected the female eagle from Palm Harbor was the eagle which was killed on U.S. 19, however we have two adults at the Palm Harbor nest.
Find out what's happening in Palm Harborfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Last year, Cooper's Point in Clearwater was given additional protections due to advocacy efforts regarding future development of that property. Tarpon Springs passed an ordinance to help detect new large nests on vacant property when delays in the development review process occur. A similar situation has arisen in St. Petersburg regarding an environmentally sensitive property on 9th Street near the base of the Howard Frankland Bridge.
A plan is being discussed in Tarpon Springs to acquire the Linger Longer property. Linger Longer is part of another eagle pair's territory in Tarpon Springs and rests along the Anclote River. The acquisition of this property and properties like it would help maintain stable or increasing populations of eagles in perpetuity. When evaluating good properties for birds of prey, the Linger Longer site is ideal. 16 of the active nests in live trees in Pinellas are on private property and the current cell tower nest count is 11.
Find out what's happening in Palm Harborfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Reports of eagles have been coming in since August. Data collected on eagles includes return date, nest building dates, mating dates, incubation dates, hatch and fledge dates, number of young, number of young fledged, territory fights, and mortality incidents. Behavior notes are also recorded. Bald Eagles are protected by federal law. State rules protect eagles from take and disturbance. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also has guidelines which can be followed to avoid disturbing eagles.
Eagles have been seen in 16 different territories in Pinellas so far. Last season we had 29 active territories so we are still waiting on quite a few eagles to return sometime between now and mid October.
In the 2010-2011 season we lost four eagles, two adults and two kids, the equivalent of one nesting family, however we also gained one territory and productivity numbers were good. One adult and one juvenile perished in St. Petersburg, one adult was killed in traffic in Palm Harbor on U.S. 19 and one juvenile was lost in Tarpon Springs.
The season came to a heartbreaking close with evidence of the tough lives that eagles live in urban environments. Besides cars, and power lines, rodenticides and other environmental pollutants remain big concerns.
For now, on to a new count and a new year. Every season has a story, every nest has a story and every eagle has a story.
Save the Date! Events for 2011 and 2012
This will be a great year to connect with an Audubon Chapter near you. Volunteers are needed.
October 8th , Weedon Island - Bald Eagle History in Florida, Barb Walker, 1 - 2pm
October 20th, Tampa Audubon Society - Bald Eagle History in Florida, Barb Walker, Hillsborough County Extension Office, 7pm
Raptor Dispay and Eagle Presentation, Lynda White - Eagles in Florida and Audubon EagleWatch event time: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm – Birds of Prey, including a bald eagle, on display – Presentation at 10:30 – 12:00 Amazing Ospreys Presentation, Barb Walker from 1:00 - 2:00
January 21st, Weedon Island - Awesome Owls, a new program in the Bird of Prey Series, Barb Walker, 1 - 2pm