MIFFLN TOWNSHIP — Bald eagles have always captured my imagination.
Maybe it’s because they’re the national bird, and a sense of that historic nature enhances their appeal.
Maybe it’s because they’re not routinely seen in these parts.
Maybe it’s because their population rebound is proof not everything is going in the wrong direction, no matter what some may insist.
Whatever the case, bald eagles are a fascinating creature. Right now, one need not go to a zoo to see them either.
January is typically when bald eagles begin their courtship ritual, mating, bonding and building nests. Bald eagles usually lay eggs and incubate in February and March, with their nests located in large trees to support their significant size.
A pair is currently constructing a sizeable nest just off Crider Road. Photographer Jeff Sprang, a former colleague at the News Journal, snapped these photographs and graciously allowed us to publish them. He noted the male bringing back nesting materials for the female.
“My understanding is that eagles nested there last year as well and perhaps earlier than that,” Sprang said. “You can see the nest from Crider Road and from Route 30. They undoubtedly hunt in Charles Mill Lake just to the south.”
It’s hard not to chuckle when remembering our Founding Fathers allegedly debated between a wild turkey and a bald eagle for the national bird.
Make no mistake, I enjoy turkeys too — particularly at Thanksgiving with mashed potatoes and gravy.
But a wild turkey is a downright ugly bird in comparison to the bald eagle — a majestic creature that soars in spectacular fashion as it cuts through the wind.
They’re quite the success story here in Ohio, too.
In 1979, only four breeding pairs of bald eagles were reported in the state, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. In 2022 a nesting survey showed approximately 824 nests.
Building back their population started with the Endangered Species Act, which banned the use of DDT — a pesticide largely responsible for declining bald eagle numbers that bottomed out in the late 1970s.
Bald eagles are most often found near water, as their favored diet relies on fish. Hence cleaning up Lake Erie has been a significant factor in their recovery numbers improving, too.
“Bald eagles are flourishing in Ohio because of improved habitat and water quality in wetlands, and this habitat will only continue to improve through wetlands restored and created through our H2Ohio initiative,” Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said recently. “Wildlife areas have also been increased and restored, in part, thanks to funds from our sportsmen through hunting license purchases.
“These large tracts of wetland habitats provided the necessary space for eagles to nest and raise their young, expanding from only four nesting pairs in 1979.”
Just a reminder, bald eagles are federally protected and people need to keep their distance if they want to continue to enjoy them in our community.
“People should stay at the very least 100 yards away (I prefer 200 yards),” Sprang said. “The birds will abandon the nest if people get too close.
“I took the photos from my car parked along Crider Road using a 200-500mm telephoto zoom lens.”
