REALITY?: Eagles

Posted on January 17, 2004 by Susan

In the January issue of Connecticut Life, there is an article on the American Bald Eagle, and as I’ve mentioned before, I’ve almost daily seen a nesting pair right near my house. I didn’t realize what had brought them to the area—except perhaps the fact that there’s a fish hatchery around the corner—but knew that they flew directly overhead to check out the Farmington River down the bottom of our hill, in a path dictated by their feeding spots. But the interesting part is that while I knew they were covered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (removed in 1999, nationally), there were as few as 417 nesting pairs nationwide in 1963. There are currently only 8 nesting pairs recorded in Connecticut, and they are still considered an endangered species in this state. I’ve always been thrilled to see them these past several years, but now feel extremely lucky as well.

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2 Responses to REALITY?: Eagles

  1. Crawford Kilian says:
    January 17, 2004 at 8:10 pm

    Here in British Columbia, bald eagles aren’t quite as numerous as crows, but birdwatchers often go 30 minutes up the highway from Vancouver to Squamish and count a couple of thousand eagles hanging out in the trees above salmon-run creeks.

    When my daughter was married on Hornby Island, between Vancouver Island and the mainland, it was on a cliff overlooking the Strait of Georgia; in the strong onshore breeze, a bald eagle hovered over the bride and groom. We took it as a good omen.

  2. susan says:
    January 18, 2004 at 3:50 pm

    Both your related images are awesome! Here I am, getting all misty-eyed over two or three at the most, and I rarely even see them fly. They usually just sit there, staring at the stream, maybe yawn upon occasion.

    And the appearance of one at your daughter’s wedding must have added an elegant touch. I’m jealous!

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