Bald eagles starting to show up in increasing numbers in Cape Fear region

They have made a rebound nationally, to such a degree that they’re no longer found on the Endangered Species Act.

And now there’s at least anecdotal evidence that bald eagles are starting to show up in increasing numbers in the Cape Fear region.

Established eagle nests in Hampstead and Bolivia have been joined by a suspected nest site in the Scotts Hill area and another one farther down the Intracoastal Waterway in New Hanover County, said Andy Wood, education director for Audubon North Carolina.

Sightings of the country’s national symbol are up across the region and the state, too.

All in all, it’s a nice change from the situation just a few decades ago when fewer than a thousand nesting pairs were found in the lower 48 states – and almost none in the Wilmington area.

“This is a result of decades now of DDT being taken out of our environment, at least directly,” Wood said, referring to the insecticide that softened the shells of birds’ eggs.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission began reintroducing eagles in 1983, and now there are more than 100 nesting “territories” scattered across the state.

But changes in how humans view the birds – and to some degree how the large birds of prey now view humans – also have helped the population rebound.

Wood said tough federal laws have raised awareness about what the birds need to survive and thrive, namely to be left alone and to have good nesting habitat.

“Their preferred tree here is an old loblolly pine, which is probably 40 to 50 years old, near water ... and we have lots of those,” he said, adding that it’s also illegal to mess with a tree that has had nesting activity within the past few years.

But the eagles, which don’t migrate far from their nests, also have adapted to living among humans.

“They appear to be getting more comfortable around people, so now they’re successfully nesting within hundreds of feet of human activity,” Wood said.

While the birds’ plumage and size might be majestic, their behavior isn’t quite as noble.

Wood said eagles are equal-opportunity carnivores, willing to catch their own food or steal a fish from an osprey.

Then there’s the fact that they won’t pass up the occasional carrion, even sharing a dead animal with vultures.

Still, they’re a special sight to many when seen soaring.

But because of the legal protections given to the birds, including several federal laws and a continued presence on the state’s “threatened” list, they haven’t always been favorites of landowners.

But in Hampstead, a developer has embraced the birds’ presence after initially being a little leery about having a nest on his property.

He even named his development Eagle Watch after the pair.

Across Nixon Creek from the nest, Jim Tompkins has been observing the eagles for more than a decade.

“We’re absolutely delighted,” he said about having eagles as a neighbor. “It’s a treat because more often than not we see them while having breakfast, and it’s a great way to start the day.”

Full Article

Ken Keegan
Real Estate Broker
(910) 523-0903 mobile
Email Me
www.KenKeegan.com