Bald eagles seen roosting at UC ball field W.Va.

[Donna]

January 22, 2010

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A pair of bald eagles was seen roosting in Charleston's Golden Eagle country -- the University of Charleston's Triana Field -- on Wednesday.

Employees of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce on Kanawha Boulevard East spotted the two bald eagles perched on trees across the Kanawha River, along the edge of the UC baseball field.

"People in the office watched them with binoculars, and I took a couple of shots of them, but my lens wasn't good enough to come up with anything worth using," said Larry Malone of Malone Consulting Services, who works with the Chamber.

"You could see their white heads and tails clearly," said Malone. "I wonder how many other U.S. cities there are where you can see eagles flying around. Does this make us a candidate for one of the nation's most livable cities?"

The eagles, spotted around 10 a.m. on Wednesday, eventually flew off, and weren't spotted again on Thursday or Friday.

"Over the years, a number of bald eagles have been seen flying through there -- not in big concentrations, but one or two every so often," said Wendy Perrone of the Three Rivers Avian Center in Brooks. "They seem to come down the Elk River into Charleston and then disappear."

In addition to the bald eagle sighting, a peregrine falcon has been seen preying on pigeons in the vicinity of the Nitro-St. Albans Bridge, Perrone said. "If anyone sees tags on it, we'd like to know what colors they are," she said.

[Donna]

Thursday, January 21, 2010

State wildlife officials have proposed removing the bald eagle from Maryland's list of threatened species, marking a victory in a 30-year battle to bring the national symbol back to the Chesapeake.

From a low of 44 breeding pairs found in 1977, the bald eagle has rebounded to 390 pairs in 2004, and that number may be over 500 now, said Gwen Brewer, science program manager for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Natural Heritage Program.

"The breeding population in Maryland alone has exceeded recommended goals for the entire Chesapeake Bay, so it's really been a success story," Brewer said.

The two main reasons for their rebound are the ban of the pesticide DDT, which caused the bald eagles eggs to become thin and brittle, and improving water quality that has provided more food for the birds, Brewer said.

Bald eagles are now found throughout the state, mostly concentrated around the bay with the largest populations in Dorchester and Charles counties, she said.

The majestic national symbol is listed along with nearly 30 species of plants and animals in proposed changes to the DNR's threatened and endangered species list. The changes include adding 16 species, revising the status of four others and removing eight.

The DNR is also proposing that the Bridle Shiner, a small fish, be listed as extirpated, or no longer found, in Maryland, and insects, including the Elfin Skimmer, Appalachian Snaketail and the Treetop Emerald, be placed on the endangered species list.

The federal government removed the bald eagle from its list of threatened species in 2007. Brewer said Maryland officials review their lists about every two years and issued their last update shortly before the federal decision to remove the bald eagle, Brewer said.

Even though it is no longer listed as threatened, the bald eagle is still protected under various federal acts, she said.

The proposed changes were published Jan. 15 in the Maryland Register and public comments are being accepted until Feb. 16, the DNR said.

If no objections are raised during the public comment period that would warrant a review or hearing, the DNR secretary will then approve the removal, Brewer said.

[valhalla]

As a Maryland resident, I am very much in favor of DNR's proposal.  I just wrote Donna off lline to tell her that I was watching a bald eagle overhead when driving down Rt this morning from Annapolis.  We've had them in the back yard.  We decided on the house when an Baldie buzzed us on the road in front of the house.  They really are abundant, which is why Rich calls the pigeons - if you are looking for them, you'll see them. 

The comeback of the eagles here in Maryland is pretty dramatic.  Every year brings more either via birth or migration, but they do like to spend the cooler months here.  Charles County is to the right of Calvert (where I live) when looking at a map and Dorchester is on the other side of the Bay (can anyone say Blackwater?) 

Great article Donna!  This is VERY good news!