Heated water is discharged from the power plant into the river which keeps ice from forming. This attracts fish which subsequently attracts the eagles. We saw 3 juvenile eagles - sometimes perched in trees, sometimes flying to the water. (the picture of one flying is a little blurred - had a tough time keeping up with him as he flew)
What's special about the bald eagle? In 1782 the founding fathers of the United States of America selected the bald eagle as the national bird. It has become our national symbol.
The bald eagle at maturity (around age 5) has a white head and white tail feathers, weight up to 14 lbs with an 8 foot wingspan. Unlike humans, they mate for life, returning to the same nest year after year. Nests are built up each year and eventually can be 10 feet across and weigh up to 1/2 ton. They can live 15-25 years, longer in captivity.
A big focus of the viewing day is a report on the status of the bald eagle. Once on the Endangered Species list, we now have almost 10,000 nesting pairs across the country. This is largely due to a 1972 EPA ban on use of DDT. DDT impacted the birds ability to produce strong egg shells (interered with calcium)so when the eagles sat on the eggs, they cracked. However, they are still hunted, trapped and shot - who could do that?
This eagle has been in captivity since he was 2 years old (he's now 29)because someone shot him. He was found by other hunters who rescued him. His left wing was so infected it had to be amputated.
There was a really good "live bird" educational program taught by The American Eagle Foundation. If you haven't ever been to the viewing, I'd highly recommend the trip. FYI - watch for one of their eagles to fly at the Super Bowl!
As a side note, this is a coal plant and they said they are working on cleaning up the pollution - let's hope so! Ranked 34st worse in the nation!
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Great information, Jan! Thanks for sharing.
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