By Charla Wurm-Adams
cwurm@wbcowqel.com
It didn’t take an eagle eye to enjoy Sunday’s Crawford Park District activity, just an eye for eagles.
Park District Naturalist Josh Dyer led enthusiasts on a caravan to three bald eagles’ nesting sites in Crawford County hoping to spot one of the big, noble-looking birds. Now is the breeding season for eagles. Each eagle lays one to three eggs and they are babies for 10 to 12 weeks, then fledglings for four to eight weeks. Then they disperse on their 17-20th week.
Dyer discussed the current state of the once endangered national symbol.
“Today we learned a little about the life histories of bald eagles and their current status within the United States, particularly Ohio,” Dyer said. “Their populations are doing really wonderful with an average of 195 pairs over the last five years in Ohio. Three-hundred-forty-seven fledged out of their nest last year which is really great.”
The largest nest is located in Ohio and weighs two tons. In 2014, there were 347 young eagles and 200 nests in Ohio with 47 fledged. Lake Erie is a good area to find eagles.
The Crawford County nests visited on Sunday are located in Lykens, Liberty and Whetstone townships. The bald eagle has went to from near extinction to stable. If anyone knows of a nest, they should contact the Ohio Natural Resource Center.