A Chapter of the National Audubon Society

EagleWatch

What is EagleWatch?
It is a Volunteer Citizen Scientist Program. The Audubon EagleWatch Program started in 1992 in the Central Florida region, with only 22 volunteers. Today the program is statewide, reaching more communities each year and continuing to heighten awareness of Bald Eagle nesting activities throughout the state.

Click here now to see a complete list of nests in Hillsborough County and their current status.

Current pictures of our Hillsborough County Eagles.



  We welcome all our Eagle Watchers to send in your pictures. 

    America The BeautifulGeorge Martha MacDill Eaglet


This is the nest at MacDill AFB.  Thank you to our new Eagle Watch Volunteer, Greg Clarkson for these shots of the MacDill Eagles who have been fondly named George and Martha!


The eagle below is from HL047 coming back to the tower after leaving when a fire broke out close to it's nest on US301 and I-75 Wed. Feb. 15.  Thanks Hillsborough County Fire Rescue for keeping the fire away from the eagles nest. 

These 2 juveniles were relieved when an adult finally showed back up at HL047 after the fire calmed down some.

The juveniles below are at the nest at Cockroach Bay this week (Feb 15).  Don't they grow fast! 
HL047 and HL027 pictures were taken by Nancy Murrah.

Tampa Bay Area EagleWatch - Become Involved

How you can help:  You can become a volunteer or donate funds specifically to EagleWatch to help our efforts.  Bald Eagle

1. Sign up by filling out a  EagleWatch volunteer form.

2. Choose one or two nests that you can watch at least twice a month during nesting season. Ideally, it’s best to have two people assigned to each nest.  You can also go to Florida Wildlife Commissions web site and enter "eagles nests" in the search field on the FWC site.  It allows you to enter your address and look for eagle nests around you anywhere in Florida.

3. Get directions and instruction from your EagleWatch Coordinator:

4. Start visiting “your” eagles.

5. Complete a nest visit form send via email to

Lynda White at lwhite@audubon.org 

Please also send a copy to: Barb Walker 

 For a List of all of the Nests in Hillsborough County click here now.

Paige and Lynda

 

We had quite a treat with our EagleWatch workshop Saturday October 29.

Lynda & Jim White and Paige the Eagle from the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey

Our biggest challenge for the 2011 - 2012 Season


 Our biggest challenge for the fall nesting season will be to check all our cell towers in Hillsborough County.  Over the last few years tons of cell towers have been built in our county.  Unfortunately we hold the statistic for having the highest number of eagle and osprey nests on manmade structures.  Our motto (to quote Barb Walker) is "leave no cell tower unchecked !"

We need to get a better handle on where all our nests are and how many are active in order to have a more accurate count for 2012.

Threats to the bald eagle include, but are not limited to, contaminants, oil spills, wind turbines, climate change, sea level rise and habitat loss.

Check back here

Did you know?

Eagle nests are numbered by county then by number.  The nests in Hillsborough County all start with HL, Polk county PO, Pinellas County PI, Pasco PS, etc. Then they start numbering them as they are found.  The nest below is HL051.  It is in Hillsborough County and was the 51st nest identified by FWC.

Eaglets are bigger than their parents when they fledge.

An adult eagle weighs on an average 8 pounds.

The legal distance to stay from an eagles nest is 330 feet.

 

Eaglets in HL051 on right by Nancy Murrah

 

 

 

Date Summary Hillsborough County Data Summary 2011 - 2012 Season

We have 11 nests with eaglets.  We currently know we have 22 eaglets that have been verified.

We still have 12 nests that have not been checked.

Good news we have found 6 new nests.

 

To view a list of nests in the State of Florida you can click here for a link to FWC's Eagle Locator .

There are eagle nests all around our area

Our Tampa Bay area eagles have almost all hatched.  If you spot a bald eagle in the area, please let us know when and where.

If you would like more information you can download a pdf of the Tampa Bay Area Brochure.

Thank you to our TAS Volunteers:                                    

If you want to become a volunteer, please contact: 

Hillsborough County: Nancy Murrah 813-205-1851,

Pinellas County: Barb Walker 727-798-2385 or

Everyone will register with and can contact: Lynda White at the

Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland, FL  407-644-0190Bald Eagle

 

 

Eagle (on left) Taken at Lake Thonotosassa

Photo by TAS member Thomas Farrell

 

Justice from HL043 by Nancy Murrah

Bald Eagle

Photo by Nick Cross taken at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge 2/2011

 

 

 

 

 

Important Note:  Birds and Power Lines Don't Mix Well

It’s important that if you see any ospreys or eagles with a nest flat down on top of a power pole they need to be reported.  

The best way to tell who the pole belongs to is if you can walk up to it and record the pole number.  This bird was on the other side of a ditch surrounded by bushes so I didn’t want to try and get it.  If you have a phone with an app that gives you the GPS location, that works as well.  If not, get the location and note exactly where it is like I did below.

If it’s TECO, you can send the information directly to Nancy Murrah and copy Barb Walker.

 If it is Progress Energy, you can send the information directly to Barb and copy Nancy.

If it another power company please send an email to both Barb Walker and Nancy Murrah and we will find out.

 Both power companies  have been very good at moving these birds when we find them.  If you see any birds in nests like this, NOW is the time to get them moved before they start another family for this season. 

 

Be sure to visit the Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland Florida.

 

Recent accomplishments include:

  • Monitoring 270+ nests, more than 20% of the state’s population

  • Utilizing over 250 informed volunteers to monitor active nest sites

  • Locating and verifying an average of 6 new nests per year.

  • Saving nests from destruction by illegal development.

  • Promptly rescuing fallen eaglets after storms.

Injured eagles and other birds of prey are transported to the center for care from all over Florida.  All birds of prey are expensive to feed, transport and care for.  As you can see by the picture above that was taken at the hospital at the center, by the sixth week of 2011,  59 birds had already been admitted , 580 were admitted in 2010.  These birds are rehabilitated and released when possible.  Injured birds are placed with qualified organizations and individuals, who are licensed by FWC to have the birds, for educational purposes.   Others live out their lives at The Center for Birds of Prey A Florida Audubon Facility where you can come and visit them.

Picture from The Eagles Forest - Art & Story by Nancy Murrah

WILDLIFE ALERT EMERGENCY NUMBER
TO REPORT INJURED WILDLIFE:
1-888-404-3922