Two eagles on the nest.
Due to the widespread use of the pesticide DDT, during the 40's, 50's and 60's, Ohio's Bald Eagle population faced a serious decline, threatening their disappearance from the State altogether. As DDT washed off the land into rivers, lakes and streams, fish and other animals in the food chain became heavily contaminated with the toxic chemical. Since a great part of the Bald Eagles diet is fish, the DDT further concentrated in the blood, cells and organs of the Eagles. This caused the eggshells of eagles to develop improperly, thinning the shells to the point of being unable to bear the weight of the incubating parent. Chicks were unable to reach full development in the egg, before the eggs broke. By 1979, only four pairs of breeding Eagles were present in Ohio.
Due to the banning of the use of DDT and through the intense and very successful efforts of the Ohio Division of Wildlife's Eagle Restoration Program, Bald Eagles have returned to Ohio! In 2003, 87 active nests were documented throughout 32 of Ohio's counties. 59 nests were successful, producing 105 Bald Eagle chicks! Today, it is not uncommon for any of us to look up and witness the spectacular sight of a soaring Bald Eagle, or even a pair, riding the thermals, over Ohio skies. They can often be seen perching in trees and even observed in flight, carrying large sticks or fish in their talons, to their nests. Eagle nests are enormous and can quickly reach several hundred pounds. Some nests have grown to over 2,000 lbs. ~ 1 Ton!!! The largest Bald Eagle's Nest ever recorded was in Vermilion, Ohio. This nest, known as the Great Nest, was used for 36 consecutive years and weighed over 4,000 lbs., before crashing to the ground when the dead tree finally broke away from the bank and fell into the river during a storm.
Eagles do mate for life, but if one member of the pair dies, the surviving Eagle will quickly find a new mate, to continue to perpetuate its species. It is the law and order of nature.
Bald Eagles are still on the Endangered Species List in Ohio, but have been down-graded to "threatened" federally. They are afforded much protection by State and Federal laws. It is illegal to approach the nest of a Bald Eagle or even to cause a perching Eagle to fly from its perch. Strict laws prohibit any activity near nesting Eagles, and violators are prosecuted with stiff fines and even imprisonment. How privileged we are that these great birds of prey, the symbol of our country, have returned; that we can be witness to such grandeur, and best of all, that we can and have taken steps to preserve and protect them for our children's children and the future of mankind.
An eagle stretches its wings.
Back To The Wild presently houses six Bald Eagles. Each one has been rescued by the center, after receiving calls from concerned citizens, who found the Eagles struggling on the ground, unable to fly. Three of our Eagles hit power lines, one was struck by a train, one fell as a nestling, when his nest crashed to the ground in a storm, and one is a victim of the West Nile Virus, which left him blind. Sadly, most of these Eagle's injuries have left them permanently disabled. Even though, they are not able to be returned to the wild, they have become ambassadors for their species and all wildlife, by helping Back To The Wild educate thousands of school children and members of youth groups and adult organizations each year.
These Eagles help listeners attending our programs, to become more aware of the natural world and evoke a feeling of personal responsibility in each of us to become better caretakers of the earth. Children learn of important issues, such as, habitat loss, damage to the food chain, and the great need to respect, appreciate, preserve and protect our natural world.
Although we feel privileged and honored to be entrusted with the State and Federal permits that allow this center to have these great creatures in our possession for educational purposes, we are truly saddened by their loss of freedom they so deserve. It is our intention and mission, to return every wild animal back into the wild, after its recovery. Giving them back their freedom is the ultimate thrill. Most injured wildlife received by rehabilitation centers, are human-related injuries, either directly or indirectly. We believe, through education, many unnecessary wildlife disasters can be prevented, and this will greatly benefit both wildlife and humans.
Please help ~ let us all do something, no matter how small, to make a difference! Protect habitats . . . conserve energy and natural resources . . . don't litter. . . and teach your children, your friends, yourself and anyone who will listen to be responsible caretakers of this earth!
Two eagles standing on the nest.
The photographs are of two eagles on a nest in Northwestern Ohio in the winter of 2003/04. A Back To The Wild supporter took these photos from afar with a strong telephoto lens. The pictures were shot with a 400 mm lens with a 2x teleconverter on a Nikon D1X digital camera, making it the equivalent of a 1200 mm lens on a 35 mm camera.
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