Barton Cove eagles make a new home

[ Originally published on: Thursday, January 22, 2009 ]

TURNERS FALLS -- Franklin County may have lost its most prominent eagle's nest, but it appears that the eagle pair that called it home for so many years hasn't gone far.

In fact, the pair appears to be building a nest on the same island in Barton Cove in an oak tree about 100 feet due west of the felled pine that once held its nest, said Ralph Taylor, district manager for the Connecticut Valley district of the state's Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. ''It's a stone's throw away.''

However, the new nest will be harder to spot since it's in the undergrowth whereas the old nest was perched on a pine out in the open.

The pair was spotted building the new nest in a statewide eagle count done earlier this month. That count found 80 eagles across the state, a record in the 29 years the state's been doing the count, according to the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. The first year the state did the count, in 1980, the state counted eight birds.

''This is probably the biggest success story in modern conservation history,'' said Taylor of the comeback of bald eagles in the lower 48 states.

Northeast Utilities, which has now become First Light, installed a camera in the nest on the old pine tree, which was connected to a public Web site and also broadcast on area cable access channels so that viewers could check in on the pair as they laid eggs and raised the chicks that hatched.

About six years ago, the pair built a nest in the oak tree where they are now building a nest, but never moved in, said Taylor. At that time, the utility company installed a camera, which was never used since the pair moved back to the pine.

So, if the eagles decide to stay in the oak this time, they may be back on the air, said Taylor. If the camera doesn't work, the state and First Light will have to wait until next season to install a new camera so it doesn't disturb the nesting pair, he said.

Pat Carlisle, who's watched the eagles from her window since the first pair built a nest in 1989, said she was watching the eagle pair and their chicks in late July. She looked away from the nest for a minute and then looked back. ''All of a sudden there was just a big blank space.'' The tree and nest had fallen to the ground.

''The adult eagles stayed pretty close (since the nest fell), but I lost track of the chick, because of its coloring, in the woods,'' Carlisle said.

She said she hopes to hear of other nests cropping up along the river.

When told about the nest in the works, Carlisle said, ''That's exciting. I'll head down to the boat ramp (Thursday) with my scope and check it out.''

You can reach Arn Albertini at:aalberti@recorder.comor (413) 772-0261 Ext. 264

 

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