Six nests perched over Trumbull Co. waters

There's something breathtaking about the sight of a bald eagle in flight.
The piercing yellow eyes, the snowy head and tail, the mighty wings that can span up to seven feet -- it takes only one unforgettable glimpse to realize that this is no ordinary bird of prey.
And for folks living in Trumbull County, getting a glimpse of a bald eagle has become more and more commonplace.
Of the 37 Ohio counties that boast active bald eagle nests, Trumbull ranks No. 5 on the list with six nests.
Two areas
"I am very sure there are more than six nests in Trumbull County, but we haven't been able to locate more as of yet," said Shenango Area Wildlife Coordinator Kenneth Davis, who works for the Mosquito Creek Waterfowl Refuge of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, which is located in North Bloomfield.
Davis said bald eagles have established themselves in two specific areas of Trumbull County.
"There are three nests in Kinsman along the Pymatuning Creek, and there are three nests around Mosquito Lake. Eagles are fishing birds, so they like to be near water," Davis explained.
Besides fish, bald eagles will also feed on waterfowl, muskrats, squirrels, groundhogs and a variety of road-killed animals.
Although they typically build nests in secluded areas, a bald eagle abode can be spotted from far away because of its size.
"The largest nest on record in the state of Ohio was 12 feet high, eight feet wide and weighed nearly two tons," Davis said. "That nest was located in Vermilion and was brought down during a storm in 1925."
Bald eagles build their nests using sticks and grass, and females lay one or two eggs, usually in February. It takes 35 days for the eggs to hatch, and during that time parents take turns sitting continuously on the nest.
"That's why at this time of year, if you find an eagle's nest, you are surely going to see an eagle sitting on the nest," Davis said.
But before you go tramping off into the swamp in search of eagle nests, it's important to keep in mind that special rules apply to this type of bird watching.
Not too close
"Because of the Bald Eagle Protection Act, there are strict rules involved. For example, if you want to observe an eagle nest, you are not allowed to get closer than 1,800 feet of the nest. Any disturbance around the nest could cause birds to abandon the site or discourage them from nesting there in the future," Davis said.
Among other things, the Bald Eagle Protection Act also prohibits people from capturing and killing eagles, possessing eagle feathers and cutting down a tree with an eagle's nest in it (regardless of whether the tree happens to be on private property).
Violators of the act can face a maximum fine of $5,000 or one year in prison.
"Although bald eagles are no longer classified as an endangered species, they are probably the most protected birds in the world," Davis said.
Of course, the Bald Eagle Protection Act isn't meant to discourage people from observing and enjoying bald eagles. Davis said his office seeks volunteers to regularly monitor local nests.
"We need individuals to keep track of adults and when their babies hatch and how many babies are in the nests. We used to do this work ourselves, but state cuts in manpower and funding have required us to ask for outside help," said Davis, who has worked for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife for 27 years.
Watching parents
One of the most important aspects of monitoring a nest is regularly verifying that both eagle parents are alive and well.
"If one parent dies, then there's a good chance the baby will die too because one parent usually can't keep up with feeding the baby," Davis said.
If both parents should die, then it's time to recruit the help of humans.
"We'll have someone climb the tree and rescue the baby so we can try to save it," Davis said.
When a juvenile eagle leaves the nest, its parents spend some time teaching it to hunt for food before sending it off into the world.
"Parents often teach their young to fish in areas near the openings of rivers and creeks," Davis said. "Still, there's a high mortality rate the first year of an eagle's life. Many starve because they lack hunting skills."
Juvenile bald eagles are often mistaken for other kinds of birds because they don't attain their white head and tail feathers until about four or five years of age.
"Lots of people will see a juvenile bald eagle and won't realize what kind of bird they're looking at because it's all brown and doesn't have a white head or tail," Davis said.
Coming back
Bald eagles have been making a steady comeback since numbers hit an all-time low in 1979.
"In 1979 when eagle populations hit an all-time low nationally, there were only four bald eagle nests in the entire state of Ohio," Davis said.
Today, according to ODNR statistics, Ohio has 116 bald eagle nests.
The four counties with more nests than Trumbull County are: Sandusky, with 17 nests; Ottawa, with 16 nests; Erie, with 10 nests; and Wyandot, with seven nests.
Sandusky, Ottawa and Erie counties touch the shores of Lake Erie where Davis said great stretches of swampland and open water make ideal bald eagle habitats.
Lucas County, located on the southwestern shore of Lake Erie, also has six active nests and tied Trumbull County for the number five spot in the ODNR survey.
"Trumbull County is doing really well with its number of eagle nests considering that it is not a county on the shores of Lake Erie," Davis said.
Ashtabula and Geauga counties each have three active bald eagle nests while Mahoning County has two active nests.
There are no known nests in Columbiana County.
Anyone who observes eagle nest activity should call (800) WILDLIFE.
Those wishing to volunteer their time to observe local bald eagle nests can call the Mosquito Creek Waterfowl Refuge at (440) 685-4776, or the district office in Akron at (330) 644-2293.