Eaglets to be monitored for health, flight

About 125 nesting pairs are in the state; only four pairs were in Ohio 26 years ago.
By JOSH ECHT
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
PALMYRA -- On most days, birdwatchers Don and Mary Burt watch a bald eagle nest near their property from 200 yards away.
Wednesday's bird banding here allowed the Palmyra Township couple to get closer. They, along with several others, witnessed Ohio Division of Wildlife biologists band two eaglets with identification bands at Lake Milton State Park, which is on the Mahoning/Portage county line. The wildlife division is part of the the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Biologists affix the bands to the young eaglets for health and tracking purposes.
"We use silver federal bands, which have a unique number on them, and red state bands, which have a letter-number sequence, to identify each eagle," said Tom Henry, wildlife biologist.
Wildlife Supervisor Dan Kramer said the bands are specifically sized for each individual eaglet.
Kramer said biologists use a flange-and-bolt system to weld the bands securely shut.
"We want to keep it shut so the bird can't open it," he said.
Fellow wildlife worker Jeff Janosik climbed a 100-foot tree to retrieve the eaglets. He used a hook to put the birds in bags and taped their claws shut. Once banded, the birds are sent up the rope and placed back in their nest.
The adults gave warning calls to their young and circled around as the biologists performed the banding.
"The bald eagle has faced extinction in Ohio," Henry said. "In 1979, there were four pairs of eagles."
Ohio currently has 125 nesting pairs and more individual eagles, he said.
Efforts to bring birds back
To restore the population, eaglets were obtained from zoos and museums and placed in the nests of eagles whose eggs failed to hatch.
"We would sometimes substitute goose eggs, because [the pesticide] DDT had contaminated regular eggs, making the shells thinner," Henry said. "We needed to keep an egg under the adult at all times."
As the population grew throughout the past 20 years, more volunteers like Burt helped speed up the recovery of the species.
"The previous occupant of my house was a watcher," Burt said. "When I moved in two years ago, I kept receiving mail addressed to him regarding the birds."
Burt's newfound interest led him to call wildlife personnel at the Crane Creek Wildlife Research Center, Oak Harbor, Ohio, who helped him start the art of bird-watching.
Every week, he volunteers to watch the nest and conduct weekly reports regarding the eagles' status.
"It's an opportunity to be out in the woods and watch the life cycle of the birds," Burt said.