Ohio bald eagle nest numbers keeping climbing

It’s amazing how things can change in nearly a half century, especially when it come to wildlife.

With proper habitat and a cleaner environment, today it’s common for people to see a bald eagle. That wasn’t the case nearly 50 years ago, when only four nesting pairs of this large raptor existed in the state.

Although there is no specific count of nesting pairs, the Ohio Division of Wildlife (DOW) has estimated there are 806 bald eagle nests in Ohio. The count includes currently active, failed and inactive nests, although the majority of nests were active with eagles present, incubating or with young. Protected by law, inactive nests are counted.

According to a DOW press release, the wildlife agency’s bald eagle nesting survey consisted of flying five blocks, each roughly 10 square miles, to search for eagle nests in woodlots and along rivers. Two of the blocks, one near Sandusky on Lake Erie and the other above the Mosquito Creek Wildlife Area in northeast Ohio, are flown every year. The other three blocks are rotated every year. The 2021 blocks were located around Killbuck Wildlife Area, Grand Lake St. Marys and the Maumee River in Defiance and Henry counties.

The DOW says the reason the bald eagle population is thriving is due to a cleaner environment as a result of the banning of DDT and the regulation of other environmental pollutants. It also cited the adaptability of the bald eagle to a landscape modified by human activities along with other human intervention efforts such as wildlife rehabilitation.

The productivity rate of nesting pairs in the state has been around 1.6 for the past several years, according to the DOW. That rate is above the 1 per nest needed to sustain the eagle population.

In the nine Lima area counties, there were 58 nests in the last county by county breakdown in 2020 and each county had at least two nests. A county by county breakdown for this year has not been listed yet. During a county count in 2012 — the year bald eagles were removed from the state threatened species list — four (Allen, Auglaize, Shelby and Van Wert) of the nine area counties did not have an eagle nest.

Mercer leads the area with 16 nests from the 2020 count. Other counties and the number of nests from that count are: Allen 5, Auglaize 4, Hancock 12, Hardin 9, Logan 8, Putnam 8, Shelby 3 and Van Wert 2.

There are certain characteristics which lead bald eagles to build nests in certain locations, including proximity to Lake Erie and/or the presence of large lakes, reservoirs, substantial wetlands or large river corridors with mature trees that provide nesting habitat.

A reason counties along Lake Erie like Ottawa, Sandusky and Erie have a large number of nests is due to the high concentration of coastal wetland marshes, which are ideal bald eagle habitat, according to the DOW.

My wife and I visited our daughter in Port Clinton last weekend and, while checking out duck migration, noticed a number of bald eagles and nests. It’s unusual if you do not see an eagle flying or sitting on or near a nest while traveling Ohio 2. One often sees a pair sitting together in a tree. Since nests are so large, they are easy to spot this time of year.

Some nests were destroyed in Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and Magee Marsh Wildlife Area during a summer storm last year. We saw where it appears eagles are building new nests near a couple of old sites. We also saw an eagle flying with a large stick for its nest. While both members of a pair will bring materials to a nest, it’s usually the female that places the materials.

One might also see a number of immature eagles along Lake Erie. Approximately 25% of the birds acquire the adult plumage at the age of 4 1/2 years. By the time an eagle is 5 1/2 years old, it acquires the pure white head and tail adult plumage. That adult plumage is kept throughout the life of the bird.

Bald eagles remain protected under state and federal laws, including the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

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Last Saturday and Sunday were contrasts in the weather along Lake Erie as Saturday was wet, windy and cold while Sunday offered a sunny, blue bird sky. It was a great two days of early birding while scoping out Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge near Oak Harbor and refuge annex West Harbor Landing on Catawba Island, Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area near Oak Harbor and Howard Marsh Metropark in Curtice.

Saturday yielded a bonanza of different waterfowl species and a plethora of ducks. We saw a decent number of ducks Sunday, but that day offered us white pelicans and sandhill cranes in flight. We also saw trumpeter swans, white egrets and blue herons.

Among duck species we saw were: mallards, wood ducks, common merganser, red-breasted merganser, ring necks, scaup, shoveler, red heads, buffleheads, gadwalls and grebes. We also saw plenty of coots. However, they are not classified as a duck, but as a rail. They also are called mud hens.

A pair of bald eagles are shown in their nest, The number of bald eagle nests in Ohio is now estimated at 806.

Al Smith is a freelance outdoor writer. You may contact him [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @alsmithFL