Maxx's Maine Camping Blog

We have babies!

So, I heard a rumor this weekend. I couldn’t take just anyone’s word for it though. I had to check it out myself.

Leashing Cookie and grabbing Dave’s camera, I headed for the lake. Mother Eagle was huddled up, sitting on the edge of the nest. It was cold and windy. Still, I hunkered down and focused my camera on the nest.

Sure enough, after about ten minutes I saw this:

The little guy kept bobbing up and down. I think there’s two, but I never saw two heads at the same time, so I can’t confirm that yet.

Seeing him, reminded me of the time I was unexpectedly invited to tag along with the biologist who banded the babies born in 2005. My daughter was so jealous!

The biologist, who’s name was Bill, climbed the tree with his spiky boots and lowered the six week old babies in a burlap bag to his team on the ground. I was expecting cute little, fluffy chicks. This is what I saw:

Little chicks indeed!

Mom Eagle left the island before the boat even landed. She didn’t go too far though. We heard her call several times during the hour we were out there. I thought she might dive bomb the biologist, who stayed at the top of the tree so he wouldn’t damage it too much going up and down a bunch of times. But Mother Eagle didn’t even come to check out her chicks. Nor did the chicks struggle.

The team worked fast . . .

That red band can be seen from the ground with binoculars!

The team measured wings and claws, then drew blood to test the baby’s mercury levels. While all this was going on with baby #1, baby #2 sat quietly nearby and watched. Mom called a couple of times, but still, she kept her distance.

When both birds were tested, they then put one of the babies back in the bag and the biologist pulled him up, putting him safely back into the nest. As Bill was pulling up the second baby, Mom flew overhead with a gosling in her talons. Seeing the biologist, she flew off again. I was reassured by the team that she’d be back after we cleared off the island. (And she did too)

Before Bill came down, he had me pass up my camera in the bag so he could snap a picture of the babies in the nest itself. That’s the photo you see on the bottom right of the eagle link on the campground website.

Bill told me the nest weighed approximately 700 lbs and the tree is a soft red pine, so he was going to recommend not banding at this location again for fear of damaging the tree too much. It really was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me!

A word of caution: foot traffic on the eagle island is not permitted. Because eagles are still endangered, you can be fined for being that close without permission. Game Wardens do police the lake from the water and air quite often.

Please, watch wildlife from a distance.