I was having coffee with Sonny Zurowski this week, and he mentioned how the wildlife had changed here over the years.
“We never had wild turkeys, and the ravens are more plentiful even in winter, and I don’t ever remember turkey vultures this far north until the last couple of years,” he said. He added, “There seems to be more deer on the outskirts of the village and in people’s yards than I can remember seeing as a kid growing up here.”
Sonny lives on the Racquette River, upstream from the Oxbow, a travel corridor for eagles, which is an occurrence that is also a wildlife change from just a few years ago. Indeed, 26 years ago, in 1975, the bald eagle was listed as “threatened and endangered.” In 1961, there was only a single nest in New York State. This past year, 2003, a record total of 75 breeding pairs raised 87 eagles.
As a note of local interest, a nest in this area that successfully raised two young before the nest was blown out of its lofty perch 40 feet above the ground, was not rebuilt this year. It is the opinion of the wildlife biologist involved that the birds simply chose to not nest last year. Or, if it was rebuilt, the new nest remained undisclosed, despite aerial surveys and field checks.
Some noteworthy items contained in the NYS Bald Eagle Report for 2003 may be of interest to readers of the column. It states as follows: During a visit to a new nest in territory #65 (Franklin County), upon climbing to the nest, we discovered not only two dead eaglets (approximately two weeks old), but one year-old immature male lying dead on top of the nest.
The pathologist reported injuries to the immature consistent with an attack by another eagle (talon puncture wounds). It would appear that this immature may have invaded the nest and killed the two young nestlings, then in turn, was killed by the resident adults.
We have witnessed immatures trying to access nests before, and it has been reported that they occasionally kill nestlings if not well guarded by the adults.
At another Franklin County site (NY #33), we had an interesting encounter with military jets during our annual banding visit. While halfway up the 132-ft. tree on June 10, three jets (believed to be A10s) doing low-level training runs “screamed” by. Of course, in response to the banding team, the resident adults were off the nest, soaring around it and vocalizing. During this brief episode, one of the jets passed directly over the nest tree and between the soaring female (lower, abut 100 feet above the nest) and male (soaring higher directly over the nest), bringing into stark focus the distinct possibility of such jets colliding with soaring eagles in their territories.
Perhaps also of local interest is that 21 bald eagles were recovered in 2003. Some of these were dead, others rehabilitated and released. Among the causes of injury and death were electrocution (3) Note: landing on high-power lines. Also nestlings that succumbed to fishing tackle (3). Note: Parent birds would bring in fish that had broken a fish line with attached lure still embedded in its mouth, and the young would get entangled in the monofilament – fall out of the nest or starve because their bills were locked or they were strangled. Two eagles fell from their nest, two were lead poisoned and two others were killed by another eagle.
This year a number of local residents have joined the over 100 other participants in New York’s annual mid-winter Bald Eagle survey.
The purpose of the survey is to estimate the wintering population and to identify previously unrecognized areas of important winter habitat such as this area, which has been overlooked and underestimated by wildlife personnel. Local observers include Jim and Carol Richer, Lake Simond; Scott Chartier, Big Tupper Lake; Charlcie Delehanty, at large; Jim Frenette, Racquette River; and Jake Chartier, Middle Saranac.
Snowmobilers have also been a big help in the survey. One group directed this observer to a Bald Eagle feeding on a deer carcass on the former Draper lands along the South Branch of the Grasse River. Ice fishermen, especially along Lake Simond, have been more than cooperative by recording their sightings (eagles feed on the discarded minnow bait).
On a personal note, visiting with both the snowmobilers and the ice fishermen was one of the most pleasurable parts of the survey.
Here were people completely attuned to their environment. Each in his own way, albeit, different, enjoying to the fullest the benefits of living in the North Country during winter.
Buzz Dumas of Childwold and Scott McWhauf of the NYS DOT, based in Cranberry Lake, have also been of great assistance. Scott keeps detailed and knowledgeable entries, which lend great credibility to our state report.
Despite the severe low temperatures, several areas of open water have allowed observers to watch our local eagles rob otter of their fish catch. One observer’s report read this way: “There was open water on the river, about the size of a pickup truck. An otter popped to the surface and flipped a good-sized fish onto the ice surface. Suddenly this beautiful bird with a white crown of feathers on its head and an immense wingspread of at least seven feet across, glided down, seemingly out of nowhere, snatched the fish and soared away. Time: 10:30. Date: Jan. 10. Location: River below Underwood. Temp: 18 degrees F.”
Yes, a tiny piece of wild animals’ lives that, because we live in this special place, we are blessed to see! Tupper Lake lies in a unique area, conducive to wintering eagles. The many open water locations, like the Sorting Gap, Bog River Falls, Setting Pole Dam and the rapid water sections below Piercefield and Racquette Falls (to name just a few) allow the eagles to winter over here.
In addition, it would appear that there is increased deer kill on the highways and, of course, those unpolluted open water locations just mentioned have ample fish supply, a mainstay of the eagle’s diet. All in all, this area provides favorable habitat to the eagle, which is not found everywhere, and we are richer for it.