Here is another great Dean Pariseau photo that gives you an idea of how large eagle's nests are. We do get a lot of calls -- and keep them coming -- from those of you who think you've seen an eagles nest. Fairly often, they are osprey nests. An eagles nest is huge. The wing span of an eagle is 6-8 feet, which gives you an idea that this nest is about 6-8 feet across. Eagles return to their nests year after year and continue to expand it. The largest bald eagle nest known was in Florida and was 9.5 feet wide and 20 feet tall. It cracked the tree it was in and was estimated to weight two tons. Inside of this giant nest is a much smaller bowl that is lined with soft moss and other materials. That is where the eggs will be laid.
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This beautiful eagle was photographed by Shori Velles in the Occum section of Norwich, CT. You might be wondering why we make such a big deal about bald eagles. You all have been sharing so many of your won photos it might seem like they are everywhere. And that right there is the reason. Bald eagles may be the best conservation stories of the last century. Despite being the national emblem since 1782 (and only recently made the national bird) bald eagles were hunted indiscriminately. They endured habitat loss and were already a challenged species when DDT, a chemical pesticide developed in the 1940s, almost wiped them out. DDT became omnipresent in the food chain and caused the thinning of egg shells in every bird of prey species. By the 1950s bald eagles were gone from Connecticut and they had already disappeared in Massachusetts. There's a good chance if you are seeing this post, you never saw a bald eagle as a child. The Clean Water Act of 1972 and the banning of DDT gave eagles a chance, but it's also ongoing efforts of the people who care for this amazing green space we have here in The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor that have allowed the bald eagles to thrive here. We have the open space and the clean waters that support the abundant food sources. So you may not have seen bald eagles as a kid, but there are a whole bunch of kids who have never known a world without bald eagles. Yay!
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