Watching a Bald Eagle Nest
By Ken Schneider
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This page provides an ongoing acount of observations of the first active Bald Eagle nest in Broward County, Florida, since their population suffered a dramatic decline in the lower 48 States in the middle of the 20th Century. Only one other Bald Eagle nest had ever been reported in Broward County during the 21st Century. That nest was deep in the Everglades on the Miccosukee Reservation, but it was never found to contain eggs or young birds. More remarkably, this pair selected the City of Pembroke Pines for its homesite. They raised at least one eaglet during the winter and spring of 2007-2008, despite the hazards of nesting very close to densly populated housing developments, a major thoroughfare, a police shooting range and the new West Broward High School. Here, we will report on the eagles, to see whether they can succeed in raising another family at the same site. We will also follow the plans of a group of Middle School science students, as they develop and implement a study to determine whether and how traffic density may affect the birds' behavior.   

PEMBROKE PINES TAKES ACTION TO PROTECT THE BALD EAGLES (Highlights)
SPREADSHEET OF SIGNIFICANT EVENTS DURING EACH BREEDING SEASON (PDF)
OBSERVATIONS FROM 2008-2009 Breeding Season
NEW LINK: PROTECTING THE EAGLE NEST SITE
LINKS: HISTORY OF THE BALD EAGLE NEST
BALD EAGLE SANCTUARY STEERING COMMITTEE DOCUMENTS (PDF):

Click here to see Ken's entire FLICKR Eagle Photo Collection

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SELECTIONS FROM KEN'S BLOGS <Index to all Blogs>

Eagles migrate in opposite directions while fish move up and down

Eagle Flying 20090203Those of us who have been watching our local pair of Bald Eagles and their progeny for the past three breeding seasons are well aware that our Florida eagles are "contrarians" when it comes to migration. While nearly all other migratory birds head south after nesting and rearing their young, our local eagles do just the opposite-- they turn north. Well, this is not exactly the case, as Florida's adult Bald Eagles, especially those from the southernmost end of the peninsula, don't exhibit as much wanderlust during the non-breeding season. Generally, the adults tend to move about locally, or at most, regionally in the lower third of the Sunshine State, while younger (especially first-year) birds often become long-distance travelers...  » Read full article on[Rosyfinch Ramblings]

Who “Owns” the Eagles?

Eagle Pair at Nest 20081211When a pair of Bald Eagles decided to set up housekeeping in a tall Australian Pine just off busy Pines Boulevard in Pembroke Pines, Florida, they initiated an interesting chain of events. They were first "discovered" in March of 2008 by Kelly Smith, a local Middle School science teacher, who saw adults and a nearly full grown eaglet in the nest. For a year or two before that, several local residents (and even a bus driver who regularly ran the Pines Boulevard route) had seen eagles roosting and carrying nest materials and prey in that general location. All known Bald Eagle nests in Florida are registered by the Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and their locations are pinpointed on the FWC Web site, but the majority of South Florida residents are unaware that, among the lower 48 states, Florida is second only to Minnesota in the number of active eagle nests.... » Read full article on[Rosyfinch Ramblings]

Eagles and Power linesAn essential ingredient of Bald Eagles' breeding habitat is the presence of suitable roost trees within sight of the nest. Our local pair of eagles is no exception, and they favor three or four tall Australian Pines along Pines Boulevard, as well as the trunks of melaleuca trees in the SW Florida Water Management District land just to the west of the proposed City of Pembroke Pines Bald Eagle sanctuary. These exotic trees were all killed by herbicides a few years ago. The are badly decayed and many fall down with each windstorm. As these roosting sites disappear, we can expect the eagles to seek out other prominent perches, such as power poles. Electrocution and collision with power lines are major causes of urban Bald Eagle mortality. On June 11, Bald Eagle Sanctuary Steering Committee members Barry Heimlich of South Florida Audubon, and veteran eagle watcher Trisha Norton met at the site of the Pembroke Pines nest with Doug Macke, Florida Power & Light Company Broward Area Power Systems Environmental Coordinator, to discuss this hazard. They were pleased to learn that Doug had been observing the eagles since last year, when the nest was first "discovered," and the company had already taken some action. » Read full article on[Rosyfinch Ramblings]


SELECTED EAGLE NEST OBSERVATIONS OF INTEREST OVER THE YEARS
 FULL EAGLE MILESTONE SPREAD SHEET AVAILABLE AT THIS LINK
   







































REPORTED OBSER
-VATIONS
2007
-2008
2008
-2009
2009
-2010
2010
-2011
2011
-2012
 2012
-2013
2013
-2014
2014
-2015
1st
Brood
2015
-2016
2nd Brood
2015
-2016


2016
-2017

2017

-2018


2018

-2019
1st
Brood

2019
-2020

2nd
Brood
2019
-2020

Date Date Hatch Day
(+/-)
Date Hatch Day
(+/-)
Date Hatch Day
(+/-)
Date Hatch Day
(+/-)
Date Hatch Day (+/-) Date Hatch
Day
(+/-)
Date Hatch
Day
(+/-)
Date
Hatch
Day
(+/-)

Date


Date
Hatch Day
(+/-)
Date
Hatch
Day
(+/-)
Date
Hatch
Day
(+/-)
Date
Hatch
Day
(+/-)

Date
Hatch
Day (+/-)
Florida FWC registered nest 9 APR 2008* - - - - - - - - - - - - - -












Adult eagles
 first seen at
nest
- 02 DEC 2008 - 22 SEP 2009 - 01 SEP 2010 - 05
 OCT 2011
- 27 SEP 2012 - 18
SEP

2013
- 01
SEP
2014

12
SEP
2015


14
OCT
2016

27
AUG
2017

07
OCT
2018

29
AUG
2019



Nest construction
/revision
- 03 DEC 2008 - 23 SEP 2009 - 16 OCT 2010 - 05
 OCT 2011
- 29 OCT
2012
- 15
 OCT

2013
- 01
SEP
2014

20 SEP
2015


28
NOV 2016

2
DEC
2017

26
OCT
2018

21
SEP
2019



Copulation observed 4 DEC 2007 - - 13 DEC 2009 - 29 NOV 2010 - - - - - 26
NOV
 2013
- 28
JAN
2015

11
DEC
2015






17
NOV
2018

16
NOV
2019

24
JAN
2020

First egg laid (estimated) - 13 DEC 2008 -35 18 DEC 2009 -34 11 DEC 2010 -35 11
DEC 2011
-35 24 NOV
2012
-35 07
DEC
2013
-35 -
13
DEC
2015
 -35
10
FEB
2016
03
JAN 2017

-35
7
DEC 2017

-34
5 DEC
2018
-36
30
NOV
2019
-33
12
FEB
2020
-31
First egg hatched (estimated) - 17 JAN 2009 0 22 JAN 2010 0 15 JAN 2011 0 15
JAN 2012
0*** 29 DEC
2012
0 11
JAN
2014
0 -
17
JAN
2016
   0
16
MAR
2016
05 FEB
2017

0
01
JAN 2018

0
10
JAN
2019
0
2
JAN
2020
0
14
MAR
2020
31
First eaglet seen 15 MAR 2008** 09 FEB 2009* 23 09 FEB 2010* 18 22 JAN 2011* 7 02
FEB 2012*
18 13 JAN
2013*
15 20
JAN
2014
9 -
-
5
31
MAR 2016
16
FEB
2017

11
13
FEB
2018

34
31
JAN
2019
21
4
JAN
2020
2
22
MAR 2020
8
Second eaglet seen - 15 FEB 2009** 29 09 FEB 2010** 18 29 JAN 2011* 14 - - 13 JAN
2013**
15 20
JAN
2013
9 -
-
16*
1 APR
2016*
27
FEB
2017

22
-

*
31
JAN
2019
21
-
-
8
APR
2020
25
Third eaglet seen - - - 09 FEB 2010*** 18 - - - - - - - - -
-
-
-
-
-
-

-
-



-

Branching /helicoptering - 27 MAR 2009 69 05 APR 2010 73 16 MAR 2011 60 Never
ob-
served
- 17 MAR 2013 only
heli-
copter
77 Heli-
coptering
22 MAR Branching 30 MAR 2014
70/78 -
-
71
26 MAY
2016
25
APR 2017


79
31
MAR
2018


80
22
MAR 2019
72


13
MAY
2020
-
First eaglet fledged - 04 APR 2009 77 13 APR 2010 81 24 MAR 2011 68 23 MAR 2012** 62 to 68*** 26 MAR 2013 86 03 APR
 2014
82 -
-
92
16 JUN 2016
28
APR
2017

82
2
APR
2018

82
31
MAR
2019
81


21
MAY
2020
68
Second eaglet fledged - 06 APR 2009 79 18 APR 2010 86 26 MAR 2011 70 - - ** N/A 05 APR
 2014
84 -
-

-
06
May 2017

90
-
-
01
APR
2019
82


2
JUN
2020
81
Third eaglet fledged - N/A N/A 23 APR 2010 91 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A -
-

-
-
-
-
-
-
-


-
-
Last feeding on nest - 01 JUN 2009 135 - - 20 MAR 2011 - - - 16 APR 2013 107 01  MAY
2014
110 -
-

30
JUN
2016


29
MAY 2018

137
29
APR
2019
110




Last eaglet seen on nest 01 JUN 2009 135 10 MAY 2010 108 11 APR 2011 86 - - 04 MAY 2013 121 01 MAY
2014
110 -
-

30
JUN
2016




6
MAY
2019
116




Last eaglet seen near nest - 04 JUN 2009 138 10 JUN 2010 139 27 APR 2011 102 - - 31 MAY 2013 148 03 JUN
2014
144 -
-

16
SEP
2016




13
MAY
2019
123




Last adult reported on/near nest
14 JUL 2009 178 20 JUN 2010 149 No report - - - 08 MAY 2013 125 06 JUN
2014
147



29
JUL
2016




05
JUL
2019
176




Breeding      Season      
2007
-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
2015-16 (X2)
2016-17
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20 (x2)



Hatched/Lost
per brood
1/0

2/0

3/0

2/0

1/1

2/1

2/0

0/0

1/1
2/1

2/0

2/1

2/0

1/1
2/0

Cumulative Totals
1/0

3/0

6/0

8/0

9/1

11/2

13/2

13/2

14/3
16/4

18/4

20/5

22/5

23/6
25/6

Cum. Total  Fledged
1

3

6

8

8

9

11

11

11
12

14

15

17

17
19


NOTES





EVENTS 2007
-2008
2008
-2009
2009
-2010
2010
-2011
2011
-2012
2012
-2013
2013
-2014
2014
-2015
2015
-2016
2016
-2017
2017
-2018
2018
-2019

2019
-2020
FOOTNOTES
 REFER TO
YEARS
 IN  MILESTONE
 TABLE ABOVE


Names  given to eaglets
(Middle School
 Contest  2008-09
 and 2009-10);

Eagle Facebook
 page 2013-14


Disturbances
* FWC
 Aerial
 survey

**
"P Piney 1"
* "Hope"
** "Justice"
20 FEB 2009 Miami
Herald article attracted
crowds to
nest; City
subsequently placed
fence and
parking
 restrictions
 in front of
 nest
*
"Lucky"

**
"Chance"

***
"Courage"
* "P Piney 7"
** "P Piney 8"

15 MAY 2011 Roadway
construction
  in front of
nest STARTED
* "P Piney 9"
** mortality
assumed;
ground search
30 MAR did
not locate it
***this eaglet
may have
hatched 2-6
days after
the first or
second egg
hatched or
 failed

01 OCT 2012  Roadway
construction  COMPLETED
*P Piney
10 & 11
**P Piney 10 mortality
assumed
between
15 - 21
day of age
Adults
given  names
 of
Pride (male)
 &
Joy (female)

P Piney 12
&13

18 JAN 2014
A third adult
Bald Eagle appeared
and was
driven away
by the pair.
Joy
disappeared,
last seen at
nest OCT 30,
2014;
may have
been seen
1 mi SE of nest with
injured foot
on DEC 7.
New female
(Jewel)
appeared at
nest same day. Copulation observed  but
no evidence of breeding. 
Pride and Jewel returned, refurbished nest and eggs were
laid DEC 13.
Limb fell on
nest on
projected hatch date. Eaglet documented
being fed
at 2 days age
but no further evidence of
brood and nest susequently abandoned.

P Piney 14
15 & 16

*Second
brood hatched
but older
eaglet killed
her sibling on
APR 11.or
possibly
APR 16?
Pair got off to late start, almost surely because juvenile was dependent into SEPT

P Piney 17 & 18
* second eaglet
P Piney 20
was being fed but not seen after
JAN 14;
Presume
lost JAN 24-29

P Piney 19 & 20*
 

P Piney 21 & 22
P Piney
23
lost
after
storm
JAN
10

P
Piney
24 &
25
fledged successfully




INTERVALS (DAYS)

EVENTS 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 AVERAGE MEDIAN REMARKS
Period between adult arrival and egg laying Unknown 87 56 67 58 49 73.2 68 Data collection commenced  after adults arrived in 2008
Incubation period 35 34 35 35 35 35 34.8 34.5 -
Age when first eaglet fledged 77 81 68 ~65 (62-68) 86 82 ~76.5 ~73 Age of 2011-2012 eaglet estimated 
Days between first branching and eaglet fledging 8 8 8 N/A 4 4 6.4 6 Branching not observed 2011-2012
Age of eaglet when last seen at nest 138 139 102 ~64 (61-67) 103 110 118.4 120.5 2011-2012 data not included in avg/mean (fledgling eaglet not observed)
Days eaglet remained at nest after fledging 61 27 34 N/A 66 28 43.2 46.5 2011-2012 data not included in avg/mean











PRIDE & JOY'S (and Jewel's) FAMILY ALBUM
(FULL EAGLE MILESTONE SPREAD SHEET IS AVAILABLE AT THIS LINK)
No. SEASON EAGLET NAME HATCH DATE FLEDGE DATE REMARKS PHOTO
(click for larger image)
1 2007-08 P Piney 1 ? 15 MAR 2008
          *
*Nest discovered after fledging P Piney 1
2 2008-09 Hope 17 JAN 2009 4 APR 2009
Justice
3 Justice ~19 JAN 2009 6 APR 2009
4 2009-10 Lucky 22 JAN 2010 13 APR 2010
Lucky Chance Courage
5 Chance ~24 JAN 2010 18 APR 2010
6 Courage ~26 JAN 2010 23 APR 2010
7 2010-11 P Piney 7 15 JAN 2011 24 MAR 2011
P Piney 7 & 8
8 P Piney 8 ~17 JAN 2011 26 MAR 2011
9 2011-12 P Piney 9 15 JAN 2012 23 MAR 2012
          **
**Never seen after fledging; mortality assumed; appeared small for age; may have fledged too early; unconfirmed report of loss of earlier sibling P Piney 9
10 2012-13 P Piney 10 29 DEC 2012 26 MAR 2013
P Piney 10
11 P Piney 11 ~31 DEC 2012 *** ***30 MAR 2013 Mortality assumed, when ground search failed to locate P Piney 11
12 2013-14 Honor
11 JAN 2014 03 APR 2014
P Piney 12 & 13
13 Glory ~13 JAN 2014 05 APR 2014
-
2014-15
-
-
-
Joy disappeared Oct 30 and new female (Jewel) appeared  DEC 7 but did not breed

14


2015-16

P Piney 14
~17 JAN 2016
-
Only eaglet documented being fed at 2 days age, never seen, and storm-damaged nest abandoned

15
Spirit
~16 MAR 2016
16 JUN
2016
Second brood this season after storm damage. First time this has occurred at this nest

16
P Piney 16
~19 MAR 2016
-
Killed (siblicide) APR 11, 2016

17

2016-2017

P Piney 17
~ 05 FEB 2017
28 APR 2017


18
P Piney 18
~08 FEB 2017
6 MAY 2017


19

20-17-2018
P Piney 19
10 JAN 2018
2 APR 2018


20
P Piney 20
~14 JAN 2018
-
Observers agreed that two eaglets were being fed until 24-29 JAN but never seen/photgraphed

21

2018-2019
P Piney 21
~10 JAN 2019
31 MAR 2019


22
P Piney 22
~13 JAN 2019
1 APR 2019


23


2019-2020
P Piney 23
~02 JAN 2020

This eaglet and possibly a nestmate were lost after a storm around  10-12 JAN 2020

24
P Piney 24
~14 MAR 2020
21 MAY 2020


25
P Piney 25
~17 MAR 2020
02 JUN 2020


26

2020-2021

P Piney 26
~07 MAR 2021
-
Adults relocated and were using new nest but storms disrupted it. P Piney  27 fell to ground on MAR 18, was severly injured and later euthanized; P Piney 26. was grounded on  MAR 28, suffered broken wing and located after 5 days. Rehabbed and flew free on June 14 .

27
P Piney 27
~10 MAR 2021
-




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