Possible nest at SW 41st St & NW 215th Street NW Dade-Miami/Broward County line

[NewMexiKen]

Billi has now reported the possible eagle nest to FWC. Again, she writes (3/14/16):

Hi Ken, I wrote to you about this beginning of Feb., and last weekend on my way to and from the Keys I saw the eagle on that light pole both times. I sent this message (below) with eBird link to FWC and they will send a guy from FWRI out to check because they have no record of a nest there:

For the 3rd time (1/31/16, 3/12/16, 3/13/16) we've seen an adult perched on the same extremely tall (highest one there) light fixture on the south side of the turnpike at Calder Racetrack between  the E-W turnpike extension (from the Keys, just before it joins the northbound turnpike), and the boxy old "hotel" on the south side.

The coordinates are on this eBird checklist's map link.
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S28154447

I had assumed its nest would be in the nice pinelands on the north/Broward side, but this time I think I saw sticks in a metal dish on top, next to the eagle.

Can't miss it even from a moving vehicle.

Regards,

Billi

My Reply:

Interesting! Do you have any idea as to where someone might safely park and view the light pole? I am not familiar with the area.

From the location you provide at the link in your eBird report, it seems that the best way would be to enter from SW 41st Street (SR 852) at NW 215th Street, west of the Turnpike and then turn south into the race track entrance. I am not sure whether this is a restricted area. Your coordinates  [25.9713174,-80.2342701] show the pole to be located immediately inside the entrance road.

If the eagles have an active nest, their young would probably ready to fledge or have done so already.

[NewMexiKen]

Billi Wagner has provided a more exact location of the possible "Race Track" eagle nest near the Broward/Miami-Dade County line.

Billi writes:

I just looked at the map and probably put the marker a little too far east. Open the map link on the checklist in "satellite" form, and blow it up: there are light poles casting super long shadows NW, in a row of palms along SW 41st paralleling the racetrack, it has to be one of those, it seemed to be the tallest one, and it should have something on top of the light cluster.

There are other, shorter light poles with a curved piece extending out. They are for the turnpike. This style is called "Cobra": the light itself is like the head of a serpent sticking out.

I don't know what you could see from the ground, maybe you can go up the grandstand with a scope?

I replied (MAR 15):

There are two very tall poles, one on either side of this small parking area and bus stop at this location. Do you think one of these may contain the sticks/nest?

The new coordinates are: [25.972116, -80.238947]
and the Google Earth address is:

1743 SW 41 St
Miramar, FL 33023

Billi then said:

They look good, they are past the Stadium Hotel, and on the south side of the eastbound lane of the turnpike. The only other similar, really tall light poles I can see are clustered around the N-S turnpike lanes east of the horse barns, which are near the racetrack entrance road. I can see 4 lights on all of these poles, but not any other structure on them that could hold a nest, like I saw Sunday. We need one of those drone cameras!
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[Mike Fossler]

I did a bit of driving around on Friday 3/26 along SW 41st St (NW 215th St) at the north edge of Calder and did not see any roosting birds or nests in the immediate area. There are some Australian pines within the Calder property, but most are relatively short.