Re: Thursday, January 27 - 9:45 AM Nest and eaglet OK

Posted by NewMexiKen on
URL: http://bald-eagles-of-broward-county-florida.17.s1.nabble.com/Thursday-January-27-9-45-AM-Nest-and-eaglet-OK-tp5967572p5968241.html

Hi, Kathy, I share your concerns about the need to protect the nest from undue disturbance during the nesting season.

The FDOT has briefed the Pembroke Pines Mayor's Bald Eagle Sanctuary Committee and assured us they will abide by the State and Federal guidelines that prevent unnecessary disturbance of a Bald Eagle nest during breeding season. Generally, disturbances within 330 feet of the nest are restricted, to the extent that they exceed any ongoing disturbances. The southern edge of Pines Boulevard pavement is about 150 feet from the eagle nest. The eagles have tolerated the traffic noise, grass cutting on the swale, work on the power lines and nearby trees, emergency vehicle sirens, and of course, pedestrians and onlookers. As we understand it, the heavy construction will be phased to avoid this immediate area during the nesting season, which extends until the young birds, if any, fledge and become independent of the nest, usually by late May or early June.

I am expecting that the Committee (chaired by the President of the South Florida Audubon Society) will be meeting in the near future to obtain an update on the planned highway improvements, as well as progress towards installation of a nest camera, development of a City eagle protection ordinance, and the City's designation of the wooded plot as a Bald Eagle Sanctuary.

For your information, Kelly Smith, Trisha Norton and Al Griffin are local citizen eagle watchers as am I, who were appointed to the Bald Eagle Sanctuary Committee. You may find minutes of past meetings and more information at links on the main Eagle Watch page: http://www.rosyfinch.com/BaldEagleNest.html