NEWBURYPORT, Mass.—On Saturday, Feb. 13, it was all about eagles in this historic seaport situated at the mouth of the Merrimack River, where it empties into the Atlantic.
The fifth annual Merrimack River Eagle Festival, presented by the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Joppa Flats Education Center and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, attracted crowds of people of all ages, and all with one thing in common—the desire to see a bald eagle in the wild.
They came equipped with binoculars and cameras of all sizes and types. Many toted tripods, and were well-dressed for staying outside in the cold for long stretches of time in hopes of getting a look at the impressive birds.
Eagle- and raptor-related educational events were held in several locations, including City Hall. Tour buses, booked in advance, left from the Chamber of Commerce to take bird-watchers to “hot spots” for eagle sightings.
As part of the fun activities, children could learn about building an eagle’s nest. The nests are made of sticks, lined with grass and moss, and can be as much as 13 feet deep, 8 feet across, and several feet thick, weighing hundreds of pounds, as a nesting pair keeps adding new material every year.
Eagles mate for life and can live up to 30 or 40 years. They have a wingspan of about 6 to 8 feet and can weigh between 7 and 15 pounds, with the female being larger than the male. They are birds of prey or raptors, like hawks, vultures, owls, and osprey, among others. They eat mostly fish but also are known to kill waterfowl and small animals as well as scavenge and steal food from other birds.
It was a perfect day for bird-watching, sunny and clear with little wind, and the birds were cooperating. Sightings of bald eagles, both mature ones with their classic white plumage and immature birds with dark feathers, were noted at designated viewing spots along the river from the Interstate 95 area to Plum Island.
Mid-winter is the best time to see eagles, especially in the lower part of the Merrimack River around Amesbury, Salisbury, and Newburyport, since the water does not freeze in this area. The birds migrate from the north, primarily from Canada, as the waterways freeze over and their food sources disappear. They migrate south along the coast and major rivers in search of open water to fish. Colder weather to the north drives more birds south in search of food.
“This is like Florida for them,” says Steve Olson, president of the Eastern Massachusetts Hawk Watch, who was at the Joppa Education Center on Saturday with his wife, Kathy. He also said that it is not known how many of the eagles are migrants and how many are residents. The migratory eagles will return north to rebuild their nests and lay eggs.
The fifth annual Merrimack River Eagle Festival, presented by the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Joppa Flats Education Center and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, attracted crowds of people of all ages, and all with one thing in common—the desire to see a bald eagle in the wild.
They came equipped with binoculars and cameras of all sizes and types. Many toted tripods, and were well-dressed for staying outside in the cold for long stretches of time in hopes of getting a look at the impressive birds.
Eagle- and raptor-related educational events were held in several locations, including City Hall. Tour buses, booked in advance, left from the Chamber of Commerce to take bird-watchers to “hot spots” for eagle sightings.
As part of the fun activities, children could learn about building an eagle’s nest. The nests are made of sticks, lined with grass and moss, and can be as much as 13 feet deep, 8 feet across, and several feet thick, weighing hundreds of pounds, as a nesting pair keeps adding new material every year.
Eagles mate for life and can live up to 30 or 40 years. They have a wingspan of about 6 to 8 feet and can weigh between 7 and 15 pounds, with the female being larger than the male. They are birds of prey or raptors, like hawks, vultures, owls, and osprey, among others. They eat mostly fish but also are known to kill waterfowl and small animals as well as scavenge and steal food from other birds.
It was a perfect day for bird-watching, sunny and clear with little wind, and the birds were cooperating. Sightings of bald eagles, both mature ones with their classic white plumage and immature birds with dark feathers, were noted at designated viewing spots along the river from the Interstate 95 area to Plum Island.
Mid-winter is the best time to see eagles, especially in the lower part of the Merrimack River around Amesbury, Salisbury, and Newburyport, since the water does not freeze in this area. The birds migrate from the north, primarily from Canada, as the waterways freeze over and their food sources disappear. They migrate south along the coast and major rivers in search of open water to fish. Colder weather to the north drives more birds south in search of food.
“This is like Florida for them,” says Steve Olson, president of the Eastern Massachusetts Hawk Watch, who was at the Joppa Education Center on Saturday with his wife, Kathy. He also said that it is not known how many of the eagles are migrants and how many are residents. The migratory eagles will return north to rebuild their nests and lay eggs.
Eagle populations seriously declined in the mid 1900s as a result of the widespread use of the pesticide DDT. The chemical found its way into rivers and lakes as runoff, and eventually into the fish that constituted the eagles’ diet. It built up in the birds’ bodies and caused thin-shelled, fragile eggs that broke easily or didn’t hatch.
With the federal banning of DDT in 1972, protection under the Endangered Species Act passed in 1973, and increased public awareness, the birds gradually began a slow process of recovery. In Massachusetts, eagles were relocated from Canada and other areas to the Quabbin Reservoir in the early 1980s and successfully began to reproduce.
Bald eagles were removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species in 2007, but remain endangered in Massachusetts. During the recent nationwide Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey taken in January, 37 birds were counted in the Quabbin area, a few more than half of the total 71 tallied across the state.
Although there are several factors that affect the survey numbers, such as weather and water conditions, the survey gives a good indication of the repopulation of the species.
Even though the Eagle Festival lasted only one day, bird-watching enthusiasts can still go to Newburyport and surrounding areas for independent viewing.
Kathy Olson says that bird-watching is great entertainment for the whole family, and as a hobby, it has the largest number of participants of any other sport. She considers bird-watching a sport because it requires skill and patience.
When it comes to watching and waiting for bald eagles to show up, the reward for patience is more than adequate compensation. Seeing this magnificent creature for the first time is truly a thrill that is hard to describe.
For more information on bird-watching and other activities in this area, please click here and here
