FINAL Bald Eagle Migration Update: May 11, 2005

Today's Report Includes:

• Special Thanks to Our Bald Eagle Biologist!
• Today's Map and Data
• Field Notes from Peter Nye
• Summer Work (Fun) for Eagle Biologists
• Portfolios: Organizing What You Learned
• Eagles are Big Babies: Challenge Question #19
• Year-End Evaluation: Please Share Your Thoughts!

Thank you, Peter!

Mature Eagles	Juvenile Bald Eagles (Fledglings)	Today's Map
Golden Eagle #A20 Bald Eagle #V98 Bald Eagle #P04	Bald Eagle #Y89 Bald Eagle #Y90 Bald Eagle #Y94 Bald Eagle #Y96

Now, on to our current birds:
Our two adult birds are still way up north, as they should be.

Female V98 has barely budged from her location over the past couple weeks, and I strongly suspect (and hope) she is incubating eggs on her nest, which is why the location data appears so close each time.

Calculate the distance P04 traveled April 29-May 6.

Male P04, on the other hand, is moving around a bit, particularly that 6 May location where he appears to have moved southeast some. We'll have to see if that was just a foray away from his nest or if he stays down there. The females do the bulk of the incubation, and it is not unusual to see the males move around the territory more extensively. But the 6 May move is pretty substantial, and it was also a high-quality fix (so reliable), so we'll have to see what he's up to. Maybe you can calculate the actual distance he moved from 29 April to 6 May?

Yearling Y89 (after all, now all 4 of these youngsters are nearly exactly one year old!) continues to provide excellent data, with many of the highest quality, class 3, fixes. He must be getting a lot of sunshine! Y89 is in the same general area as last week, but now out on the eastern tip of the Gaspe' peninsula. What language do you suppose they speak there? Think that matters to eagles?? I think the only language they speak is "fish!"

A closer look at migrations of Y94 and Y89 on the Gaspe Peninsula.

Yearling Y90 has been sticking very close to its fledging site around the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in central New York, apparently finding the area to its liking.

Yearling Y94 is also still up in the lower reaches of the St. Lawrence River, but appears to have moved up-river just a bit. Both Y94 and Y89 must be finding some good fishing and undisturbed areas up there.

And finally, Yearling Y96 remains to the south, but moved south a bit out of New York down to the lower Delaware River; not a big move and obviously simply following that drainage south. Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York eagles summer and nest throughout that Delaware River drainage.

I am attached two photos (see below) taken by Scott Rando, one of our volunteer eagle-observers, who has been spotting Y96 occasionally along the Delaware River.

Showing the underside of Y96, showing her very typical one-year old bald eagle coloration. credit Scott Rando	You can just make out the satellite radio (Ptt) on the back of Y96 credit Scott Rando

In one photo you can just make out the satellite radio (Ptt) on the back of Y96, and the other photo, showing the underside of Y96, is a great shot showing her very typical 0ne-year old bald eagle coloration.
Good luck with the last push of your school year!

Eagleye

New York State Dept. Environmental Conservation
Delmar, NY

Maybe you should consider becoming a biologist!

Create a simple 9 X 12 project portfolio to display your maps, graphs, notes and special projects related to the eagle migration in 2005.
Here’s some ideas to get you started.

• Student Portfolios as Visual Organizers

“It takes 77 days for them to fledge,” calculated 5th Grader Nate, from Primgar, IA.

Wow, what a difference! Why do you suppose young eagles take so long to grow up compared to hummingbirds and robins?

The 5th Grader thought this through like a research scientist. “Eagles need to get really good at catching live fish and it takes them long to learn because they start off with catching dead fish.”

Great job, Nate – you’re thinking like scientist Laura Erickson.

Here are additional thoughts from Ornithologist Laura Erickson:

• "Robins and hummingbirds are much smaller, with a much shorter life-span, than eagles. Smaller birds start nesting when they are one or at most two years old, so many more of their behaviors must be ‘innate’-that is, instinctive. That means they don't have to spend as much time learning new things as eagles do.
  
• Hummingbirds take nectar from flowers. Robins search for worms on the ground and berries in trees and shrubs. Their techniques for slurping up nectar, pulling out worms or plucking berries are fairly simple and straightforward. Hunting for live and wary creatures is much trickier--a trout can wiggle away a lot easier than a berry can! So hunting birds must be very adaptable and intelligent, and they need time to develop their skills.”