Bald Eagle Migration Update: March 15, 2006

Today's Report Includes:

• Today’s Map and Data
• Field Notes from Peter Nye
• Predicting V98's Spring Migration
• Can You Complete Pete's Sentence? Challenge Question #6
• Winter Home on the Range
• Spring Migration and Weather: Challenge Question #7
• Migration vs. "Seasonal Movements"
• Discussion of Challenge Question #4

Click to see Map for All Eagles

You will find it easier this week to study individual eagles’ movements on our maps. A new menu allows you to select each bird to view their data positions, or you can view all eagles together on one map. Remember to click on the data points to find location information (lat/long, date, etc.).

• Maps for Individual Eagles
  (click event box for scroll down menu)
• This Week's Migration Data
  (Reported Mar. 8– Mar. 15, 2006):

Hello Journey North
Well, another week has now passed, and spring in definitely in the air, despite what the calendar says. We had nearly 60 degrees and beautiful sunshine this past Saturday, so I took out my kayak and checked on a couple of nearby eagle nests; and sure enough, they were already sitting on eggs! From other reports I've received from many of my top-notch eagle nest monitors, many other pairs are already incubating as well. This is seemingly a bit earlier than usual, but is not too surprising given the very mild weather and general lack of snow and ice we've had here all winter.
We have no additional capture news to share. Sarah, Kathy and I were out one day last week. We almost captured a young adult, but no luck. As I mentioned last week, trapping for winter migrants has now ended and our attention is turned to our nest-monitoring work.

U27

Adult Eagles
On the migrant front, birds are moving (some anyway).
Starting with our adults, female _____________ moved north out of the Chesapeake Bay this week, back into New York and not too far from where we captured her. I expect she will not stay in this area too long, and will continue her northward journey.
Female U21 made an interesting move, somewhat uncharacteristic for our northward migrants. As you recall, she has been up along Lake Champlain in NE New York, but this past week made a direct westerly move and is now just south of our St. Lawrence River. Is she headed into Ontario instead of Quebec?
Male P04 also made a north move, from his last location in southern NY into our southern Adirondacks north of Albany; kind of a direct northward movement, and again, one I expect will continue.
Our last two adults, V98 and U25 are the only two who didn't move, and remain south in the Chesapeake Bay area. But, as you know from at least V98's history, this won't last!

Immature Eagles
On the nestling front, these too are busy moving around, although there seems to be no particular pattern. Y94, Y96 and P91 have moved around, but P88, P89 and P90 seem content, at least for now, where they are.

I expect we will continue to see some interesting movements over the next couple of weeks. I'm always particularly excited to see where our "new" migrant adults hail from.
Stay tuned!

Eagleye
New York State Dept. Environmental Conservation
Delmar, NY

• Dig into the Journey North archives and study the maps from Spring 2004 and Spring 2005.

Try This!
Make a table to show:
1) Dates V98 started migration in 2004 and 2005.
2) Location of summer nesting site each year.
Fill in your predictions for Spring 2006. Then stay tuned to see if you predicted the lucky numbers!

Challenge Question #6:
Starting with our adults, _________ moved north out of the Chesapeake Bay this week, back into New York and not too far from where we captured her. I expect she will not stay in this area too long, and continue her northward journey.

To respond to this question, please follow these instructions.

What winter habitat is essential for Bald eagles? credit Hugh Feiro

• Home on the Winter Range
  

courtesy of Laura Erickson

• About Eagle Migration and Weather

Find more about weather and migration straight from Peter Nye. Then answer our challenge:

Challenge Question #7:
” Do migrating eagles travel during the daylight or under cover of darkness? Explain why.”

To respond to this question, please follow these instructions.

”Eagles like the ones we are studying that overwinter in New York State, have to leave their nesting areas because they totally freeze up in winter and the birds cannot find enough food to survive.”
The severity of winter weather affects the migration. He continues, “In a very mild year, an eagle that usually moves 1000 miles down to New York to winter from Labrador Province, may only need to move 400 miles to the St. Lawrence River, if they find open water and food available there. So, keep in mind that bald eagles are not necessarily fixed ‘migrants’ like many other species of birds; they move based upon other cues not related to food availability.”

Students from MN to NY were eager to fill in the blank. “We think the eagle that moved south is U25. We know it is a female and saw that she moved far south this week,” wrote students from Nanuet, NY.
Exactly! If you look closely at the data you will find that female U25 was located at (41.85, -73.95) on 02/18/06, and by 02/24/06 she had moved south (39.36, -76.03).
Great map work!