Date: 02/21/2008

Number: 1

Ever since the Bald Eagle has been re-introduced to Upper New York State, during those years ever since they strayed beyond the boundaries of places like the Montezuma Game Preserve, I have seen them on numerous occasions either singularly or in pairs.

But on Thursday 2/21 I had what I must call a rather unique experience while observing from an overlook at ice covered Onondaga Lake just outside and not much more than a mile from the City Limits of Syracuse.

I couldn’t believe at first that I was watching five of them soaring a few hundred yards out. I had observed a single pair on 3 or 4 occasions from the same location over the past several weeks. But to see five for the first time was an unbelievable event.

More extraordinary is one of the pair was in a circling-diving pattern where shortly after one in the pair landed on the ice with the rest following. Within moments the other in the pair that was circling came over to that one and mounted in a mating ritual.

For me it was a “WOW!” moment and my first thought was how sad that there was no other person there to observe what I was seeing, an actual Eagle mating process. All I can say is “thanks” to Peter Nye and the others who were instrumental in making this observation possible.

Syracuse, NY

Latitude: 43 Longitude: -76.1

Observed by: James R.
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