Bald eagle catches some local attention

Washington firefighter spots bald eagle (Dec. 1)

By: Lauren Burgoon
   MILLSTONE — It may be America’s most revered bird but bald eagle sightings in New Jersey away from large bodies of water are tantalizingly rare. That made a recent discovery of the nation’s bird flying over the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area all the more special to the several people who spotted one.
   Washington firefighter and photographer Dennis Symons took notice of a bald eagle soaring over a field near Millstone’s border in mid-November. At first he thought the large bird was a vulture but decided to pull over and investigate after seeing several other drivers slow down to watch.
   "I had my camera ready to go. It was probably searching for a rabbit or something because the field was covered with low brush about 2 or 3 feet high," Mr. Symons recalled. "It swooped down over the road toward Hightstown then crossed back over toward Washington."
   Eagle sightings tend to pick up this time of year through winter, said Kathy Clark, principal zoologist with the Endangered Species Program of the Division of Fish & Wildlife.
   New Jersey has about 100 resident bald eagles, but the number increased to 150 to 180 during an annual January survey. Most of the extra eagles come from birds migrating from northern states in the winter.
   "New Jersey tends to be a good place to migrate to. You can find open water through most of the winter, which is what the eagles are looking for," Ms. Clark said.
   Although eagles occasionally are spotted around the Assunpink, which borders 11 towns in Mercer and Monmouth counties, Ms. Clark said areas with larger bodies of water, such as the Round Valley Reservoir and Delaware Water Gap, tend to be higher traffic eagle areas.
   Those hoping to spot or photograph a bald eagle should head to a large body of water as it gets colder. Eagle numbers typically peak in mid-January.
   Bald eagles are the only eagles unique to North America. Named the national emblem in 1782, bald eagles are protected by law and it is illegal to collect eagles, eagle parts or nests without a permit.
   Authorities declared the bald eagle an endangered species in 1967 but upgraded the bird to threatened in 1995, making it one of the few animals to work its way off the endangered species list. Efforts to protect the birds continue.