Bald eagles nesting in Wyoming County
Published: July 8, 2009
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Bald eagles are visible along the Susquehanna River in Wyoming and Susquehanna counties during the summer months.
Pennsylvania Game Commission Biologist Kevin Wenner said that early July is a great time to view bald eagles in Wyoming and Susquehanna Counties.
“Anywhere along the Susquehanna River is a good place to see them,” Wenner said. “They tend to stay close to those areas.”
Wenner, who is a biologist for Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Northeast Region including Wyoming and Susquehanna counties, said that bald eagles stay close to large bodies of water because there is a large abundance of food in those areas.
“They nest close to rivers,” Wenner said. “The rivers are a vantage point for food.”
Although it is not guaranteed that an eagle will be in plain sight when you pass by the river, chances of seeing one in July are increased because the young eagles are beginning to fledge.
“The young have hatched and are beginning to leave the nests,” Wenner said. “And very shortly will be flying.”
At the present time, there are at least 170 known nests, including 36 new nests statewide. Also, for the first time in the agency’s annual survey, In June of 2008, Game Commission biologists estimated Pennsylvania had 140 known nests in 47 counties. The final nest count turned out to be 156.
Since 1983, Pennsylvania’s eagle nests have produced more than 1,200 eaglets, and the population has increased by about 15 percent annually. But, while this growth and expansion is to be celebrated, there has been some “crowding” reported in some areas.
Currently, bald eagles are nesting in 49 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.
Rebecca Lesko, of the Endless Mountains Nature Center said that there is one way to increase your chances of seeing a bald eagle; get on the river.
“The best way to try and see one is to just get on the river and take a canoe trip,” Lesko said.
She noted that she has spotted some in Mehoopany, Vosburg and Tunkhannock, all along the Susquehanna River.
“You can even see them sometimes crossing the river bridge in Tunkhannock,” Lesko noted. “There are probably three or four nests in the Tunkhannock area.”
Lesko said that the best time during the day to see an eagle is during the morning hours, because they are more active during that time.
She noted that it is much easier to see a bald eagle now than it has been in the past.
“In the 1970s there were no bald eagles in Pennsylvania,” Lesko said. “Now it’s just amazing to see.”
