Eagles lose their Sarasota stadium perch
MOVING DAY: Eggs are shipped out and nest is disrupted at Ed Smith site
HERALD-TRIBUNE
A bald eagle lands on the stadium lights at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. A pair of eagles made a nest in the right field light pole.
By Todd Ruger & John Davis
Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at 1:00 a.m.
SARASOTA - To build a new home for the Baltimore Orioles, the county kicked some bald eagles out of theirs.
Officials from Sarasota County and a state wildlife agency took the highly unusual step Tuesday of removing two eggs from a nest that two bald eagles built this month in the right field light tower at Ed Smith Stadium.
After taking the eggs for incubation, workers tore down the nest and used metal mesh to block the visibly upset adult eagles from landing on the lights again.
The idea, wildlife officials said, was to encourage the nesting pair to find a safer place to build anew and possibly lay additional eggs this year.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Gary Morse said the bald eagles and the eggs were in danger at the nesting site where a $31 million stadium renovation project is under way.
The survival of the fledglings after hatching would have been in doubt because of the aggressive construction activity, Morse said.
"They're going to have to be on the ground for some days learning how to survive," Morse said. "There, the situation for their survival is certainly in jeopardy."
Beyond that, construction might have had to stop if the birds hatched or experts had decided that the birds should be allowed to continue to nest there.
With permits in hand and under careful watch from wildlife officials, a private firm removed the two eggs, determined they were viable, and shipped them to Tennessee.
The Bald Eagle Foundation in Dollywood, Tenn., will incubate the eggs and raise the fledglings, as they have more than 100 times in the past, Morse said.
Wildlife experts say the nesting bald eagles will be too upset by the disturbance to want to make a nest in one of the other light towers. They hope the eagles will find a big tree in a less urban setting for further nesting.
"The eagles are going to be upset, but that's part of the process," Morse said. "A lot of things we do for our children they don't like, but we know it's the best we can do for them."
Workers first noticed the eagles and the nest about six weeks ago, causing concern for construction crews and Orioles officials because of federal laws that prohibit disturbing the bird that is a national symbol.
Typically, any activity within 100 feet of a nest is banned. But this time, the eagles moved in after stadium construction was started.
Experts say the area around 12th Street and Tuttle Avenue has all sorts of danger for eagles and fledglings: crowds, busy roads and 150 construction workers as part of the stadium renovation.
"The bald eagle management guidelines don't address situations like this," Morse said.
The danger for bald eagles living in an urban environment was brought home Monday when a car struck a bald eagle on nearby Fruitville Road.
That bird was not one of the eagles from the stadium nest, and the next few days will tell whether the eagle that was struck will survive.
The bird hit by a car was recovering at the Wildlife Center of Venice Tuesday, but was deemed too weak to be bothered by visitors.
The center received about 20 calls Tuesday from the media and concerned residents who wanted to see the bird, but the eagle remained sequestered.
"He's kind of a new patient," said center Director Kevin Barton. "We don't want to stress him."
The eagle was given fluids and a steroid but so far has been unwilling to eat. It is believed to be a female, though officials are not sure. It did not appear to have broken bones or any serious injuries.
"This morning she's up and alert," said Linda Schrader, a wildlife rehabilitator at the center. "But with these guys, you can really do a lot more damage with over-handling."
The center gets a few injured eagles a year, often after they have been hit by cars.
Many recover, Barton said.
"As far as injuries go, they are one of the stronger-boned animals we work with," Barton said.
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