Mike Watkins, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will chat about the status of bald eagles in Kansas, as well as the family of bald eagles now making Lawrence their home.

mapauli

Mike,

When do you expect the two eagles will fledge?

Moderator

Good afternoon. This is Dennis Anderson, managing editor of the Lawrence Journal-World. I will be moderating today’s chat with Mike Watkins, wildlife biologist with the Army Corps of Engineers in Kansas City, Mo. Mr. Watkins will be chatting today about the bald eagles that have made Lawrence their home this season. Welcome Mike.

Mike Watkins

Dennis thanks for inviting me and I look forward to chatting with your readers.

Moderator

Please provide us some brief background on the eagles in Lawrence.

Mike Watkins

The first bald eagle nest in the state to produce young since the turn of the century was established at Clinton Lake in 1989. We now have three productive nesting territories at Clinton Lake and two productive nesting territories in east Lawrence.

Moderator

Here come some questions from our readers.

staff04

Approximately how many bald eagles are currently in the Lawrence area? I was visiting Lawrence recently and observed one flying up and down the river north of the old Riverfront Mall (on that day, our hotel). Any chance this was a parent of the newly hatched babies?

Mike Watkins

All of our wintering birds have headed back north to nest. The only adults remaining in the area probably have active nests. There are 11 nests on the Kansas River this year. It is quite possible that the adult you observed is one of the adults from the nest that has been discussed in the paper recently

gizmo66044

MIke, do you have any idea how long the eaglets north of Lawrence will remain in the nest area, after their initial flights?

Also, I read that up to 40 percent of eaglets don’t survive their first flight. Is that right?

Mike Watkins

Bald eagles are one of the few birds that will return to the nest after they are able to fly. In general, they will return to the nest for approximately one month to roost at night. I am not sure about their first flight, but research has shown that 60 to 70 % of young bald eagles will not live long enough to reach their first birthday.

RalphGage

From my deck in SW Lawrence, I regularly see eagles flying. I presume they are from Clinton Lake. Would that be correct? How many pairs are there?

Mike Watkins

It is possible that they are from Clinton Lake and may be looking for food along the Wakarusa River. There are currently 3 active nests at Clinton Lake. All the nests already have young eaglets.

Moderator

Bald eagles could be taken off the endangered species list as soon as next month. What has allowed the eagle to prosper to reach this point?

Mike Watkins

There are probably a number of factors, but laws protecting the birds and their habitat such as the Endangered Species Act, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act have played significant roles. Other environmental laws that restrict the use of harmful pesticides such as DDT have also been important. The creation of critical habitat such as that created by Clinton Lake has also played a critical role in the resurgence of eagle populations in the Midwest.

Moderator

We are fortunate in Lawrence to have nesting eagles here. How is the eagle population faring in the rest of Kansas?

Mike Watkins

We currently have 29 active bald eagle nests across the state. If all the nests successfully fledge young, 2007 will be a record year for eagle production in the state and the nests around Lawrence will play a critical role in establishing this new record.