Remember, bald eagles are a state endangered species. You can only get so close, so you need a good set of binoculars or a spotting scope.
Ohio wildlife officer Trent Weaver, who is assigned to Montgomery County, told me there are two nests around Dayton and maybe a third one on the south edge of the county. The two for-sure nests are at Englewood MetroPark and across Harshman Road from Eastwood MetroPark.
He told me the viewing spot for the Englewood nest was off of River Road. If you can find River Road, the rest turns out to be easy.
Heading south from Martindale you will find, on the left (east) side of the road a small area cordoned off by the MetroParks staff with a homemade sign: “Eagle Viewing”
As I combed the valley with my binoculars, I found a blob in a tree some distance away — 500 yards, maybe more.
Just then a man out for a walk along River Road stopped and pointed out in the direction I was looking.
“It’s that big, dark blob in the tree — about the size of a Volkswagen,” he said.
Checking it out with his spotting scope, he said: “You can see one white head looking over the edge of the nest.”
I couldn’t see it with my binoculars, but when he handed me his scope I, too, could make out the adult eagle’s white head.
This is the time of year when eagles are sitting on eggs, usually two, sometimes three. Hatching should take place around now or maybe within the next couple of weeks.
I stayed awhile, hoping to see some eagles in flight, but there was no action. So I headed for the other nest near Eastwood MetroPark.
There, I had less luck. I went to the spot where Trent said the nest could be seen, but I never did find it. Obviously, I was never in the right spot.
Checking back with him, he said the nest is among several blue heron nests, but it is larger. You should be able to see it from the eastern corner of the lake near Harshman Road, he said. I’ll try again another day.
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery has a camera on the Eastwood nest. Visit boonshoftmuseum.org/programs-events/special-events/eagle-cam to check it out.
To see Dayton’s peregrine falcon nesting box on live stream, go to boonshoftmuseum.org/component/content/article/84-cams/204-falcon-cam-stream.
Weaver said there also has been a pair of bald eagles seen frequently near the Great Miami River at the southern edge of Montgomery County, but nobody has found a nest. Anyone who finds the nest should report it to the Division of Wildlife Office in Xenia at (937) 372-9261.
Quite a jolt
During my most recent phone conversation with Weaver, he told me about a call he received a few days ago from an area north of Vandalia. He said someone reported three dead deer lying together in a field not far from Northwoods Drive.
“When I got there the first thing I did was check them over for bullet holes, he said, “but I couldn’t find any. That was puzzling to me. Then I noticed one of the deer had severe burns on its fur.
“One of the Vandalia officers who was with me said there was a thunderstorm the night before, so what appears to have happened is they were struck by lightning.”
Outdoors columnist Jim
Morris
can be reached through his Website at www.examiner.com/outdoor-recreation-in-dayton/jim-morris or by e
mail at
sports@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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