Pennsylvania Game News - March 2016 - 31

Nesting eagles need their space.
It was March 23, and the report I'd
just received about someone cutting
firewood next to a bald-eagle nest was
at least the fourth time that month such
a complaint about that nest had come in.
On previous occasions, I had arrived
too late. Whomever was disturbing the
nesting eagles already was gone.
But this time, I was closer to the nest
when I got the call.
Traveling to the site, I thought about
the perseverance and patience these eagles
displayed. This was their fourth attempt to
nest in the Springboro area, and the previous three all failed, either due to human
interference or weather-related issues.
Upon reaching the site, I jumped out of
my vehicle and ran to the top of the hill to
see if, this time, I might put a quick end
to the disturbance.
The first thing I noticed was a mature
bald eagle flying around the nest in a very
agitated state, making its characteristic
kleek-kik-ik-ik-ik, kak-kak-kak vocalization. Its mate kept shifting nervously on
the nest, preparing to take off.
I couldn't see the valley where the field
met the woods, but something obviously
was bothering these eagles.
If anyone was down there, I wanted
to catch him.
But I also didn't want to agitate the
eagles further. I decided my best approach
to was to run about 400 yards to the far
end of the top field, then circle back along
the woods line.
The eagles still were circling the nest
when I reached the crest of the hill. And
directly below them was a man cutting
firewood with a chainsaw and loading
onto a cart hitched to a tractor. Clearly,
he had driven the tractor within 20 yards
of the nest.
MARCH 2016

I shouted to the man and pointed up in
the air at the eagles.
He looked at me and shrugged his
shoulders. I approached, telling him we
needed to leave immediately and asking if
he knew he was disturbing nesting eagles.
"Yeah, I see them flying around
making, noise," he said. "They always get
excited when I'm here. But the landowner
said I could cut wood here."
I instructed him to pack up immediately and move away from the nest.
"But I'm not done!" he said.
"Yes you are," I said. "Now move out
immediately and meet me on the road."
Angrily, he started his tractor, once
again driving directly under the nest on the
way out, sending the eagles into a frenzy.
When we met back at the road, I
advised him it's illegal to get so close to
an active nest, and explained such disturbances can cause eagles to abandon
their nests.
But he didn't seem to care; he just kept
stating he had permission to cut wood
there.
When I informed him I'd be filing a
citation in district court, he started to realize he was in trouble.
At his hearing, the man again continued to state he had permission to cut
firewood at the site, and he didn't dispute
he disturbed the eagles on the day I
arrested him.
With the defendant guilty by virtue of
his own testimony, the judge promptly
found him guilty, and assessed him $559
in fines and costs.
While I always am astonished at the
disregard some people show for wildlife,
it's even more shocking when they show
no respect for our esteemed national
symbol.
31
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - March 2016
