June 3, 2010: Tagging bald eagles

>> Rooney: BALD EAGLES HAVE

MADE A REMARKABLE COMEBACK

IN MASSACHUSETTS.

71 BIRDS FROM COUNTED THIS

PAST WINTER.

FOR THE MOST PART THEY NEST

AROUND THE-- RESERVOIR BUT

ONE LUCKY WEST NEW BERRY

FAMILY HAS A NEST AND TWO

EAGLEETTES IN THEIR BACKYARD

WHERE STATE OFFICIALS FOUND

THEM AND TAGGED THEM EARLIER

THIS WEEK.

A VETERAN OF MORE THAN 100

EAGLET BANDINGS PROFESSIONAL

CLIMBER CURT IS THE CLOSEE

THING MASSACHUSETTS HAS TO A

BALD EAGLE WHISPERER.

>> I TALK TO THEM.

I DO.

I TALK TO THEM, YOU KNOW,

YOU'RE DEALING WITH WILDLIFE

SO I THINK IN ANY CASE WHEN

WILL YOU DEALING WITH

WILDLIFE YOU ALWAYS KEEP A

LOW TONE, KEEP MOVEMENTS TO

A MINIMUM.

>> BUT HIS MESSAGE TO THE

SIX WEEK OLD EAGLET WHO HAVE

ALREADY GROWN LARGE TALLONS

AND LARGE BACKS IS LESS

SUBTLE.

>> I LET THEM KNOW.

ARE YOU GOING THE BAG.

I'M TO THE GOING TO HURT

YOU.

YOU DON'T HURT ME.

ARE YOU PROBABLY 8 POUNDS,

YOU KNOW, I'M 180 POUNDS.

YOU'RE GOING IN THE BAG.

>> Rooney: BAGGING, TAGGING

AND RETURNING THEM TO THEIR

NEST HAS BEEN A KEY PART OF

THE BALD EAGLE'S SUCCESSFUL

COMEBACK IN MASSACHUSETTS.

LIKE ALMOST EVERY ONE

INVOLVED IN THE EFFORT, HE

CALLS IT MORE OF A PRIVILEGE

THAN A JOB.

>> IT IS THE NATIONAL BIRD.

TO BE CHOSEN TO BE ABLE TO

CLIMB TO GO UP THERE, TO BE

IN FIRST CONTACT, FOR ME

THAT IS THE BIG RUSH.

>> Rooney: AND THERE'S BEEN

A LOT MORE CONTACT IN THE

LAST FEW YEARS SAYS PHIL

GRIFFITH OF THE STATE

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL

AFFAIRS.

>> WE HAVE NOW OVER 70 BIRDS

THAT WE FOUND IN THE

COMMONWEALTH.

20 YEARS AGO, 20 OR 30 YEARS

AG THERE WERE LESS THAN TEN

BIRDS SO IT IS A GREAT

CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORY.

>> Rooney: YET WITH SUCCESS

CAN ALSO COME SADNESS.

ONE OF THE THREE EAGLETS

BORN IN THIS WEST NEWBURY

NEST WAS FOUND DEAD AND

OFFICIALS ARE STILL TRYING

TO DETERMINE WHY.

BUT STATE FISHERIES AN

WILDLIFE SUPERVISOR SAYS

JUST THE FACT THAT THESE

EAGLES ARE NESTING IN A

SUBURBAN BACKYARD IS

REMARKABLE.

>> WE HAVEN'T SEEN BALD

EAGLES NESTING ON THIS RIVER

IN A VERY LONG PERIOD OF

TIME.

>> Rooney: THE REMAINING

PAIR, BROTHER AND SISTER

APPEAR HEALY.

THEY ARE BANDED WITH STATE

AND FEDERAL TAGS, MEASURED

AND CHECKED FOR PARASITES.

A COUPLE OF FEATHERS ARE

ALSO YANKED OUT SO THEY CAN

BE TESTED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL

TOXINS.

>> HE FEELS GOOD.

HE'S TO THE-- HE'S

DEFINITELY NOT A BONNIE

EAGLET.

>> Rooney: AFTER THE BANDING

IT'S BACK IN THE BAG AND

BACK UP TO THE NEST.

THE NERVOUS PARENTS WHO HAVE

BEEN WATCHING FROM A CAREFUL

DISTANCE ARE ALREADY

CIRCLING CLOSER.

>> BY THE TIME WE CLEAR OUT

HERE THOSE PARENTS WILL BE

BACK IN THAT NEST CHECKING

OUT THEIR CHICKS.

>> Rooney: COMING BACK LIKE

BALD EAGLES IN MASSACHUSETTS.

JOINING ME NOW IS

MASSACHUSETTS FISH AND GAME

COMMISSIONER MARRY GRIFFIN.

WELCOME.

>> HI, EMILY.

>> Rooney: I REALLY WANTED

TO GO ON THAT MISSION BUT I

HAD TO DO MY RADIO SHOW

INSTEAD.

I WAS SO JEALOUS.

>> IT WAS FUN.

>> Rooney: IT IS JUST

INCREDIBLE.

I HAVE A THING ABOUT BIRDS

OF PREY, THEY ARE JUST

INCEDEABLE, MAJESTIC.

>> THEY ARE.

I'M LUCKY IN MY JOB I GET TO

GO BALD EAGLE TAGGING NOT

INFREQUENTLY BUT IT ALWAYS,

EVERY TIME I SEE THEM AGAIN

I'M AMAZED HOW BIG THEY ARE.

>> Rooney: THEY ARE HUGE.

>> AN ADULT AT MATURITY IS 8

OR 15 POUNDS THAT IS A BIG

BIRD.

>> Rooney: NOW THE TAG

ITSELF, IT'S NOT LIKE

SOMETHING THAT IS PUT ON THE

SHARKS IT IS NOT A SATELLITE,

WHAT DOES IT DO.

>> IT IS NOT A GPS OR A

FANCY TAG IT IS PART OF A

NATIONAL SYSTEM, THERE ARE

FEDERAL BANDS THEY ARE

SILVER THAT HAVE LONG SERIES

OF NUMBERS ON THEM.

AND SO WE PUT A FEDERAL TAG

ON THEM TO BE CONSISTENT

WITH WHAT IS GOING ON ACROSS

THE COUNTRY TO MONITOR THE

BALD EAGLE POPULATION.

AND WE HAVE SPECIAL STATE

TAGS WHICH ARE BRIGHT ORANGE

OR GOLD AND THOSE ARE MORE

HIGH VISIBILITY AND YOU CAN

REALLY SEE THOSE WITH A GOOD

PAIR OF BIN AGO

LORE-- BINOCULARS.

>> Rooney: HOW MUCH DO THEY

WEIGH, DO THEY BOTHER THE

BIRD.

>> THEY ARE PRETTY LIGHT.

THE TALLONS OF EVEN THE BABY

CHICKS ARE HUGE SO-- .

>> Rooney: DO THEY COME OFF

EVENTUALLY.

>> NO, WE HOPE THEY DON'T

COME OFF.

BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY HARD

WORK.

YOU SAW CURT CRIMING UP THAT

TALL PINE TREE IT IS NOT

EASY TO GET THEM DOWN AND

BAND THEM SO WE HOPE THEY

ARE ON THERE FOR THE LIFE OF

THE BIRD.

>> Rooney: HAVE THE PARENTS

OF THAT BIRD BEEN BANDED.

>> I'M NOT SURE THEY WERE.

THEY WERE UP FLYING AROUND

SO WE DIDN'T GET A CLOSE

LOOK.

>> Rooney: WERE THEY BAND

YEARS AGO.

>> IT'S POSSIBLE.

OUR RESIDENT BALD EAGLE

POPULATION WHICH IS AROUND

70 OR 80 BALD EAGLES IN THE

STATE-- .

>> Rooney: HOW DO YOU COUNT

THEM.

>> WELL, WE-- IN JANUARY WE

HAVE VOLUNTEERS FROM

ORGANIZATIONS LIKE MASS ODD

O BON, LOCAL AVID

BIRD-WATCHERS AND OUR

WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST AND WE GO

TO LOCATIONS WHERE THEY ARE

KNOWN TO BE.

WHERE THEY ARE KNOWN TO HAVE

NESTS AND WHERE THEY

OVERWINTER AND THOSE ARE THE

BIG BODIES OF WATER LIKE THE

CONNECTICUT RIVER, THE

MERRIMACK WHERE WE WERE ON

MONDAY.

YOU KNOW, IN LAKEVILLE, AT

THE POND.

THE QAUBIN, THAT WAS SORT OF

THE FIRST PLACE.

>> Rooney: THEY DON'T STAY

IN A NEST UNLESS THEY ARE

WITH CHICKS, DO THEY?

>> THEY, YOU KNOW, IN THE

WINTER THEY ARE NESTING WITH

CHICKS AND THAT'S THE MAIN

TIME WHERE THEY ARE-- .

>> Rooney: SO THESE WOULD

HAVE BEEN BORN JUST SIX

WEEKS AGO.

>> RIGHT, THEY WERE ABOUT

SIX WEEKS OLD WE THOUGHT.

AND WE THOUGHT THEY WEIGHED

8 OR 9 POUNDS.

>> Rooney: DID YOU ACTUALLY

WEIGH THEM.

>> WE DIDN'T WEIGH THIS

PAIR.

WE USUALLY DO BUT CURT WHO

SEES A LOT OF BALD EAGLES

WITH HIS JOB, HE ESTIMATED

HE THOUGHT THEY WERE AROUND

9 POUNDERS.

>> Rooney: THERE IS AND OL

WIVES TAIL IF YOU DISTURB

THE NEST, EVEN FONDLE THE

EGGS THAT THE PARENTS BIRDS

WON'T COME BACK, BUT THAT IS

NOT TRUE.

>> THAT IS NOT TRUE.

THE PARENTS WILL, THEY GET

VERY EXCITED WILE WE'RE UP

THERE AND HANDLING THE

CHICKS BUT THEY COME BACK

AND IT DOESN'T DISTURB THEM.

THEY RETURN TO THE NEST.

>> Rooney: DID YOU KNOW FOR

SURE THEY CAME BACK.

>> YES, THEY WERE IN THE

AREA AND WE SAW THEM COME

BACK CLOSER.

>> Rooney: I UNDERSTAND THE

FAMILY WANTS TO REMAIN

PRIVATE AND I CAN UNDERSTAND

THAT.

THEY DON'T WANT THE ENTIRE

STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS

DRIVING UP AND STAYING IN

THEIR BACKYARD.

BUT IS THIS THE FIRST TIME.

IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS

PAIR HAS NESTED IN THEIR

BACKYARD.

>> THEY HAVE BEEN WATCHING

THEM IN THE AREA FOR A LONG

TILE.

AND THERE ARE ACTUALLY FOUR

BALD EAGLE NESTS THAT ARE IN

THE SORT OF GENERAL AREA.

THE PEOPLE, THE AVID BIRDERS

IN OUR AGENCY KEEP PRETTY

CLOSE TABS ON ALL OF THEM SO

WE USUALLY KNOW WHERE THEY

ARE.

>> Rooney: HOW MANY CHICKS

ARE IN THE OTHERS.

>> THEY WERE STILL BANDING

THAT.

THEY HAD YET TO PUT BANDS

ON.

THEY WILL KEEP WORK ON THAT

THIS WEEK SO I WILL HAVE TO

WAIT TO HEAR FROM THE

BIOLOGIST.

>> Rooney: DO YOU KNOW WHAT

HAPPENED WITH THE ONE.

IT FELL OUT OF THE NEST OR

COULD HAVE GOTTEN BLOWN OUT

OR KICKED OUT.

>> IT A GOOD QUESTION.

THAT IS SOMETHING THAT

HAPPENS IN THE WILD.

BALD EAGLE EGGS ARE LAID NOT

ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

OVER A SERIES OF DAYS SO

USUALLY THE OLDER CHICKS

HAVE A BIT OF AN ADVANTAGE,

THEY ARE OLDER AND BIGGER

AND THERE IS A LOT OF

COMPETITION.

THIS WAS A SMALL NEST

PLATFORM SO YOU KNOW T MIGHT

HAVE GOTTEN PUSHED OUT OR

THEY SORT OF FIGHT FOR

PRIORITY AND FOOD AND THAT

KIND OF THING.

SO IT JUST, YOU KNOW, THE

WAY NATURE IS.

>> Rooney: NOW BALD EAGLES

LIKE HAWKS AND PEREGRINE

FALCONS, THEY MATE FOR LIFE.

>> THEY DO.

THEY SAY IF A BALANCE EAGLE

LOSES A MATE IT WILL FIND

ANOTHER MATE BUT AS LONG AS

THEY ARE BOTH AROUND THEY

STAY TOGETHER.

>> Rooney: BECAUSE THAT WAS

ONE THING, DO THEY STAY IN

THE NEST TOGETHER TWO, ARE

THERE TWO IN THERE WITH THE

CHICKS.

>> YES.

>> Rooney: DO THEY TAKE

TURNS TAKING OFF.

>> THE NESTS ARE TURBLY

FOUND ON THESE BIG OPEN

BODIES OF WATER WHERE THERE

IS GOOD FISHING OPPORTUNITY.

>> Rooney: THEY ARE NOT

REALLY FISHERMAN.

DON'T THEY LIKE TO TAKE,

THEY ARE SCAVENGERS MORE,

AREN'T THEY?

>> THEY ARE EXCELLENT

FISHERMAN.

FISH IS PROBABLY THEIR FOOD

OF FIRST CHOICE.

>> Rooney: WOULDN'T THEY

RATHER HAVE ONE THAT

SOMEBODY ELSE HAS ALREADY

DRAGGED ON SHORE.

>> THEY CATCH THEM OUT OF

THE WATER.

I GUESS THEY ARE SKAFFINGERS,

IF THEY HAD OTHER FISH

AROUND THEY WOULD PROBABLY

TAKE THEM.

AND THEY ALSO GO AFTER SMALL

MAMMALS LIKE MUSKRAT, THEY

WILL EAT TURTLES SOMETIMES,

ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT FOOD

AND THEY USUALLY FIND A LOT

OF WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN

EATING IN THE NEST WHEN THEY

GO UP THERE.

>> Rooney: SO WHAT WOULD

THEY BE BRINGING INTO THE

NEST FOR THE CHICKS.

>> PROBABLY THEY WOULD BE

LOOKING FOR HERRING ON THE

MERRIMACK.

SMALL, THEY WANT MEDIUM SIZE

TO LARGE FISH.

AND SO THAT IS, AND THEY

ALSO FOUND I THINK SOME

SMALL MAMALS UP THERE LIKE-- NOT

TO GET TOO TRAFFIC.

>> Rooney: YOU HAVE TO BE

CAREFUL WITH SMALL DOGS I

WOULD THINK.

>> YEAH, I DON'T KNOW-- I

DON'T HEAR TOO MANY STORIES

OF THEM CARRYING OFF DOGS

BUT THEY ARE SIZABLE.

THEY COULD GET, YOU KNOW, A

CAT OR SOMETHING I GUESS.

BUT THEY MOSTLY GOING AFTER

SMALL MAMMALS IN THE WILD.

>> Rooney: ALL RIGHT, WELL

FASCINATING.

I'M VERY JEALOUS OF YOUR

TRIP UP THERE.

MAYBE NEXT YEAR I WILL GET

TO GO.

>> THE BEST PART IS IT IS A

GREAT RESTORATION STORY.

THE BALD EAGLE HAS REALLY

COME BACK.

>> Rooney: AFTER DDT AND ALL

THAT.

>> WE HAD NONE IN THE EARLY

1900s AND NOW WE HAVE A

GROWING POPULATION.

SO IT IS A SUCCESS STORY.

>> Rooney: AND THEY ARE ALL

OVER NEW ENGLAND.

I SAW MAYBE 8 OF THEM IN

VERMONT ONE WINTER A FEW

YEARS AGO.

STANDING OUT ON THE ICE IT

ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN.

>> THEY WERE TAKEN TAKEN

OFFER THE FEDERAL ENDANGERED

SPECIES LIST IN 2007.

>> Rooney: ALL RIGHT, GREAT

TO HAVE YOU HERE.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Rooney: WHEN WE CONTINUE,

BACK AT SEA, THE RETURN OF

SWORDFISH CAPTAIN LINDA

GREENLAW.