Bald Eagle at 3CK

[ScottM]

For those in the Chicago area be advised there is an adult male American bald eagle hanging out near 3CK (Lake in the Hills Airport). I came into yesterday and he was sitting on the north side of runway 26. He flew away to the north, but I will bet that he is hanging out near the lakes to the east and south. I know that near my house there is a nesting pair on the Fox River. There have also been sightings of eagles in the Barrington area. So it was only a matter of time for them to get into airport area as there is a lot of wild wet lands nearby.

 

[silver-eagle]

Lawrence Ma has frequent visits by a pair of eagles.

 

[Threefingeredjack]

Is that unusual in that part of the country?

 

[dans2992]

Is that unusual in that part of the country?

Yes. Very.

 

[LDJones]

Bald Eagles are coming back strong. We have scores of them around here. We flew within 30' of one soaring near the base leg to 28R at Flying Cloud (KFCM) last week. We see them all the time.

 

[Geico266]

They were very rare in NE, now not so much.... which is a very good thing. They follow the migrating waterfowl along the Midwest flyways. Here they stick around and eat fish out of the lakes as long as the water is open. They can kill wounded or sick animals, but mostly they are scavengers. They will feed on deer carcass, road kill, what ever makes a meal. Opportunistic scavengers.

 

[ScottM]

Is that unusual in that part of the country?

It is getting to be a lot less rare. The Eagles have been making there way back into the Midwest east of the MS and south of Green Bay for a few years. HECK another cougar was killed in northern Illinois last week. We are getting those back too!! It is great to see real wildlife.

 

[nddons]

In the event of a bird strike with a bald eagle, do you file a NASA report as a get-out-of-endangered-species-jail?

 

[silver-eagle]

In the event of a bird strike with a bald eagle, do you file a NASA report as a get-out-of-endangered-species-jail?

Because of their comeback, the Feds have taken the Bald Eagle off the endangered species list. It is still protected and still very expensive to injure or kill them, but not endangered.
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/eagle/protect/laws.html