John Henline

 

 

 

 

 

We have all seen pictures and film of Eagles flying, but some of us have had the pleasure of seeing them in person, flying free and wild. Standing on my back porch as the sun starts to rise, watching two young Eagles flying overhead playing with each other…. Well it just doesn't get any better than that. Thankfully an increasing number of us will be seeing the American Bald Eagle flying free and wild.

 

 

 

The eagle is truly one of the best success stories of the endangered species act.

The elimination of the pesticide DDT and strict management of the eagle and its domain, combined with letting nature correct itself, produced results that are amazing. Eagles are now flourishing and returning to areas that many thought they would never return to.

 

One area that they have chosen to return to is my back yard in Central Florida. Well, my back pasture actually. I live in a "Horse Community" ( a residential development of five acre lots with deeded horse trails).

 

We have always had the usual deer, native birds, gopher turtles, raccoons, alligators, etc. and probably an occasional passing eagle. But now we have lots of eagles that roost in the neighborhood. They start flying in every evening just before dusk and will stay until the sun is up. Sometimes there is just one and sometimes there are ten or twelve. Mature adults and juveniles combined. They find their own favorite spot at the top of the dead sand pine trees that were left standing after the hurricanes in 2004. They call to each other throughout the evening with a very distinctive screech. When the house is open we can hear them all night and into the morning. Their communication isn't the most appealing bird call that exists in nature, but I can forgive that drawback knowing that they are eagles. As I turn out the horses and let the dog out for a run in the morning I have the opportunity to watch the Eagles preparing for a day of soaring and hunting. I don't think I will ever tire of watching them leave the trees one by one. You would think that they would prefer to roost in the long needle pines that survived the Hurricanes and still stand nearby, but they don't. They prefer dead sand pine trees that are 60 feet tall with most of their limbs broken off. These trees stand at the top of natural sand dunes that are scattered throughout the community. I think they like being on "top of the world", overlooking their domain.

 

The fact that these dead trees are still standing has been a very heated discussion within our community. After three hurricanes ravaged Central Florida in one season, we were left with a massive clean up challenge. Just getting rid of the debris was overwhelming. Thousands of trees were completely knocked down or were just snapped off at different heights. Obviously, the trees and debris that were blocking streets, driveways, power lines, etc. had to be removed. Many of the trees that were still standing were damaged so severely that they would die within a year. This is where the debate started. Some "experts" felt that all of the fallen trees as well as the dead or dying trees that were still standing must be completely removed from the neighborhood. They felt that these trees posed a fire threat as well as a danger of falling. An argument was also presented that these trees were an eye sore and hurt property values. These were all valid positions and many of the owners cleared their lots with a vengeance. There wasn't a single dead, dying, or damaged tree left on their lots. Of course the process of removing these trees was devastating to the rest of the vegetation that had not been as severely hurt during the storms. Other owners took a more naturalist view and were content to let nature take its course. They didn't cut or remove any trees that were not absolutely necessary to have removed.

 

Thus started the "Tree Wars". Sides were drawn. Debates and arguments escalated. The Home Owners Association waged into the fray. Committees were formed and proclamations were announced. They actually had groups of concerned members who drove around and counted the number of dead or damaged trees on each lot. Letters then went out instructing every lot owner what he or she should do with their trees (no pun intended).

 

Communities are about compromise. Everyone has to compromise a little on issues for the good of the community. The goal is to provide a comfortable and safe environment to live and raise your family. The majority of the owners eventually took down a majority of the trees. Luckly for the ealges, some of us were able to leave a few trees scattered around the perimeter of our lots.

 

After four years, a few of these trees are still standing. The dead trees have provided a great home, and not for just Eagles. Ospreys have built a nest in one dead pine a couple of lots down from me. Numerous woodpeckers including the Pileated Woodpecker are thriving with the abundance of these dead trees.

 

The American Bald Eagle can flourish in residential neighborhoods, providing a little compromise is used when balancing human wants with natures' needs. Balancing human wants with natures' needs, that is the key. I chose the Eagles over cutting dead trees down.

 

I am not sure how long these trees will remain standing? Perhaps until the next tropical storm or the termites eat them. When this happens the Eagles will probably move on to another area, but I will for ever be enriched with the time that they were here.