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March 13, 2007

Birders treated to rare sight at Wenham Lake

Steve Landwehr

WENHAM | Wenham has seen plenty of wild turkeys move in as the native gobblers have staged a nice recovery in recent years. The bird Ben Franklin thought should be our national symbol has been calling the fields and backyards of the town home for a number of years.

But for the last couple of weeks, eagle-eyed bird watchers in Wenham have been treated to a rarer sight, the magnificent bird that has been the real Great Seal of the United States for more than 200 years.

A number of bald eagles have been seen over Wenham Lake recently, soaring over the ice, diving down into open patches of water to catch fish, the staple of their diets.

Amateur Beverly photographer Rob Whiting spent Saturday and Sunday morning capturing spectacular images of the birds, which were once near extinction.

Whiting has been photographing the birds over the Merrimack River for a while, but this was something new.

"I've never seen any around here," Whiting said.

Bald eagles and some other birds of prey were nearly wiped out when the chemical DDT was sprayed on crops across the country after World War II. Rachel Carson's 1962 book "Silent Spring" detailed the effects of the pesticide and led to it being banned.

But bald eagles weren't out of the woods. They were also being poisoned by feeding on waterfowl killed or crippled by hunters. The lead shot in the birds poisoned the eagles, so by 1996, it was outlawed in shot gun shells.

Today, the majestic birds are a rare but not unheard of sight just about anywhere in the state where there is open water, especially in winter.

"This time of year there are a number of eagles wintering in this area," said Marion Larson, a biologist with the state's Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. "If they find open water, they stick around awhile."

While they are common in winter, Larson said biologists would be very interested if they are building nests in the area, which would be evidenced by them carrying sticks.

Bald eagles were once listed as endangered nationally and still are in Massachusetts. But they have rebounded so well the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is scheduled to determine whether to delist them by June 29.



Bald eagle facts

Name: Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocphalus). They're not really bald. Years ago, the term meant white. Young eagles are gray to brown. The head and tail feathers turn white by about age 5.

Life span: Up to 40 years in the wild

Wing span: 6 to 8 feet

Weight: 7 to 15 pounds. Males and females are indistinguishable. They mate for life.

Ceiling: 10,000 feet or more (about 2 miles)

Top speed: Level flight | up to 44 mph; diving | 75 to 100 mph

Named national emblem: 1782

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