The Burgeoning Bald Eagle Population of Long Island (featuring photos and personal excerpt by Meredith McCarthy)

Photography by Meredith McCarthy
Written by Rich Nardo
Personal Excerpt by Meredith McCarthy

While most of the chatter in the Long Island wildlife photography community turns to Snowy Owls this time of year, they are far from the only large raptors we have in the area. There are few sights more majestic than a Bald Eagle soaring above the tree-line, fishing, or perched high in an old growth tree. Over the past decade or so, Bald Eagles have reestablished a population on Long Island, and its been a fantastic opportunity for wildlife lovers to witness one of North America’s. most iconic species without having to leave our home turf.

One of the best photographers on Long Island at capturing that majesty is Meredith McCarthy (@merecat_photography). Over the past year, she’s chronicled one of the breeding pairs of Bald Eagles that have made their home on Long Island as they raised three eaglets. For this article, Meredith and I took a look at Long Island’s Eagle population, including her amazing photography and a guest section from Meredith speaking to her experience witnessing them throughout the year. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Meredith’s photography and hearing her story. 

About Bald Eagles

Bald Eagles are the largest raptors that you will come across on Long Island. They can stand over three-feet tall and their wingspan can reach over six feet. There is no shortage of reasons as to why the Bald Eagle has been the emblem of our country since 1782 and that Native Americans have looked to them as a spiritual symbol for far longer than that. They are the embodiment of power and grace as they glide over tree-lines and bodies of water seeking out their next meal. Their white-feathered heads and contrasting chocolate-brown body and wings are iconic and call to mind thoughts of strength, loyalty, and honor. 

Eagles are capable anglers and fish make up the majority of their diet. That being said, they also steal meals from other mammals and birds and eat carrion or garbage that has been left behind. While some may look at this as a mark against their honorable reputation, I think it is more accurately a reflection of their grittiness and adaptability…which are key characteristics of the hardworking American spirit they symbolize. 

Bald Eagles are also incredibly intelligent. They’ve been known to hunt in tandem with one raptor flushing prey out of hiding where a second Eagle patiently waits in ambush. On a lighter note, as AllAboutBirds.org put it, sometimes “even the national bird needs to cut loose”. I’ve always been fascinated with the fact that ravens play ‘games’ in midair, but apparently Bald Eagles do so as well. They’ve been known to use plastic bottles or other objects as toys, and one observer even reported six Bald Eagles passing sticks to each other mid-flight. 

Along with the Great Blue Heron and Osprey, the Bald Eagle’s recovery is one of the biggest conservation success stories. Like many other raptors, the widespread use of the pesticide DDT decimated their population and, by the 1960s, there were fewer than 500 breeding pairs in the United States. Today, it is estimated that the global breeding population is about 250,000, roughly 88% of which spend at least part of the year in the United States. 

New York is a perfect microcosm of the Eagle success story, and today they are not hard to find throughout the state. Starting in 1976, the New York State Bald Eagle Restoration Project brought 198 nesting eagles from the American West and Alaska to upstate New York. By 1989, 10 breeding pairs were established and, by 2010, those numbers had jumped to 173 pairs and 244 young eagles reported. 

Bald Eagles on Long Island

Over the past decade, the Bald Eagle population on Long Island has been thriving. Cleaner local waterways, an abundant, healthier food supply, and greater efforts to protect them are all contributing factors to this rebound in numbers. According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, there are at least eight known bald eagle nests today on the island. This is incredible considering that until recently the last known nesting site was on Gardiners Island in 1932. The further east on Long Island you go, the better chances you have of spotting an Eagle. Steve Biasetti, the Director of Environmental Education for the Group For The East End , reported less than a dozen Bald Eagle sightings on eastern Long Island between 1990 and 2005. Over a 28 month period between 2018 and 2020, Mr. Biasetti saw Bald Eagles in 25 of 28 months, showing just how much growth the population is experiencing. 

Perhaps Long Island’s most famous Bald Eagles reside in Centerport’s Mill Pond. Since a group of photographers and birders began visiting the Eagles there in 2017, the “Bald Eagles of Centerport” Group started by Rob Schwartz has developed into a robust community committed to the Eagles’ well being. Today, their Facebook Group alone has accrued over 20,000 members. 

Meredith’s Love of Birding + Experience Chronicling Eagles in 2021

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been a bit bird obsessed. I grew up in a house with parents that both bird watched and took in injured birds left and right. Some of my earliest memories were of seeing these little birds nursed back to health and then set free. So this love of birds and I go way back.

Once I moved to Long Island from Queens a few years ago, my love of birds of prey and raptors took over. So, when a good friend introduced me to this mated pair of bald eagles last year, I was absolutely hooked and in awe. I made weekly trips to visit them. Eventually, three eaglets appeared in the nest and to see them grow from little dinosaur-looking birds to these beautiful majestic juveniles has been a dream.

I’ve watched all three roughhouse and play together, explore neighboring houses’ backyards, and curiously rip up patio furniture cushions. Finally, I got to see them learn how to hunt on their own, which was the absolute highlight for me. To see how far they had come, and to see them now swooping down again and again, catching fish after fish feels like a dream. Mom and dad were always nearby keeping a close eye, but they must have done an amazing job as parents because their three eaglets had grown into fish-catching experts by the end of this summer.

Now, the juveniles have left their parent’s watchful eye. With the juveniles off on their own, it’s time for mom and dad to start again. Its mating season, and they’ve prepared the nest again. I cannot wait to watch the process unfold all over again, and I know I will never get tired of watching this family. After a personally tough year, being able to watch and photograph these beauties was a huge refuge and escape for me, I feel completely humbled and honored I even get to watch this family of eagles grow and thrive together. This is definitely a childhood dream come to life.

Eagle Etiquette 

While it’s a beautiful thing to have a great photo of Bald Eagles to remember your experience witnessing them in the wild, it is important that we show respect for them (and any other wildlife we encounter on our nature walks or photo hunts). Here are a few tips to remember if you’re out looking for Bald Eagles. 

• Try to stay at least a quarter of a mile away from them and avoid roosting areas in order to not cause them any stress. 

• Keep it down! Try to stay quiet so as to not disturb them. This means no loud noises such as honking horns, slamming doors, radios playing, or yelling. 

• If you want to see the Eagles in their natural state, leave the pets at home. Trust me, I’m all for taking your dog for a nature hike and letting them take in all the new sights and smells. The Eagles, however, will not be thrilled by their presence. 

• Bring binoculars or spotting scopes (or use your camera zoom). This is a safer alternative than trying to get closer to them. 

• Let them be. Don’t do anything to try to make them fly, even if it would make for a better shot. 

• No trespassing! Don’t go onto private property or into restricted areas. They’re prohibited for a reason. 

Thank you again to Meredith for contributing her beautiful photography and her story for this article. You should definitely follow her on Instagram to see more of her amazing work!

References:

All About Birds: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_Eagle/id#

NY Audubon Society: https://ny.audubon.org/news/where-see-bald-eagles-new-york

Port Jefferson Patch: https://patch.com/new-york/portjefferson/long-island-bald-eagles-have-settled

Long Island Herald: https://www.liherald.com/rockvillecentre/stories/a-rare-sighting-on-long-island-three-bald-eagles,52272?page=2

Greater Long Island: https://greaterlongisland.com/sayville-mom-captures-photos-of-bald-eagles-in-snowy-san-souci-park/

News 12: https://longisland.news12.com/bald-eagles-make-a-comeback-on-li-39295537

Bald Eagles of Centerport: https://www.baldeaglesofcenterport.com/

Riverhead Times Review: https://riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com/2020/12/103093/bald-eagles-have-found-a-home-on-the-north-fork/

East Hampton Star: https://www.easthamptonstar.com/nature/20191212/nature-notes-return-eagle

LongIsland.com: https://www.longisland.com/articles/07-31-20/wertheim-national-wildlife-refuge-opens-little-neck-run-after-bald-eagle-nesting.html

Group for the East End: https://www.groupfortheeastend.org/notes-from-the-field/2020/5/11/its-a-good-day-when-you-see-a-bald-eagle

The North Forker: https://northforker.com/2018/01/spotting-bald-eagles-on-the-east-end-north-fork-outdoors/

NPS.gov (Nesting Eagles): https://www.nps.gov/fiis/learn/news/nesting-bald-eagles-at-william-floyd-estate.htm

Fire Island and Beyond: https://www.fireislandandbeyond.com/long-island-wildlife-bird-of-the-week-bald-eagle/