A small family of a once-endangered bird of prey has made its home at a Greater Cincinnati park, and the public will have the chance to observe them through planned viewing sessions.
Great Parks, Hamilton County’s park system, says a family of bald eagles, including a mating pair and their eaglet, has made a nest near Winton Lake in Springfield Township’s Winton Woods. The eaglet hatched in April and will soon be ready to take flight, says Great Parks.
The young bird has been stretching its wings and walking around the nest. Its dark flight feathers are coming in and it’s nearly the size of its parents. Eaglets will typically make their first flight sometime between 7 and 10 weeks old, which could be before July 4 for Winton Woods’ baby. Great Parks will host special viewing sessions in June and July to help visitors safely observe the birds.
“The return of majestic bald eagles to Winton Woods is both gratifying and also a reminder about the importance of Great Parks’ commitment to conservation and habitat preservation,” Monica Resnik, regional education manager for Great Parks, said in a press release.
Known as the United States’ national symbol, bald eagles represent a national story of conservation success. In Ohio in 1979, there were just four breeding pairs of these birds of prey; now, the Ohio Division of Wildlife has recorded 986 confirmed nests throughout the state, and the eagle is no longer on the state and federal endangered species lists.
The eagles’ nest is protected by federal law, and the park system is taking special precautions around the eagles, asking guests to maintain a distance of at least 330 feet from their nest and to remain quiet to avoid disturbing the eagles’ ability to fish in the lake.
Great Parks will host viewing sessions from 5-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 12 and from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 15. There is also a session planned for Saturday, July 12 that includes the option to observe the eagles by boat on a guided tour of Winton Lake.
You can register for these viewing sessions at greatparks.org. You may need to purchase a motor vehicle permit to access the park.
Winton Woods Harbor, 801 Lakeview Drive, Springfield Township. More info: greatparks.org.
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This article appears in Nov 17-22, 1994.
