CCB EagleTrak

Azalea remains at Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge. She has been staying mostly near the Wildlife Drive on the south side of Lake Mattamuskeet. However, on Feb 3 she left there about 8:00am and flew a complete circle around the lake and was back near the same location by 4:00pm. She was in the same spot near New Holland at midnight Feb 4 and 5.

Click on map to enlarge to full screen.

As of very early this morning, Feb 5, Azalea is still at Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge in Hyde County, NC. Satellite map of her position as soon as received.

Azalea arrived at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge on Jan 2nd after a 100 mile direct flight from Gloucester County, VA. She spent almost the entire rest of the month of January there, but at 1pm on Jan 31 she decided it was time to move on. By 4pm she had arrived at the eastern edge of 40,000 acre Lake Mattamuskeet near the Waupoppin Canal on Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge in Hyde County, NC. She moved a bit further south and spent the night near Lake Landing Canal. For the next two days, Feb 1 and 2, she explored the southeast shoreline of  Lake Mattamuskeet and some of the adjoining farmland. As of this satellite map at 5pm Feb 2 she is at a perfect location for refuge visitors to spot her, the Wildlife Drive off Route 94 and the south shore of the lake. Mattamuskeet NWR is the winter home of 100,000 tundra swan and 18 species of ducks. Other bald eagles are also known to use this refuge, so she should have other eagles to keep her company. Find out more about Mattamuskeet NWR and view a map of the refuge at www.fws.gov/mattamuskeet. Click on satellite map to enlarge full screen.

As of Feb 2 Azalea has moved further south along the shore of Pamlico Sound and east of Mattamuskeet NWR. Map later.

Azalea wandered about a little more over the period Jan 27 through 4 pm Jan 30.  On Jan 27 she stayed around South Lake. On Jan 28 she checked out the south shore of East Lake. On Jan 29 she flew across Rt 64 again to the farm fields that she has visited several times. On the afternoon of Jan 30 she again crossed Rt 64 and flew to Sawyer Lake where she visited on Jan 4th and was spotted by two visitors to Alligator River NWR. As of this satellite map at 4 pm Jan 30 she is on Sawyer Lake just east of Buffalo City Road.

Azalea has again stayed put at Alligator River NWR in Dare County, NC.

Satellite map will be posted as soon as received.

It certainly appears that Azalea has found a winter home. She arrived at South Lake in Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and is still there. For the time period Jan 24 at midnight through 9am Jan 27 (today) she stayed north of Rt 64. On Jan 24 she explored a section of the east side of East Lake, and on Jan 26 she explored a new section of the west side of East Lake. Every night she returns to what is certainly an eagle “roost”. For the first night she appears to have sat in the same tree for two nights in a row – Jan 25 and 26. Fishing must be good!!

Azalea has pretty much stayed put through Jan 21 to midnight Jan 24. She made only one short trip southward on Jan 23 across Rt 64 to the farm fields. Other than that she has stayed around South Lake during the day and at her “roost” north of South Lake and south of East Lake at night.

Click on satellite map to enlarge full screen.

Azalea was in the “roost” area of Alligator River NWR between South Lake and East Lake overnight Jan 23/24.

Satellite map to come as soon as received.

Photo – Azalea’s parents today in nest at Norfolk Botanical Garden (male in front) – Their blog site is http://eaglenest.blogs.wm.edu

The PBS program NATURE will air AMERICAN EAGLE on Sunday evening at 8:00pm. This show was first presented in November 2009. In the Hampton Roads area of Virginia it will show on WHRO TV Cox channel 15 and 715, Charter channel 5 and 782. It will rebroadcast Monday evening at 9:00pm on WHRO World Cox channel 107.

The two photos above are of “Pioneer”. This is a 25 year-old male bald eagle that was hatched and banded in 1985 in its nest on Jones Creek off the Rappahannock River north of Warsaw, VA, by Dr Mitchell Byrd and Keith Cline. Over a 20 year breeding period he likely produced about 40 eaglets. Many of them and their offspring are now nesting throughout Virginia. In 1985 there were 60 known breeding pair of bald eagles in Virginia. Today there are over 600 breeding pair.

 On January 20, 2010 he was picked up by Dinwiddie County Animal Control under some power lines about 5 miles west of Petersburg, VA. He was taken to rehabilator Joy Bulls who then transported him to Lisa Barlow, a rehabilator in Virginia Beach. Lisa brought him to me and she and I immediately knew his injuries were severe – an open talon wound and the under side of the left wing badly damaged at the wrist. Probably tried to sit on the power lines. On Jan 21 he was transported to the Wildlife Center of Virginia by Bobbi Monaghan, where he was carefully examined by Dr. Elizabeth Daut and the injuries determined to be non-treatable or reversible. He was humanely euthanized.

Reese Lukei