Volunteer eagle watchers observed the nest at Clear Fork Reservoir in Morrow County go down on Friday, May 30 and immediately reported the situation to the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Working in conjunction with division experts and staff from the Ohio Bird Sanctuary, volunteers recovered the nest’s two eaglets and found them to be in good health.

OBS Volunteer Jann Ferrell checking out the behavior of the Eaglets in thier new nest

View of new nest

The two Eaglets in their new nest

On Saturday, May 31, division staff and the volunteers built a 10-foot high platform at the site, placing the remains of the nest, the young eagles and a supply of fish on the top! Their vigilant parent eagles had remained in the area and, after a short time, resumed their responsibilities of feeding and tending the offspring.

One of the young eagles fledged last week. The remaining eagle will be banded on June 16 if it does not fledge in the meantime.

A similar situation occurred in Coshocton County on June 4 when a storm destroyed the Plainfield nest, leaving two eaglets clinging to tree roots above a fast-moving stream and out of their parents’ reach.

On Friday, Woodbury Wildlife Area staff rescued the eaglets, placing them out of danger on a raised platform where their parent birds could bring food.

“Our object is always to keep the eaglets in the wild,” said Mark Shieldcastle, who heads the division’s eagle restoration efforts. “Their chances of survival are better if we can get them off the ground and away from predators, and place them where their parents can continue to feed and care for them.”