Bald Eagles Nesting in Palos Township
A family of bald eagles is now calling Palos home, officials believe the eaglets are the first to hatch in Cook County in about a century.
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The goldfish was an unexpected sight. It's fitting, a sign of two worlds colliding in nature.
A pair of bald eagles has nested in Palos Township next to Tampier Slough, a section of the Cook County Forest Preserves near Palos Park. In the last few weeks, eaglets have hatched, making this the first confirmed nesting site in Cook County in more than a century.
"It's very exciting for us," said Chris Merenowicz, the director of resource management for the Forest Preserve.
Merenowicz says the eagles seek out an area where they feel protected and secure with access to a body of water where they will do their hunting.
"If these lands weren't protected, great birds like bald eagles, and a number of more common ones, would not have a habitat," he said.
The nest itself is about 6 feet wide, leading officials to believe the pair began to build last year.
Bald eagles stand about three feet tall and have a wingspan of six to eight feet. They were once a fairly common sight in the area, but over decades became increasingly scarce and were placed on the U.S. endangered species list in 1967.
In recent years, bald eagles have been growing in numbers and have become more common in parts of the continental United States. They were removed from the endangered and threatened species list in 2007.
The nesting site in Palos is particularly meaningful. Located just minutes from Orland Park's bustling shopping district, the location is indicative of the unique characteristics of the area.
It was Bill Allaway, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited, in Palos Park who first alerted forest preserve district staff about the nest.
"The Palos area has a great community of bird watchers," said Denise Allaway. "We just have so many trees and forest preserves that it is the perfect spot."
Allaway added that it is exciting for the community to be able to see such a rare species relatively up close.
The eaglets are not expected to venture outside the nest for several weeks and will rely on their parents' fishing. The eagles will generally cover an area of one to two miles in their hunting expeditions.
On this particular morning, the meal of choice was a large goldfish caught from a nearby body of water. What started as a few dumped pet fish has grown into a fairly large population.
The eagles will most likely stay in the area until the end of summer. If they are satisfied with the nesting site they could return year after year.
A more permanent viewing area is planned for future years, Merenowicz said.
The Cook County Forest Preserve District maintains a bald eagle page on its site that will be updated with news on the Palos area's newest residents.
The only spot the public can view the nest from is about 500 yards away along the side of 131st Street between Wolf and Will-Cook roads. Binoculars will be required. The location will be monitored by police and interfering with nesting could result in a $100,000 fine and jail time.
In This article
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Tampier Lake
Wolf Road and 131st Street, Palos Park, IL -
Wild Birds Unlimited
13012 S la Grange Rd, Palos Park, IL
mommurp
10:51 am on Thursday, April 19, 2012
wow please let them be wild and thrive!
Ron Kremer
9:47 am on Thursday, April 19, 2012
Bill and Denise Allaway: Thanks for alerting forest preserve staff. Let's hope the staff allows visitors to view/enjoy the eagles—but from a distance. I once was able to visit an eagle nest in Yellowstone National Park, but the rangers did a terrific job keeping me and all the other interested observers a safe distance away from the nest so the eagles would not feel threatened and leave. Cool story.
Barbara
9:30 am on Friday, April 20, 2012
Have been watching the Decorah Eagles for years & am so excited to hear this news. Looking forward to following the eagles & their babies. Thanks Bill and everyone involved in keeping the eagles safe.
Julia hutchingsjesb425@yahoo.com
5:07 pm on Friday, April 20, 2012
This is amazing. Iam an avid birder and pass through that exact spot on 131st St. 4 days a week, constantly looking for large birds of pray and always thinking to myself how amazing it would be to see a bald eagle overhead. The last few days I've seen so many people in that spot and I have also seen photographers with telephoto lenses and when I looked over to see what they could possibly be taking photos of I could see the nest from the road in a car and I knew immediately it was probably a bald eagles Nest so i I googled it and I am just thrilled to peices right now. That just tells you how big the nest is. Beautiful!!
Dan Lambert
8:03 pm on Friday, April 20, 2012
It is an amazing thing to see. Bring a good pair of binoculars.
Starkraven
3:35 pm on Sunday, April 22, 2012
These horrible creatures are a menace. They should be immediately destroyed. They're a threat to our dogs and cats. They'll eat em up with no questions asked. Look at what they're doing to that poor gold fish. I don't get all the amazement. They're predators that are going to predate your dog
Betty Beckley
5:19 pm on Friday, April 27, 2012
You are a moron. That poor gold fish that your kids would probably but in a bowl and you would end of flushing it anyway. So SHUT THE, WHAT THE, AND GET THE. Its all part of the food chain.
Mokgrl
9:28 am on Monday, April 23, 2012
Happy Sunday to you! Hopefully nobody considers you or your loved ones a menace or you could be considered "trash". Get your facts straight. They eat fish. God bless you.
bob busch
9:33 am on Monday, April 23, 2012
Palos is a mystical place full of dark shadows and brilliant colors.
No wonder the eagles have come home to roost.
bob busch
10:02 am on Monday, April 23, 2012
Baldy is back I am 65 years old,Palos born and bred .In my lifetime many changes
have rocked our little corner of the world.In 1965 I saw my first whitetail deer
at Maple Lake.In the 80's and 90's coyotes and Canada geese returned.
Eagles vanished from palos in the 1850' I never saw one until yesterday.
Recent events have proved that if nature is respected wonderful results
can be achieved.Thank got Pete Reinburg had the good sense to establish
the Outer Park we now call the Forest Preserves.
I predict that it will not be long until wolves, bears and even cougars re populate
our woods.In fact i think one of the latter might already be here I hope
I am still here to witness their return.After all baldy came home.
Jane Marie
11:03 am on Monday, April 23, 2012
.... why are there goldfish in our ponds? Talk about habitat destruction. woohoo for the bald eagle tho but this is only 1 of many animals that need help still.
thomas bailey
9:37 pm on Saturday, June 9, 2012
Hey starkraven u most not be to bright those bald eagles are a beautiful site to see & they represent what america represents & that is FREEDOM. They can stay in my backyard as far as im concern they are beautiful too wattch & observse