Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1902-09-24
The EAGLES Nest.


passing North Springfield, Ohio. not
far from Girard, l noticed in the top
of dead tree huge dark object which
at once aroused my curiosity. This
proved to be a well-known landmark,
an aery of the white-headed eagle,
which mad been occupied for years and
was known to every workman on the
| road.
Possibly no one now living in Gl-
rard can remember when there were
no eagles nesting in their neighhor-
hood. For many years this pair OF
their predecessors are said to have
occupied an old shell of sycamore
in the midst of woods at Milesgrove,
Pennsylvania, not far from the sta
tion. When this aged tree finally sue
cumbed to the storm, the second and
more famous nest was begun at North
Springfield in 1885. This lasted fifteen.
years, until January, 1900 With the
aid Of the photographs of this nest,
made in May, 1899, and actual meas
urements upon the prostratetr trceI was
able to determine the exact dimen-
sions OF the nest itself. 1t was nine
feet tall and six feet in diameter, and
contained enough wood, earth, and
stubble to fill good-sized hay-rack.
Until its overthrow it rested in the
skeleton arms cf huge sycamore
which had become reduced to she'll
of bark and rotten wood for many
yards from its base. The top of the
nest was exactly II feet from
the ground. and the tree-trunk
measured three and a half feet in its
greatest diameter. The tree suffered
general collapse In its fall, but the
simple construction of the nest could
easily be made out Its foundations
and outer walls were composed OF
dead sticks of any length from six
inches to four feet, laid crosswise and
packed closely together. Some of the
larger fdgots were two inches thick
and yard long. The sticks also sup
ported the centre of the nest, where
weeds, corn-stubble, and mulch earth
brought in with the latter. In conse-
quence of annual repairs carried on
during Is years, this nest had
risen until it was three feet taller than
broad, while the first years nest is
several times broader than deep.
Though its lease may be short, the
eagle chooses we'll in placing its aery
on the commanding summit of dead
tree which stands boldly against the
sky, for it's home is always in sight
and easily guarded; but, best of all,
it can come and go with perfect free
dom, there being ofoliage or branches
to interfere with the broad sweep OF
It's wings. accordingly was "a little
surprised to find the new nest not
only in sycamore which had thus
been preferred for the third time. but
in live and healthy one, which
seemed good for 100 years. 1t
had girth of II feet at the
ground and clean, straight bole with
out a branch for 60 feet, at which
point it suddenly spread and bent it's
arms, forming spacious and secure
support for a. nest of great size. This
huge spreading crotch had evidently
attracted the birds, although close be-
side it rose stately tulip-tree, whose
branches touched those of the syca-
more and partly overshadowed them.
On approaching this nest not a
sound was heard for fully 20 min
utes, when suddenly the male came
upon the scene, and, circling overhead,
sounded his peculiar alarm, kak! kak!
kak kak! Then, alighting in the top
most branch of a dead tree, he eX-
pressed his emotion in the character
istic manner which he shares, in some
degree at least, with other birds of
kin as remote as the night-hawk.
With depressed head and outstretched
neck, with dropped and quivering
wings, his mandibles would open and
close as if moved by springs as he ut
tered his prolonged monosyllabic cry
of distress. To my surprise, the fe-
male was sitting quietly at the nest
all the time, as became evident when
she suddenly left it, and, with pro-
testing screams, began to circle over
the tree-tops. Both birds had evident
ly become shy and suspicious of visitors
since their former nest had been de-
stroyed, and neither would now go
| to their young while human being
was in sight. My camera chanced to
catch an eaglet as it rose to the edge
of it's wicker platform, but ordinarily
the young were invisible from below
| At this time (June s. this bird ap-
peared as large as good-sized domes-
tic fowl
When 1 paid second visit to tie
aery, on the following day, neither bird
was at home; but both soon appeared
under full sail, and In moment the
place resounded with their cries. At
times the voice of the male uegener-
ated into low grunt as with giant
strides he moved from place to place.
I noticed that when the eagle wheeled
in mid-air he suddenly dropped his
legs, but on recovering himself drew
them up out of sight.
The eagles were constantly assailed
by a pair of kingbirds, who seemed TO
take a special delight in tormenting
their big neighbors. Tney would be
cutie helpless in returning the king
birds quick assaults, whether perched
or on the wing, and apparently did not
care to waste their energies in fruit
less attempts. They also found trouble
in another quarter where some crows
possibly had nest of their own; for
whenever an eagle approached GER
tain cluster Of evergreens it was forced
to beat speedy retreat which often
brought it again into the sphere of the
doughty kingbirds.