WILDLIFE
Eagles are making a tremendous
comeback. There are more
eagle nests in Florida than in
any other state in the lower
48, and more than 35 in the
Treasure Coast area alone.
An adult eagle’s feathers are
mottled, not solid dark brown
as so often depicted.
EAGLE-EYED
OBSERVERS
BY SUSAN BURGESS
National bird plentiful in Port St. Lucie
They can be seen soaring over the plains and
among the mountains, glorious, magnificent,
with enormous wings outstretched, letting the
air currents silently carry them high overhead.
The white head and fan-shaped tail gleaming in the
sunlight make the bald eagle, the country’s national bird,
one of the easiest to recognize. But what are the chances
of seeing one while scanning the Florida skies?
“You can certainly see eagles flying in Port St. Lucie,”
says Wren Underwood, an educator for the Savannas Preserve
State Park off Walton Road. “Just keep looking up.”
There are four nests in Port St. Lucie although two of
them are considered inactive.
Pat Owen of Port St. Lucie is thrilled when she spots
an eagle. She is a member of the Audubon’s Eagle Watch,
a group of volunteers throughout the state who monitor
nests and report activity.
“I just love watching them,” she says. “They are majestic,
regal, and powerful. And they are also easier to spot
than smaller birds because they are so large.”
A longtime watcher, the former Martin County resident
monitored a nest for three years in the Dupuis Wildlife
and Environmental Area in southern Martin County.
Now, she watches a nest just north of the Tesoro development
in southern Port St. Lucie. It’s a peaceful place, near
a lake with birds and beautiful sunsets. She likes to take
her camera to capture birds in flight as they bring home
food for their babies. >>
46 Port St. Lucie Magazine
FWC