Bald eagle visiting South Bend
By SUE LOWE, Tribune Staff Writer
SOUTH BEND — You just never know what is going to show up on the St. Joseph River.
Carla Cybulski had dropped her daughter off at St. Joseph’s High School early Wednesday afternoon and was on her way back to her home off Portage Avenue. She decided to travel on Riverside Drive, a route she doesn’t often use.
Some crows near a big sycamore tree hanging over the St. Joseph River at Keller Park caught her eye. And with them was a huge bird — a huge bird with a white head.
And Cybulski realized she was looking at a bald eagle.
"Next to him, the crow looked like a little, tiny bird," she said.
Cybulski stopped, took three pictures with her cell phone and went home to get her husband and 3-year-old daughter.
They watched the big bird for some time, seeing him take off and glide over the water.
She went back later but couldn’t find the eagle again later in the day.
Cybulski said that unfortunately, her cell phone pictures didn’t turn out very well.
Naturalists say people do see bald eagles on the St. Joseph River in the winter.
Vince Gresham, a naturalist at Rum Village Nature Center, said they are becoming more common.
He saw one flying south across Ireland Road near the Wal-Mart store about a month ago.
Another bird watcher saw one near the New Energy ethanol plant early this winter.
Wendy Jones, a naturalist at Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve, said two adult bald eagles were seen in the Niles area during the Christmas bird count, and somebody else saw a younger bald eagle near Niles last week.
Jones said eagles could range all the way from St. Joseph to South Bend, and people might be seeing the same birds.
Bald eagles usually don’t nest in this area. Gresham said the area apparently doesn’t have enough big trees close to undisturbed water.
Bald eagles’ primary diet is fish, and they look for open stretches of water in which to catch them.
2 comments:
Aren't they beautiful Carla. We have seen them here and I am always amazed at how BIG and graceful they are. Maybe you should become a wildlife photo journalist when you grow up. I'm still trying to decide what I'm going to be. Thanks for sharing this with us.
I am so surprised that big bird didn't come and sit on your shoulder,honey! They always seem to
seek you out. Sometimes your head seems a welcome place,too. ask Mary Jo! You've got some good eyes to spot a rare beauty like that. Keep watching, he may come to your backyard with all the other "guests" you seem to draw in. Better keep some fish on hand along with the peanut butter sandwiches,grapes,apples,cookies,
etc you supply to the critters that love you!
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