Eagle endangered by fishing line

Every morning, photographer David Gray comes to a Pinellas County cemetery to shoot photos of a pair of eagles and their two eaglets. Wednesday, he got shots of the mother eagle and the babies, but there were no sign of the father eagle.  “Typically, he”s in and out every hour and a half to two hours, and I have not seen him yet today…it”s very unusual for him to be gone this long without just checking in,” Gray said.

There’s good reason for Gray and other eagle watchers to be worried: yesterday, photographer and Audubon eagle watcher Al Wallace snapped two photos of the male eagle trailing fishing line and lure from one of his talons.

“Usually when this happens, the lure or the line will get trapped on something else which could potentially kill this eagle. So we’re very concerned about it.”

It’s a problem Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary workers see all the time. Sanctuary spokeswoman Michelle Simoneau says 85 to 90 percent of the injuries they get are because of fishing line and lures.

Barb Walker of Clearwater Audubon Eaglewatch is worried about the male eagle and what could happen to the eaglets if he does make it back.

“We don’t know if he’ll be able to free that himself, or he’ll get hung up somewhere. It could be anywhere. A power line, a tree or even near the water somewhere,” Walker said. “And if the male comes back and gets into the nest, the young eagles could also get entangled in the line if it’s still attached.”

Walker says even though these eaglets are growing fast and starting to test their wings, they still depend on both parents for food.

Eagle parents typically trade off with one another when they’re rearing young, with one eagle always on or near the nest.

“Eagles are pretty punctual in returning to their nest, so we’re very concerned he got hung up somewhere.”

Walker urges anyone who’s seen this eagle to call Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary’s 24-hour hotline at (727) 391-6211. She says any sighting, however brief, could make a life or death difference for this eagle and his young.

(From myfoxtampabay.com)