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This article first published in December, 1997
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Flying Like an Eagle in
Kings County! by Jodi DeLong, Editor of The Canning Gazette
We're fortunate to live in a place which eagles have decided is a good place to spend the winter. Being opportunists who would rather eat carrion that is found or provided for them than to hunt for themselves, more than four hundred eagles now frequent eastern Kings county, which is also home to 90 percent of the poultry producers of Nova Scotia. While this largest of North American raptors has a reputation for being shy and even reclusive, the eagles that populate my neighbourhood give the lie to that tale. Often one can approach them as they perch in one of the large "eagle trees" of the area, as they digest their meal or survey their domain for other offerings or just socialize. On several occasions, while on horseback, I have come within a few metres of them and have been able to watch them and their escort of ravens for some time. This is perhaps because they regard my four-legged friend not as an interloper but merely as another aspect of the food chain. The eagle's physical structure, with the bony ridge over its great yellow eyes, gives the bird its haughty, majestic appearance, seen in so many sketches and photographs and studies of the bird. Yet if you watch one on the ground, with its peculiar rolling, almost bowlegged gait, or see several squabbling over a particularly tasty tidbit, the eagle's reputation for majesty takes a tumble. Just perhaps, our interest in bald eagles reflects a sense of responsibility for the future of the eagle, and the fate of so many other creatures. Humans have been responsible for the declining population of the bald eagle. It was once widely regarded as a pest and, as with other birds of prey, ruthlessly shot for its hunting habits. In many locales, its habitat is being drained for development, and many of the large trees that offer shelter and roosting spots have fallen to the axes of the tree harvesters. Even more detrimental have been the effects of toxic
pollutants and pesticides, the most notorious of which was the once widely-used DDT. This
pesticide was sprayed on crop lands throughout the country and its residues washed into
lakes and streams.
Their reproduction disrupted, bald eagle populations plummeted. As the dangers of DDT became known, in large part due to Rachel Carson's famous book Silent Spring, this chemical was banned for most uses in Canada and the United States in the early 1970s. It is ironic that the national bird of our neighbour to the South is still listed as endangered or threatened in most of the coterminous United States. Happily, Nova Scotia, with a relatively stable and thriving population, has helped to reestablish eagles in some parts of the States. But successful repopulation depends on responsible action by people, in creating and maintaining wildlife habitats, in respecting other species besides our own, and in recognizing that we are all part of one ecosystem. There are guidelines available from the Department of Natural Resources for the protection of eagle nest trees and breeding habitats, and we're learning more about these great birds, thanks in part to the studies of wildlife biologists who come to learn what they can from our over wintering population. Eastern Kings County has the largest over wintering population of bald eagles in eastern North America, and hundreds of people come to view and photograph the birds as they feed, roost, and even play in flight. But at the same time as we learn more about the birds and can rejoice in their increasing population stability, eagle-watchers bear a responsibility towards both the birds, in not unduly disturbing them, and toward the landowners on whose land the birds feed and roost. Did You Know?
Eagle Watching In Kings County As a result of increasing interest in eagles, the community of Sheffield Mills, near Canning, Kings County, hosts an annual Eagle Watch weekend, now in its seventh season. Numbers have been steadily increasing, both of eagles and of visitors to the area, and last year's event saw several thousand people participate in the weekend of activities. The Blomidon Naturalist Society reported 525 eagles in Kings County during its annual count, a significant increase from the year before. Over one hundred of the huge birds regularly frequent the so-called "Eagle Trees" of Sheffield Mills, providing ample photo opportunities and a breathtaking experience for young and old alike. This year's Eagle Watch will be on January 31st and February 1st, kicking off with a giant pancake breakfast at Sheffield Mills Community Centre. Upstairs will be a variety of informative displays, work by local artisans, souvenir clothing, a display of folk carving, and more. Local businesswoman Susan Porskamp of Eagle Outfitters conducts guided tours offering excellent viewing opportunities, and the community of Kingsport hosts a baked bean and ham supper on January 31st. To get to Sheffield Mills, take Highway 101, exit 12, New Minas. Head down the hill through the lights on Commercial Street. You go through another set of lights on the Middle dyke Road at Belcher Street. From there to Sheffield Mills is about 5 miles further north. Or, from Exit 11, follow the signs to Canning and turn left as you enter the village of Canning. At press time, the blue-and-white signs from the NS government had arrived, so you should see distinctive Eagle Watch signage posted around Kings County by the time the eagles return en masse. There are those who say there is magic in the cry of an eagle. Come and see for yourself. Jodi DeLong lives in Delhaven, Kings County, Nova Scotia. Jodi is the editor of The Canning Gazette, Organic Times and The Facilitator. She is also a mother and firefighter. Photos by James V. Demaoio.
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Scarcely a day
passes, from late fall until early spring, when I do not witness the flight of eagles over
my home in Delhaven, under the brooding
promontory of Cape Blomidon. It doesn't matter that I see the immense birds daily, winging
their haughty and breathtaking way across the grey-wooled sky, heading to their night
roost somewhere behind me on the North Mountain, or en route to one of the feeding
stations situated in my rural community. The thrill remains the same as it did the first
time I saw one. 
These residues were then absorbed by aquatic plants and small animals which
in turn were eaten by fish, which were consumed by bald eagles. The unnatural chemicals
contaminating the fish interfered with the eagle's ability to develop strong shells for
its eggs. As a result, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and many other species began laying
eggs with shells so thin they often broke during incubation or otherwise failed to hatch.
During migration eagles can be seen flying 1 to 1/2
miles high, but usually they soar around 2-3,000 feet. Eagles have been
"clocked" at 80 kph in level flight and probably hit 100-120
kph in glides and swoops. 
