A species at risk takes flight

With 70 birds, bald eagle has strong showing in statewide census

Glenn McAvoy of Lakeville and Julie Cruz of New Bedford scanned for bald eagles across the ice of Great Quittacas Pond in Middleborough. (Photos by Mark Wilson/Globe staff)

LAKEVILLE - Just minutes after she pulled to the side of the road yesterday on a causeway flanked by frozen ponds, Lisa Paquette spotted a large brown bird flying overhead. Then, white feathers flared as it wheeled above the trees of Pocksha Pond.

"I had heard there were eagles here; I've been hearing it for years," said Paquette, binoculars in hand. But yesterday's viewing provided the evidence.

Such sightings were happening simultaneously across the state, as volunteers and state officials conducted the annual bald eagle census. By day's end, 70 of the great birds had been recorded across Massachusetts, a "strong" number, said the state's Fish and Game commissioner.

The national midwinter count has become a testament to the high-profile species' rebound.

The bald eagle has long been a powerful symbol of environmental distress. It was among the original species to be listed as endangered by the federal government in 1973. In the 1960s, its population hit a low point of fewer than 400 pairs in the lower 48 states, a victim of habitat loss and the pesticide DDT.

In Massachusetts, the species had virtually disappeared. The state began in the 1980s to reintroduce bald eagles by bringing young Canadian eaglets to the Quabbin Reservoir. Before that, the last suspected wild nest was in Sandwich in 1905.

The state's efforts paid off. Last year, a total of 24 nests were recorded in the state, and 22 of them were successful, launching 33 chicks into the world. The species is still listed as endangered in Massachusetts.

Nationally, bald eagles have also done well, and in 2007 were removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species.

Yesterday, binocular-toting officials, volunteers, and people in helicopters spotted 48 adult eagles and 22 juveniles. Last year, the one-day count yielded 73 eagles.

People usually spot some eagles that are homebodies, and others that are migrants from northerly locations that fly to Massachusetts when large bodies of water freeze.

"Seventy is a very strong eagle count number for a one-day survey, especially given there's still a lot of open water so the eagle's aren't all congregating and we're not getting as many from out of state," said Mary Griffin, commissioner of the state Department of Fish and Game.

Today, there are 26 known eagle nesting territories scattered across the state, ranging from the Connecticut River Valley to the Merrimack River.

The Quabbin Reservoir, where a team did a helicopter survey, reported the most eagles, with 17 adults and nine juveniles.

In the Lakeville area, reports rolled in as eagle-watchers spotted the birds perched in trees or soaring in the air.

At Pocksha Pond, two eagles were seen sitting in a tree on a distant shore of the lake. A call came in with a report of an eagle sighting near Tihonet Pond in Wareham.

Kathleen Anderson, chairwoman of the National Heritage and Endangered Species Advisory Committee, said six eagles were known to live in the area - four mature adults with the characteristic white head and yellow beak, and two juveniles, which are brown.

"It's a thrill to have the eagles come back," Anderson said. "It'd be wonderful to see a rare sparrow come back, but there's something about eagles - they are so majestic."

Carolyn Y. Johnson can be reached at cjohnson@globe.com.