Norfolk garden's female bald eagle killed by airplanethe incident
A US Airways jet struck and killed the female bald eagle before 9 a.m. Tuesday. There were no injuries among the 21 people on board, but the landing gear sustained some damage.
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Wildlife experts are watching the male eagle to determine whether he can care for the 5-week-old chicks without his mate. By Tuesday evening, he was seen feeding the eaglets.
By Cindy Clayton
Debbie Messina
The Virginian-Pilot
© April 27, 2011
NORFOLK
The beloved female bald eagle that has nested at Norfolk Botanical Garden with her male partner for nearly eight years was struck and killed by a jet that was landing at Norfolk International Airport on Tuesday.
The eagle might have been bringing food back to her three nesting eaglets when the collision occurred, because a fish was found near the remains, according to wildlife officials.
The eagle family has been watched by fans on the Norfolk Botanical Garden Eagle Cam, which provides live video of the eagle's nest online. Hundreds of people posted comments and condolences on the Eagle Cam link, found at wvec.com.
"It's like losing one of your kids," said Reese Lukei, who has studied the eagle pair as a research associate for Center for Conservation Biology. "You try not to personalize, but you do."
Wildlife experts from the center and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries are watching the male eagle to determine whether he can care for the 5-week-old chicks without his mate. He was observed sitting in a tree near the nest for much of Tuesday, and by evening, he was seen in the nest breaking upfish and feeding pieces to the eaglets.
Lukei said a decision could be made as early as today whether it will be necessary to take the baby eagles to the Wildlife Center of Virginia near Waynesboro until they're able to live independently. Last week, the eaglets were removed from the nest, banded and returned.
The female eagle was about 15 years old, according to Lukei, who started following her when she first nested in trees on the edge of the airport about 10 years ago with another mate. That male was struck and killed by a plane in 2002. The female then found her current mate and moved to the Norfolk Botanical Garden.
Lukei said less than 5 percent of eagles live in urban environments like Norfolk's: "They just get acclimated to our daily routines, noises and activities."
Robert Bowen, deputy executive director of the Norfolk airport, said the strike happened shortly before 9 a.m. The US Airways flight from Philadelphia hit the eagle either as the plane was flying over Lake Whitehurst or as it was landing on the runway, he said. There were no injuries among the 21 people on board, he said, but the landing gear sustained some damage.
An airplane struck and killed an eagle just two weeks ago at the airport. Other eagle strikes occurred in 2005 and 2002, Bowen said.
http://hamptonroads.com/2011/04/gardens-female-eagle-likely-killed-norfolk-airport-strikeVery heavy heart.
