THE EAGLE HAS LANDED…

West Nyack has become the winter home to a migratory group of bald eagles. It seems a flock of these majestic fishermen have settled in behind the Shop Rite on Rt. 59. It would appear they have been attracted by the open water of the Hackensack Creek. The velocity of the water, caused by the dam at the southern end of Lake Deforest, helps to keep this section of water ice free in all but the coldest of winter weather. There is also a large population of fish, especially carp, swimming in the creek. Eagles will scavenge most any food, but they are magnificent catchers of fish, their preferred meal. A bald eagle swoops down and can pluck fish up to several pounds in their talons without missing a wing beat. They then maneuver the fish to be facing head first making their often heavy meal aerodynamically correct as they fly off to a high perch to enjoy the hard earned meal. Bald eagles don’t develop their distinctive white head and tail until 5 years old. There is at least one immature eagle with the group, easily recognizable by a mottled plumage of brown and white. By itself, it could be mistaken for a hawk, but its large size is a dead giveaway to identification.

Many people have gone out and bought telephoto lenses for their cameras, binoculars, and spotting scopes to enjoy this natural spectacle from a distance. It is against federal law to harass or disturb eagles. The DEC thinks this group has traveled down from Canada, following open water as they go. Although many people think this year is a unique occurrence, Rockland has become home to several bald eagles every winter for at least the past several years. It would seem their proximity to the Palisades Mall has increased public awareness this year.