A bald eagle has been seen in Alamance County and while they are not unusual to North Carolina this is not an area they often show up. While North Carolina does have some nesting bald eagles the number of eagles soar as eagles from the north migrate down from the north to winter here when the northern areas freeze over eliminating most if not all the open water they hunt over.
Piedmont Wildlife Diversity Supervisor Jeff Marcus with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission said there are no documented Bald Eagle nests in Alamance County, but it is possible. The nearest nests are at Lake Brandt in Greensboro and at Jordan Lake.
“It’s not uncommon to see eagles around the state, especially wintering eagles from up north,” Marcus said.
He explained that Bald Eagles from northern states, especially Alaska, fly south to forage as most lakes up north are frozen, cutting off their supply of fish, which is a main component of their diet.
“From late fall through mid-winter, there are more eagles in the state because of the northern birds. Then when they are gone in a month or two, we’ll only have the local breeding birds,” he said.
Over the past few years eagle sightings have increased as the population of eagles increases across the nation. The national symbol is doing well and it is great to see one calling Alamance County home even if it is only for the winter.
