WHY DID EAGLE NESTING DISAPPEAR FOR 22 YEARS IN TENNESSEE?
The insecticide, DDT, caused most of the eagle declines from the mid-50s to the mid-70s. Eggs became either infertile, or their thin shells would break under the weight of the adults. There were 14 active nests at Reelfoot Lake in both 1954 and 1955. However, Tennessee had no known successful eagle nests from 1961 until 1983. Eagles often nest on dead portions of relatively large trees, where they have better aerial access for their wide wingspan. Such large trees are usually on high ground within sight of lakes or rivers. They may be one or more miles inland for greater seclusion. In order too avoid causing eagles to abandon their nests, we normally need to stay out of sight of their nests, except for routine farming, vehicular traffic, ect. Eagles are much less disturbed by manned vehicles or boats than by walkers. Due to the creation of over 530,000 acres of large reservoirs in Tennessee, we may have more potential Bald Eagle habitat than ever before. Due largely to the banning of D
