Bald eagles nesting in Shelby Township’s Holland Ponds Park

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — Local nature photographers have recently spotted two American bald eagles nesting in Shelby Township’s Holland Ponds Park with possible eggs in the nest.

The bald eagle nest was reported to the township by a local photographer on March 9, but township officials have seen photos from other photographers taken as early as March 5.

Elizabeth “Lizzy” Schultz, Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center coordinator, said this is big news to conservationists.

“This is very exciting, as the area now known as Holland Ponds was deemed a superfund site by the EPA due to contamination by hazardous waste from the adjacent former G&H landfill company. Around this time, the bald eagle nearly went extinct because of human persecution and DDT poisoning. To have bald eagles move into Holland Ponds just goes to show that the habitat is healthy once again. This is truly a conservation success story,” she said in a press release.

She said the eagles may be there for a while, too.

“As long as they feel safe and are successful at rearing young, the two eagles will continue to come back to this nest every winter to have their family. We think based on their behavior that there are eggs. However, we can’t know for sure. They can have one to three eggs in a clutch,” she said via email.

Schultz said naturalists encourage people to get outdoors and enjoy seeing the eagles, with restrictions.

“It’s so important that people follow all federal guidelines for viewing them in a way that won’t disturb them. This means staying more than 330 feet away and that drones are prohibited within 1,000 feet of the nest. If they are disturbed too much and feel threatened, they will abandon the nest and young,” she said.

Wildlife photographer and bald eagle observer Joan Bonin reported that the eagles have been seen sitting low in the nest, apparently changing guard and possibly rolling eggs.

“Typically, one to three eggs are laid as early as January, hatching in about five weeks. The chicks take flight at about 3 months old and look nothing like adults. Juveniles are solid brown with mottled white areas underneath their wings. They do not gain their iconic white head and tail until they are about 5 years old,” Schultz said in the press release.

If successful at rearing young, American bald eagles are known to remain monogamous and come back annually to the same nest. The nest starts at about 5 feet wide. However, the township stated that, as the pair adds to it each year, the nest can reach 9 feet in width and weigh thousands of pounds.

The township placed barricades in the park to ensure compliance with the federal guidelines for distance from the eagles. To aid in the enforcement of the guidelines, the Shelby Township Police Department will monitor access points to the trails near the nesting area as well as other portions of Holland Ponds Park. If park patrons see individuals trespassing beyond the barriers, they can call the Shelby Township Police Department nonemergency line at (586) 731-2121.

To help residents and visitors safely view the eagles, Schultz and Bonin will lead a free guided hike from 2 to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 8.

To participate in the hike, meet at Holland Ponds Park at 50385 Ryan Road at 2 p.m. Dress for the weather with proper footwear, and bring binoculars if possible. Staff from the Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center will provide a limited supply of binoculars to share. Holland Ponds Park is open from dawn to dusk or 8 p.m., whichever comes first.

“As a patriotic American, it is exciting to know we have a pair of bald eagles nesting in one of our parks,” Township Supervisor Rick Stathakis said in a press release. “First, however, I urge everyone to follow Ms. Schultz’s guidelines to ensure the eagles have every opportunity to thrive and raise a family in our beautiful community.”

Parks, Recreation and Maintenance Director Joe Youngblood said Holland Ponds is a 200-acre park for passive recreation and the township is very excited to have the eagles nesting there. 

“We are also fortunate to have Lizzy Schultz, Nature Center Coordinator, to make sure all safety protocols are in place to protect the eagles,” he said in an email.

For questions regarding the eagles and how best to view them, contact the Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center at (586) 323-2478 during business hours or email naturecenter@shelbytwp.org. The Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center is located at 4101 River Bends Drive and is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays.