Majesty in Flight

CELINA - With the full force of winter bearing down on the area, bald eagles can be seen more readily sitting on frozen Grand Lake and nesting.

Moreover, their large size and dark body can more easily be seen against the backdrop of wintry snow and ice, according to Ohio Department of Natural Resources information.

"Spotting a bald eagle in the winter is a memorable moment," Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker said in an ODNR news release. "The winter weather in Ohio makes these birds accessible in ways that only occur during this time of year."

Dave Shaner of St. Marys, a self-taught, avid photographer who's been capturing images of Grand Lake wildlife, primarily bald eagles, for well over a decade, said the famed, majestic birds of prey are active.

Bald eagles are fiercely loyal birds and typically mate for life, Shaner said. The birds in December and January are busy cleaning and fortifying their nests with additional sticks in preparation for nesting season, Shaner said.

"Then usually, middle February, late February is when they go in there and start laying eggs," he continued. "They'll lay two or three (eggs), which is normal."

The male and female eagles spend equal time sitting on the eggs, Shaner said. One sits on the eggs, while the other goes out to stretch its wings or hunt for fish, squirrels, snakes or rodents.

"Generally, every two or three hours they switch in and out, and that's what you'll see at this point," he explained. "They're sitting on eggs. That's what they do."

The eaglets will reach full size by about July 4.

"They'll go from a little fuzzball to full-grown size … in about three or four months. It's pretty fast," he said. "The mother usually is the one that teaches the young ones how to hunt and fish, and once those young ones learn how to do that, they pretty much go out on their own."

When Shaner started photographing bald eagles several years ago, Mercer County had only one or two nests. He'd spend several hours out and about waiting for visual contact, developing a firm sense of patience.

Nowadays, he spots a bald eagle nearly every day.

"The eagles have come back so much. They're more common now," Shaner said.

ODNR in 2020 reported the number of bald eagle nests in Ohio has skyrocketed 151% over the previous eight years. Of the 707 nests confirmed over February and March 2020, 16 are in Mercer County, compared with three in 2012, and four in Auglaize County, which had no nests in 2012, per ODNR's report.
Last year, Mercer Wildlife Area Manager Sean Finke said two bald eagles nests are in the 1,408-acre Mercer County Wildlife Management Area in Montezuma, one near Celina Lynx Golf Club, two by Behm's Landing, one near Aqua View Estates near Prairie Creek, three by the Wabash River and one south of Menchhofer Woods.

Hecht's Landing and Windy Point in Montezuma are excellent places to observe bald eagles, Shaner said. So too is the stone pier near Boardwalk Grill along West Bank Road in Celina.

"When I go out I'm usually out for at least probably three, four hours," he said. "If I know a place is active then I'll get there early sunrise, and I'll wait."

The best time to see a bald eagle is sunrise and sunset, Shaner said. Those hoping to catch a bald eagle pull a fish from the lake should bring binoculars.

"Out here on the lake you can see them fish, but they're way out, maybe a quarter-mile or a half-mile out," he said.

It is illegal to disturb bald eagles. Also, people are to stay at least 100 yards away from the bird's space, according to ODNR.