Meeting the eagles from Mentor Marsh

Beck Donaldson, a naturalist from the Mentor Marsh, talks to kids at our Headlands Branch about the bald eagles who live in Mentor Marsh.

Naturalist Becky Donaldson wasn't able to bring the actual bald eagles who nest in Mentor Marsh with her when she visited our Headlands Branch this Saturday, but she was able to bring a few interesting artifacts (including a skull) and her vast knowledge of Lake County's most famous raptors.

Here are just some fun facts that we learned Saturday:

• Did you know that there were as few as four nesting bald eagles in Ohio in the 1970s? There are now probably more than that just in Lake County. (We think there are six or seven in Lake County, but it's difficult to say for sure because some are on private property.)
• The eagle pair moved into Mentor Marsh in 2010 when they took on an abandoned redwing hawk nest. Since then, they've raised (an estimated) four eaglets, including one this year.
• Bald eagles mate for life, usually only splitting if one of them disappears or dies. However, eagle pairs that have failed to breed after multiple tries may go their separate ways.
• Bald eagle nests can be up to 13 feet deep, eight feed wide, and weigh as much as one ton.
• They need a lot of space because their typical wingspan is between six and 7.5 feet.
• Bald eagles are opportunistic carnivores, meaning they'll eat whatever's available. That includes other birds, mammals and even roadkill; but fish make for most of their meals.
• Bald eagles can fly as fast as 43 miles per hour.



Kids practice flapping their wings at Mentor Library's Headlands Branch.

To learn more about bald eagles, in general, and the nesting pair that lives near us, come to Mentor Marsh's Bald Eagle Fest from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 3.

You can help build a mock eagle nest and meet some of the marsh's animal ambassadors.

You can also take a guided hike of the Marsh's bald eagle nest at 12:30, 2 and 3:30 p.m. The 2-mile hike is on unimproved and sometimes muddy trails, so be ready for weather. Spotting scopes will be provided; but you can bring your own binoculars, if you prefer.

Also, you need to make a reservation if you want to go on one of the nest hikes. You can make reservations by calling 440-257-0777, emailing rdonalds@cmnh.org, or messaging the Mentor Marsh Facebook page.

Peyton checks out a replica bald eagle skull.

Of course, you can also learn about eagles by checking out a book or documentary from Mentor Library.

There are also a few fun raptor nest webcams you can watch, if you want to see these amazing birds in their natural habitat.

These eagles in Hanover, PA, have a pair of eaglets; these eagles in Iowa have three nestlings; and, for some local raptors, these peregrine falcons in Cleveland atop the Terminal Tower have five eggs waiting to hatch.

Gabriel compares his wingspan to a bald eagle.

Discover More About Where You Live: Mentor Marsh

The Newhous Pond in Mentor Marsh after the foliage has started to turn for the season

We are fortunate to live in this beautiful community.

We are surrounded by scenic city, county, state and even national parks. But how often do we think about or visit them?

Take, for example, the Mentor Marsh. It's nearly 700 acres are unlike any other habitat in the world. It provides a home to more than 200 kinds of bird, including the blue-winged teal, yellow warbler, American wigeon, gadwall, heron, American black duck, red-winged blackbirds, Northern shoveler and hooded merganser.

It combines a mixed oak swamp forest—an increasingly rare kind of habitat—with the largest phragmite marsh in the state. There are also picturesque walking trails that pass through thickets of staghorn sumac, rose hips, wild raspberry and more.

Kids can learn more about the Mentor Marsh when Naturalist Becky Donaldson visits Mentor Library's Mentor-on-the-Lake Branch on 2 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 11. (You can register for the program on our website.) Donaldson will have hands-on items for kids to touch and explore as well as audio sounds of the marsh wildlife.

She'll also be talking about how the Marsh prepares for the winter.

Donaldson works for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, who manages the park along with the state of Ohio. Her talk is free and open to everybody.

For more online information about Mentor Marsh, you can visit:

• the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
• the Marsh's Facebook page (with several gorgeous photos, including the one above)
• the Ohio Department of Natural Resources
• Hiking Ohio Parks.