Re: “Eagles welcome: Gulls, not so much,” March 27.
Bald eagles do not prefer to nest in dead trees. And a 3.6-metre fake nest is definitely not tall enough to attract a nesting pair.
The pair seen often at Ogden Point are either from the nest at Beacon Hill Park or possibly the one at Saxe Point Park in Esquimalt. Our local bald eagles prey on gulls, which have become a staple of their diet, so even if they did nest there, nothing would change.
I have been monitoring bald-eagle nests in Victoria and environs for 10 years as a member of a wildlife foundation. There are six active nests along the coast between Ogden Point and Uplands, none in dead trees and all at least 25 to 30 metres above the ground. This structure might very well attract an osprey pair, though.
Nice idea, but sadly ill informed.
Lynda Robson
Victoria
