Thirty years ago, if you wanted to see an bald eagle it required a trip to places like Allegany State Park, The Susquehanna River, or the Thousand Island region. Until the word slowly spread about a nest on Alma Pond.
A pair of eagles soon built a massive nest within plain sight of Route 19, just north of Interstate 86. Many have been able to capture images of those adults and eaglets from the roadside with proper camera equipment. As of last year, that nest is still in use, likely with the same family who built the nest.
That family seems to have grown and merged with that original Alma Pond nest to form multiple eagle territories in and around Wellsville. Eagle nests can be found now from Alma to Belvidere, in Andover and Whitesville, with new territories being established almost yearly. This population of eagles is part of a national success story recently highlighted by our new Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, the first Native American Cabinet Secretary in our nations history.
https://www.npr.org/2021/03/25/981272794/once-imperiled-americas-bald-eagle-populations-are-soaring
Wellsville is uniquely benefiting from this ‘eagle boom’, sitting at the intersection of several nesting grounds. On any given day you can see a mature adult Bald Eagle flying next the high school or hovering over the Riverwalk. For the WAG Trail lovers or frequent kayakers, eagles can become familiar faces and offer some amazing moments.
Very few people know the bald eagles around Wellsville better than our frequent contributor, local photographer Melanie Hunt Streeter. Check out some of her best eagle encounters:
To browse and purchase Melanie’s images visit Photos By Mel
Thanks to our sponsor at the East Dyke Depot!! Visit her Facebook page by clicking on the image and make sure the hobbyist in your life knows about this great little shop.