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Bald eagle spotted in Robertson County

By WENDY MITCHELL Staff Writer

Tuesday, January 10, 2006 9:31 PM EST

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PIQUA -- There are a lot of tall tales and fish stories at Martin's Lake in Robertson County, so sometimes it helps to have a witness to special events.

When Larry Beckett spotted what he thought was a bald eagle perched in a tree on the back side of Martin's Fishing Lake, Tuesday morning, he excitedly told his wife about it. Dora Beckett rushed to throw on her coat and grab the binoculars. She dressed so quickly she still had her fuzzy house slippers on with her outdoor clothing.

"I threw on my coat and when I turned around Larry was gone," said Dora Beckett.

Her husband had driven across the road to tell his neighbor about the bird.

"I thought nobody would believe us, but if Rooster (Mitchell) saw it too, they would," said Beckett.

Back to Beckett's backyard went the small entourage of bird watchers.

Perched in a black walnut tree about 1,000 yards away, as the eagle flies, was a mature bald eagle. A pair of black birds were pestering the regal feathered tourist who would turn his white head in their direction and ruffle his brown plumage as if to say, "Bug off." His bright orange beak was even visible to the naked eye.

The Becketts and their neighbors were not taking a chance at scaring off the rare visitor. They stayed a comfortable distance from the bird. They watched with binoculars and camera lenses as it seemed to be keeping an eye on the surface of the lake for a free fishing excursion.

"I have never seen an eagle before and this is just wonderful," said Larry Beckett.

The lake may have been what enticed the eagle to the area. The lake is also just a few hills away from the Licking River.

The group called Kentucky Fish and Wildlife to report the sighting and the first question the Becketts were asked was "Is there water nearby?"

According to KFW, eagles are considered a federally threatened species. Male and female eagles have the same coloring, but the female is usually larger than the male. Its wing span can be up to 8 feet and it can spot a potential meal from nearly a mile away. There was no doubt the bird Becketts watched was an eagle.

For more than 45 minutes the eagle was watched from afar before the pestering by the black birds sent it soaring over the lake to another grove of trees near the dam end of the lake.

The white trim on the bird's tail and white underfeathers almost made it invisible against the overcast sky. As it circled, prior to alighting on an outstretched branch, a familiar dark "V" was formed by its wings against the sky.

"Isn't it beautiful," said Dora Beckett.

The eagle stayed at its lakeside perch a few more minutes before grabbing a northern breeze. The last the group saw of the bird it was headed toward Mount Olivet, beyond the hills and trees of Piqua.

Contact Wendy Mitchell at wendy.mitchell@lee.net or call 564-9091, ext. 370.

For more area news, go to www.bracken-online.com

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