Successful Bald Eagles

April 27, 2016

From U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Headquarters:

The pair of bald eagles at the upper end of the Louisville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Taylorsville Lake were successful this year. The babies seem to be doing great and are expected to leave the nest sometime between now and July. They will not obtain the full white head and tail until they are about 5 years old so it's easy to mistake them for a vulture or hawk throughout their life as a juvenile. Bald eagles were removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species in 2007, but still remain protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
Thanks to Stephanie Turner for capturing this great moment to share!

Lake Sturgeon

April 27, 2016

From Alpena Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office:

Yesterday our crew was back out on the Detroit River to pull lake sturgeon setlines and they caught the largest lake sturgeon of the season so far! The lake sturgeon weighed 112 pounds! By using their portable ultrasound unit, they could tell that the fish was a female that would most likely spawn this year.

Photo credit: Justin Chiotti/USFWS

Bald eaglets can be quite an armful!

From the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:

Bald eaglets can be quite an armful!

Five bald eaglets were banded yesterday at Clinton Lake in Kansas. Each year, the eaglets are banded before they fledge from the nests. The bands will allow the eagles to be tracked by physical sightings throughout their lives for research and informational purposes.

Photo & Info: Clinton Lake, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Rebuilding Fish Stocks

April 27, 2016

From NOAA Fisheries West Coast - Science & Management:

Rebuilding fish stocks takes time and sacrifice but in the end it can pay off! This is precisely where we are with rockfish on the U.S. West Coast. Half of our overfished stocks are now rebuilt and two more are on their way. Thanks to policymakers and fishermen who worked together to make this happen!

READ our latest story on this rebuilding effort
http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/stories/2016/22_04222016_rebuilding_rockfish.html

Photo credit:Canary rockfish (Credit: Tippy Jackson, California Academy of Sciences)

Stressed Oysters

April 27, 2016

From National Ocean Service:

In the Gulf of Mexico, the oysters are in trouble. In Mobile Bay, Alabama, for example, research indicates that oyster reefs have declined by as much as 80 percent since 2010—and similar conditions can be found in near-shore waters from Texas to Florida.

NOAA, through the Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative, is tackling this problem (and many more!) -- bringing practical solutions to the challenges facing this coastline. http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/sentinelsites/gulf-of-mexico/

Slinky Mink

April 27, 2016

From Mingo National Wildlife Refuge:

This mink was spotted along the boardwalk. Mink spend most of their time around water hunting for fish, frogs, crayfish, muskrats, and other aquatic critters.

Photo Credit: Mink by Diana Douglass / USFWS

Purple Martin

April 27, 2016

From the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

Purple martins don’t slow down for much. In fact, all of the food and water the bird needs can be gathered during flight!

Photo: Purple martin by Mike Carlo/USFWS.