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From the steps of the Skä•noñh Great Law of Peace Center, located on the shore of Onondaga Lake, the head of a bald eagle can be seen just above the top of a tree. The bird is one of a pair of adult eagles who have created a nest near the center, said Sarah Shute, the director of the center.

No eagle nests were seen on the shores of the lake from 1800 to 1977, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Throughout the winter, Shute and Tina Thomas, the center’s attendant, have seen the pair of eagles slowly building up their nest. While Shute and Thomas have not seen the egg in the nest, they said the behavior of the parents indicates that the egg has successfully hatched. Though, a photographer has captured photos of the eagle, Shute said.

Shute was wary about sharing information regarding the eagles, emphasizing the importance of not disturbing the birds.

“The protection and the success of this nest is of the utmost importance,” Shute said. “We would ask that people do not flock here, that they’re not infringing upon the space of the eagles.”

Shute said it’s extremely critical that the adults can forage and attend to their young.

While the lake is seeing the return of its first eagle nest since 1800, two miles down the shoreline, Onondaga County is supporting the construction of a trail on Murphy’s Island. The Onondaga Audubon, a bird conservation organization, has opposed the trail, saying it will disrupt the eagle population near Murphy’s Island.

Murphy’s Island, a piece of land adjacent to Destiny USA, brings as many as 100 eagles to the area, the Onondaga Audubon wrote in a document detailing their position on the trail project. The location is mostly isolated from human activity and has tall trees, making it a prime location for eagles to roost, the Onondaga Audubon wrote.

But, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service, the proximity to highways and Destiny USA has helped acclimate the eagles to human activity.

The construction of the trail, the Onondaga Audubon wrote, will require the removal of 28 trees. The 28 represent a “high percentage” of trees the eagles use for roosting currently, the group continued.

Thomas Wittig, the USFWS Northeast Eagle Coordinator, detailed four suggestions to protect the eagles in a letter to the county’s Office of the Environment Director Travis Glazier.

Wittig recommended in the letter the county retain all trees that make up Murphy Island’s canopy, called overstory trees. The coordinator suggested that low- and mid-story vegetation should be retained when possible. They also suggested the county restrict activity during the winter, both for the trail’s construction and access once the trail is completed.

Once the trail is open to the public, Shute said she is worried that there will be little enforcement of the trail’s closure, potentially disturbing the eagles on Murphy’s Island. She added that disturbing the eagles, especially in the winter, can be critically damaging.

“Their energy stores can be reduced, maybe they miss fish, or they are less successful in their foraging actions,” she said.

The Onondaga Audubon shared a similar concern.

“We know this will happen as trespassers have been observed by Onondaga Audubon in the past,” the group wrote. “(They) are generally only noticed because the eagles suddenly all abandon their roosts and circle the area until the intruder leaves the area.”

Advocates have also shared concerns regarding the construction and pollution in the area. Joe Heath, the general counsel for the Onondaga Nation, said Murphy’s Island is too polluted for any use for the nation.

“It is the most polluted place on the lake, which is a very competitive position,” Heath said.

The Onondaga Audubon reported Murphy’s Island has not been cleaned despite the area potentially having chemicals wash ashore. The land, the organization wrote, has been abandoned for half a century.

Thomas also said the grounds have not been cleaned up despite the upcoming construction.

Thomas and Shute also both explained the importance of eagles in the culture of the Onondaga Nation and the Haudenosaunee overall.

Following the creation of the confederation — which unified the Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, Mohawk and Onondaga — the Peacemaker uprooted a white pine tree, according to the Onondaga Nation. Weapons were then thrown into the hole created and washed away by a stream.

After replanting the tree, the Peacemaker placed an eagle on top of the tree.

“The eagle is there to use his eyesight to look out far and to warn the Haudenosaunee, the People of the Longhouse, of any dangers on the horizon to this great peace,” the Onondaga Nation website reads.

“When is enough going to be enough?” Thomas asked. “Because this is our backyard. This is the Onondaga Nation’s yard.”

Published on May 2, 2022 at 12:34 am

Contact Kyle: kschouin@syr.edu | @Kyle_Chouinard