BARNSTABLE – The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife have announced that the first bald eagle nest with eggs was recently spotted on the Cape in more than 100 years.
The nest in the Town of Barnstable is one of nine other new nests that were documented across the state.
Nests were also sighted in Wareham.
It marks the first bald eagle nest with eggs seen on Cape Cod in 115 years, as the last one was in Sandwich in 1905.
Wildlife officials also said that this spring represented the first documented case of eagles nesting on Martha’s Vineyard.
But they warn that as the population continues to grow, new challenges have emerged.
“An eagle pair took over an osprey nest and were incubating eggs when the ospreys returned from their wintering grounds. The osprey pair that most likely built the nest harassed the incubating eagle who would flip upside down with its talons in the air in defense. Eventually the eagle cracked the eggs doing this, and this historic nesting attempt failed.”
Officials added that due to successful conservation measures, the status of the bald eagle recently improved from threatened to special concern on the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list.
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