Overnight Friday, private workers cut down a tree in Auburn that was the nesting place of two American eagles and scattered their nest.
The tree and nest were located off North College and Highway 147, north of downtown Auburn. The tree with the nest is set between the residential neighborhood Tivoli and a proposed development, Heritage Ridge.
Citizens in the area had begun activism asking for preservation of the tree and nest and a minimal amount of ground below to allow the eagles’ nest to remain. The proposed development could have been constructed while preserving the tree with the nest.
A meeting with the developer, area residents and local officials was to be held next week to discuss an accommodation to preserve the tree and nest while continuing with the development.
As of Saturday morning, the two eagles, nicknamed “Jim and Pam,” were observed and videoed flying over where the nest had been, apparently looking for their nest, which has now been destroyed and scattered.
At the time of this writing, both eagles are continuing to fly over the old nest area.
A WRBL-TV News reporter made the following post on Saturday morning on Facebook:
According to a video post by John Braswell, who has been monitoring Jim and Pam’s eagle's nest, it appears overnight, the tree cradling the nest was cut down, and the nest was scattered. Neighbors are heartbroken. We have reached out to Hughston Homes to get a comment. We had been told a meeting with the president of Hughston Homes was supposed to be happening in Auburn to come up with solutions on how to save the nest, but now it appears too late.
Braswell said Saturday morning after discovering the tree and nest were destroyed, “It’s just despicable. I am all for property rights, but it’s despicable to do this under the cover of darkness.”
Residents say the now-destroyed tree had cradled the eagles’ nest since 2017.
The developer, Hughston Homes, is building 46 homes on the 74-acre site.
Hughston Homes had been issued a permit on October 30 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the tree. The permit prohibits the nest from being taken if there are adult eagles, eggs, or young birds present.
It would appear that the removal of the tree and destruction of the nest violates the restrictions of this type of permit.
Two eagles continue to fly over area, apparently looking for their nest
The WRBL reporter posted the following dramatic video, which includes the eagles flying over the area of their now-destroyed nest, apparently looking for their nest.
Watch:
The eagles’ nest was located very close to Auburn University’s fishery, which has ponds known as an enabling resource for eagles and other wildlife. Auburn also has a raptor center working to preserve eagles and other wildlife.
The mascot of Auburn University is a bald eagle. A trained eagle flies on the field to its trainer in Jordan-Hare Stadium just before each football game, landing on the arm of the trainer on the field. It is regarded as the most dramatic pre-game ceremony in all of college football.
The Auburn fight song is, “War Eagle.”
The Auburn slogan is “War Damn Eagle.”
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler writes about Alabama’s people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at ZeiglerElderCare@yahoo.com.
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