• Image of bluebells in the spring

    Cuyahoga Valley

    National Park Ohio

There are park alerts in effect.
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  • Tick Alert

    Multiple tick exposures have been reported by visitors to the park. Please be aware that proper shoes, clothing, use of repellent spray, and checking the body for ticks following a visit to the park are the best way to prevent transmission of disease. More »

  • Canal Visitor Center Closure

    Canal Visitor Center will be closed for construction, starting Monday, May 6, 2013. It will reopen with new exhibits in early 2014.

  • Bald Eagle Closure in Effect

    RR tracks, and 30 foot right of way on either side, are closed to all foot traffic from the Rt. 82 Bridge at Station Rd, north to the RR tracks at. The Cuyahoga R. downstream of the Brecksville Dam to the Fitzwater Rd Bridge is closed to water activities.

Bald Eagles in the Park

Eagle brings stick to nest
Nest building activities begin early in the year.
©R. BELKIN

Bald eagles are routinely seen along the Cuyahoga River.

Beginning In 2006, bald eagles built a nest in the Pinery Narrows area, the first recorded in Cuyahoga County in more than 70 years. That nest was unsuccessful, but the eagles returned to build another nest nearby the following years and successfully raised one eaglet in 2007 and again in 2008.

A late winter storm in February 2009, caused the nest to fail, but in 2010, the same pair returned to the Pinery Narrows area, built a new nest and raised two eaglets!

In 2011, a pair of adult eagles built a nest in the same area, but the entire nest tree blew down during a storm in early March. The pair began to add sticks to another nest in a nearby tree, but was unsuccessful in producing eggs.

Bald eagle fact:
Nest failure can result from building a nest too late in the spring, laying unfertilized eggs or no eggs, or environmental stressors.

 
Fledged eaglet swings spreads wings
Fledged bald eaglet spreads wings.
©Rick MCMEECHAN

In 2012, an eagle pair again built a nest in the Pinery Narrows and successfully hatched two eggs. However, only one eaglet successfully fledged.

 
Bald eaglets near Station Road area.
Two eaglets appear in the nest the week of April 14, 2013.
©Rick McMeechan

Spring 2013 Update:
Returning bald eagles built a nest in a new tree within the Pinery Narrows. One to three eggs are incubated for approximately 35 days. Eagle eggs are extremely sensitive to cold temperatures so adults must remain on the nest constantly. Human disturbance can disrupt this constant care, jeopardizing nesting success.

During the week of April 14, two eaglets were spotted in the nest and will remain there, protected and fed by their parents, for 10 to 12 weeks.

To protect the eagles from human disturbance, the area surrounding the nest tree will be closed until July 31, 2013. The Pinery Narrows area is north of Station Road Bridge Trailhead in Brecksville, Ohio. While the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail remains open, the following areas are closed:

  • The railroad tracks, and 30 foot right of way on either side of the railroad tracks, are closed to all pedestrian traffic from the Rt. 82 Bridge at Station Road Visitor Use Area, north to the railroad tracks at the Fitzwater Yard.
  • The Cuyahoga River downstream of the Brecksville (Rt.82) Dam to the Fitzwater Road Bridge is closed to all water activities (fishing, wading, and boating).

Fishing is permitted at the dam. Please observe any posted restrictions within the eagle nesting zone.

Although recently removed from the endangered species list, the bald eagle is still protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Both federal laws prohibit taking, killing, selling or otherwise harming eagles, their nests or eggs.

To learn more about bald eagles read our Bald Eagles Return site bulletin.

Did You Know?

Image courtesy of Cleveland Museum of Natural History

American Indians in the Cuyahoga Valley were influenced by the Hopewell Culture, which created large mound complexes in central Ohio from 100 B.C. – A.D. 500? In the Cuyahoga Valley, American Indians built small mounds rather than large ceremonial centers.