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A bald eagle soars over the Haw River below Jordan Lake in Moncure, N.C. Before 1982, North Carolina had no known nesting pairs of bald eagles. Currently it is estimated that up a dozen or more nesting pairs are located around the Jordan Lake area with 200-250 nesting pairs statewide.
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Bald eagles winter at North Carolina lake

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Bald eagles winter at North Carolina lake

50 or more found along Jordan Lake shores

MONCURE, N.C. — From a tree overlooking a foggy North Carolina riverbank, a bald eagle twisted its head, glared at the icy water, and dove, extending its talons. With a screech that echoed among the scrubby overgrowth, it snatched a prize fish and returned to its perch to feast.

The eagle is one of 50 or more that can be found in the cold of winter at Jordan Lake, a 14,000-acre reservoir in the heart of North Carolina’s Triangle region. The miles of undeveloped shoreline are a natural habitat for the eagles. A dozen can sometimes be seen feeding from the frothy water of the Haw River below the B. Everett Jordan dam. For the national bird of the United States, the hunting there is good.

“I call it ‘the gathering,‘” veterinarian and biologist Ellen Tinsley said. “We’re one of the few places that has a gathering of eagles in the winter on this coast.”

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The eagles can be found there year-round, but “the gathering” occurs among the usually territorial birds in the winter at the fishing hot spot, Tinsley said. “Their behavior absolutely fascinates me,” she said.

Before being reintroduced by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission in 1982, there were no known pairs of nesting bald eagles in the state. Since then, eagle populations have steadily increased — 200 to 250 nesting pairs are spread out in the state across the coastal, piedmont and mountain regions, according to an email from John Carpenter, a wildlife biologist with the state’s Wildlife Resources Commission.

Jordan Lake has more than a dozen active nests this winter, according to Francis Ferrell, a conservation biologist for the Army Corps of Engineers.

Bald eagle populations have increased in many parts of the country as a result of conservation efforts. The national bird is no longer listed as endangered or threatened in the continental U.S.

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But spotting one, Tinsley said, requires patience and knowledge even as numbers are on the rise. As a wildlife photographer, she gives enthusiasts tips: “‘Oh you want to see eagles? Let me show you how to do this.‘ People don’t realize that nature doesn’t dish it up like it is on your television.”

First Published February 24, 2016, 10:17 p.m.

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A bald eagle soars over the Haw River below Jordan Lake in Moncure, N.C. Before 1982, North Carolina had no known nesting pairs of bald eagles. Currently it is estimated that up a dozen or more nesting pairs are located around the Jordan Lake area with 200-250 nesting pairs statewide.  (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A bald eagle holds a fish taken from the Haw River below Jordan Lake in Moncure, N.C. Jordan Lake, a 14,000-acre reservoir in the Triangle Region of the state is home to a dozen or more pairs of nesting bald eagles. The many miles of shoreline make for a perfect habitat for the nation's symbol.  (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
In this Jan. 28, 2016, photo, a bald eagle soars over the Haw River near Jordan Lake in Moncure, N.C. Jordan Lake, a 14,000-acre reservoir in the Triangle Region of the state is currently home to about a dozen pairs of nesting bald eagles. The many miles of shoreline make for a perfect habitat for the nation's symbol. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)  (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
In this Jan. 6, 2016, photo, a man walks his dog across the B. Everett Jordan Lake dam near Moncure, N.C. A winter gathering of bald eagles and other birds can be found feeding from the waters below the dam. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)  (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
In this Jan. 28, 2016, photo, a bald eagle flies with a fish caught from the Haw River below the B. Everett Jordan Lake dam in Moncure, N.C. Before 1982, North Carolina had no known nesting pairs of bald eagles. Today it is estimated that 200-250 nesting pairs are nesting statewide. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)  (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
In this Jan. 6, 2016, photo, bald eagles perch in a tree overlooking the Haw River below Jordan Lake in Moncure, N.C. The many miles of shoreline along the 14,000-acre Jordan Lake reservoir in the state's Triangle Region is a perfect habitat for the nation's symbol. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)  (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
In the Jan. 28, 2016, photo, a photographer takes pictures of birds feeding at the B. Everett Jordan Lake dam in Moncure, N.C. A winter gathering of bald eagles can be found feeding from the waters below the dam. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)  (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
In this Jan. 28, 2016, photo, a bald eagle grabs a fish from the Haw River below the B. Everett Jordan Lake dam in Moncure, N.C. Before 1982, North Carolina had no known nesting pairs of bald eagles. Currently it is estimated that 200-250 pairs of nesting bald eagles can be found statewide. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)  (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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