On Thu, 9 Sep 1999, Diann MacRae wrote:

> (snip) ..they have supposedly nested on and off on San Juan Island -
> this probably due to the more open habitat and the abundance of rabbits.

I have occasionally wondered if the nesting birds in the San Juan islands
pre-dated Woodland Park zoo's releases of rehabbed birds there. I suspect
that the zoo decided to use the San Juans as a release area after determining
that Golden Eagles were present there but I am not sure. I believe Chris
Servheen wrote a note about a preponderance of Mountain Beavers in the
diet of nesting westside Goldens about 1975.

During the height of clearcut logging in the late 1970's and early 1980's,
Golden Eagles were known to be nesting at perhaps a dozen or two dozen
locations in western Washington, usually associated with large trees that
overlooked extensive recent clercuts.

Kelly McAllister
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
District Wildlife Biologist
Thurston and Pierce counties
mailto:mcallkrm at dfw.wa.gov