Eaglles in the Villages

[shelagh.rose]

Thank all of you for taking the time to answer my question.
All the answers are very interesting.

I have two small dogs (11 pounds) and was
wondering if anyone has ever had problems
with eagles in the area. I saw the coyote
warning so was wondering about these
birds.

Many thanks,

Shelagh

[chuckinca]

We were recently at Alexander Springs State Park near Altoona on Hwy 42 about a 45 minutes drive East from TV and instead of ground squirrels taking food from the picnic tables it was a band of vultures. The big black birds were hopping all over the place and I am sure they would have no problem taking a small dog or cat.

http://www.lakecountyfl.gov/hometown_highlights/alexander_springs.aspx

[dfn8tly]

I did some research on Eagles once and discovered that these birds are in every state except Hawaii. I've not spotted any in TV. Usually they nest near a river or stream bed.

[Responsible Dog Owners]

A few bald eagles have been spotted in The Villages, as well as, red tip winged eagles. To my knowledge I have not heard of any attacks on dogs. That's not to say it couldn't happen. I suggest you always keep you pets with you so that you can monitor their actions. It's tempting to let our pets out in, invisible fenced areas, however who's going to tell the intruders there's invisible fencing? That's ok to let the dogs out, but you don't know who's coming in. Another bird you should be mindful of is the Woodstork Crane. I've heard of folks feeding these birds. Many do not not that within seconds these birds can poke an eye out.

[texasfal]

A couple of months ago there was a bald eagle eating a turtle on one the greens of the Nancy Lopez off Belle Meade. My neighbor took lots of pictures.

[yorkmaine]

We live on Paradise Lake by the Archery range and so far this year (we arrived in Nov) we have had 8 sighting of eagles on the lake. In the five winters we have been here we have never seen them before this year. It's been so exciting to watch them fishing. It's funny that we have never seen an eagle try to take a duck from the lake. They seem like easy pickings. Once we had an eagle try to pick up a seagull but couldn't. When we looked through the binocs we saw that there were 2 seagulls that were hooked together beak to beak via a fishing lure and that's why the eagle tried to get it. That's some eyesight!
PS my husband and I caught the 2 seagulls when they came near shore and he was able to remove the hook and they both flew away. We love a happy ending here on the lake.

[marianne237]

When we moved here, there was a roosting pair of Eagles in the Eagle Preserve in LSL. After the tornado, the male eagle was injured, caught and moved to an aviary clinic. One eaglet had perished, the other was also removed to the aviary clinic and whatever happened to the female I don't remember.

They were beautiful to watch in flight and to the best of my knowledge, don't go after small pets. There were enough vermin and fish to keep them well fed. The vultures are carrion eaters and should not be a problem with small pets either.

[uujudy]

We're on the Virginia #2 hole of Mallory Hill golf course, and we have a bald eagle that comes to the pond occasionally. He/she is amazingly successful at catching fish. A few months ago he/she caught a tasty lunch and was eating it on the grass when some folks walking down the sidewalk on Odell saw him/her and came running across the golf course for a better look, dragging their little doggies behind them. They scared away the eagle, of course. (Folks, please don't harass the wildlife) The eagle has been back since then, so I'm happy.

Shelagh, I have a good friend in Alaska who says they don't let their cats outside, because the bald eagles will catch them and eat them. Apparently the eagles are a real nuisance in her neighborhood. Her cats weigh 15-20 pounds, so it might be a good idea to keep an eye on your 11 pound doggies when they're outside if you're near water or the eagle preserve.

We also have an osprey and a big hawk (red shouldered?) that stop by the pond for dinner. I don't know if they would eat small dogs? :shrug:

[Ooper]

I've seen an eagle a few times recently flying overhead around the Savannah Center... but I don't think an eagle will bother your dog if they are close by to you and leashed like they should be... I might be wrong, thou.

[Barefoot]

I've never heard about any danger from eagles at the dog park (DDRR) where the dogs are free to run and play.

Of course there are people around, but the dogs aren't leashed. And in the back area there is a five-acre spot where dogs play, sometimes at a fair distance from their owners.

Interesting question.