WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — The state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife has documented more than 70 active bald eagle nests throughout Massachusetts this spring, indicators that the population continues to grow.
MassWildlife has seen a dramatic uptick in newly documented eagle nests and has confirmed nine new nests in Fitchburg, Wenham, Concord, Rutland, Wareham, Medford, Northampton, Hudson, and Barnstable.
The new Barnstable nest marks the first nest with eggs on Cape Cod in 115 years; the last was in Sandwich in 1905.
Eagles have been sighted along the Hoosic River and nesting pairs around Cheshire Reservoir and Pontoosuc Lake.
As the eagle population continues to grow, new challenges emerge as pairs try to establish new territories. For instance, this spring marked the first documented case of eagles nesting on Martha's Vineyard. An eagle pair took over an osprey nest and were incubating eggs when the ospreys returned from their wintering grounds. The osprey pair that most likely built the nest harassed the incubating eagle who would flip upside down with its talons in the air in defense.
Eventually the eagle cracked the eggs doing this, and this historic nesting attempt failed.
Two other eagle nests on the mainland have also failed as a result of an intruding eagle invading the territory and killing the chicks in the nest. Although difficult for observers to witness, these events are all signs of a thriving eagle population in Massachusetts.
On the upside, more and more people across the commonwealth are experiencing the thrill of seeing eagles in their own neighborhoods as these birds continue to expand their range to urban and suburban landscapes. Because of successful conservation measures, the status of the bald eagle recently improved from threatened to special concern on the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list.
In related news, New Hampshire confirmed a new state record for its oldest bald eagle, a bird that hatched in Massachusetts. This eagle, identified by a gold leg band coded "W84," was photographed this spring in New Hampshire. Banding records indicate this 23-year-old male hatched at the Quabbin Reservoir in Ware in 1997 and it had been recorded nesting in New Hampshire between 2007 and 2014. The previous New Hampshire record holder was a 19-year-old bird that had also hatched in Massachusetts.
It is safe to say the eagle reintroduction program that MassWildlife conducted in the 1980s has not only reaped benefits in Massachusetts, but throughout New England.
Want to get involved? You can support the conservation of bald eagles and other rare species in Massachusetts by reporting sightings and donating to MassWildlife's Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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Pittsfield Resident Victim of Alleged Murder in Greenfield
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A man found dismembered in a barrel in Greenfield on Monday has been identified as Pittsfield resident.
The Northwestern District Attorney's Office identified victim as Christopher Hairston, 35, and subsequently arrested a suspect, Taaniel Herberger-Brown, 42, at Albany (N.Y.) International Airport on Tuesday.
The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported that Herberger-Brown told investigators he planned on visiting his mother outside the country.
Herberger-Brown was detained overnight, and the State Police obtained an arrest warrant on a single count of murder on Tuesday morning, the Greenfield Police Department said in a press release.
According to a report written by State Police Trooper Blakeley Pottinger, the body was discovered after Greenfield police received reports of a foul odor emitting from the apartment along with a black hatchet to the left of the barrel, the Greenfield Recorder reported.
Investigators discovered Hairston's hand and part of a human torso at Herberger-Brown’s former apartment, located at 92 Chapman St, the news outlet said.
According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Herberger-Brown originally told investigators that he had not been to the apartment in months because he had been in and out of hospitals.
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