First bald eagle nest documented on Lake Lanier

As of Monday, April 16, 2012
© Copyright 2013 Gwinnett Daily Post

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (AP) — A bald eagle nest has been documented on Lake Lanier for the first time, state wildlife officials said.

Eagles are commonly reported on Lanier, but there have been no documented nests, said Jim Ozier of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Ozier said he found a female bald eagle on the nest with either eggs or eaglets in an area being developed for Don Carter State Park on the lake's north side.

About 33 percent of the bald eagle nests in Georgia are in coastal counties.

"It's not unheard of to have a nest in the northern part of the state, but a relatively small percent are north of Atlanta," Ozier said.

There have been some nests documented north of Atlanta, including the Berry College campus in Rome. Nests have also been found on Lake Blue Ridge, Lake Allatoona, Carters Lake and Lake Nottley.

"The numbers have been increasing steadily since the late '70s, or so," Ozier said.

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