Opportunities for the public to view Bald Eagles up close in northern Utah have evolved over the years. I’ll use Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area as an example.
In the past the refuge has used rotenone to kill damaging invasive carp in February and those dead and dying fish attracted many of the Bald Eagles that winter in our area and concentrated them in high numbers. Bird lovers and nature photographers flocked to the refuge in midwinter (especially February) to view eagles up close because the birds became acclimated to the presence of people as they fed on dead fish that washed naturally through the impoundments of the refuge. Then things began to change…
In order to attract and concentrate even more eagles for the viewing public (particularly on Bald Eagle Day in February) Utah DWR biologists began to bring truckloads of dead carp up from Utah Lake and dump them in piles around both Farmington Bay and Salt Creek WMA’s. In some winters this attracted even more eagles and hordes of eagle lovers but if the winter was a warm one the birds could find sufficient food elsewhere and came to the fish piles in much smaller numbers. An unintended consequence of fewer eagles was thousands of rotting, stinking and unsightly carp around the refuge that were often still there through March and even later – very unpleasant to experience.
Then early two winters ago came something completely unexpected – Bald Eagles in northern Utah began to die by the dozens. At first no one knew why but it was eventually learned that the culprit was West Nile Virus. Every year more than 2 million Eared Grebes stop by the Great Salt Lake during their migration through the state and typically about 1% of them (20,000 birds) die on or near the lake from avian cholera and other diseases. Biologists believe that some of those grebes died of West Nile Virus and were then scavenged by Bald Eagles who became sick themselves and died as a result.
So, long story still long – DWR officials were fearful that if dead carp were dumped at the WMA’s to attract and concentrate eagles the virus in a few birds might easily spread in those concentrated groups of birds, so fish weren’t dumped and eagles never appeared in large numbers at Farmington or Salt Creek and much of the eagle-loving public was disappointed. Then last season the eagles didn’t show up in significant numbers either, probably because it was such a warm winter that they could find enough food elsewhere where they didn’t have to put up with humans.
1/2000, f/8, ISO 500, Canon 40D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM, canvas added for composition, not baited, set up or called in (though that may depend on your definition…)
I took this image at Farmington in early February of 2009, long before DWR began trucking in tons of dead carp from elsewhere to attract eagles. These birds were feeding on the relatively few carp that had been killed by refuge management elsewhere on the refuge and washed through the impoundments to collect in some of the smaller ponds. I like the light on the eagle, the landing pose, the sharpness and detail of the entire bird and the intensity of its expression.
Personally, I miss the “old days” at Farmington, before tons of carp were trucked in from elsewhere and before baiting of eagles became so widespread among photographers. I often wouldn’t be able to tell if an eagle I was photographing had been baited in by a Butterball turkey or chicken hidden in the reeds (yes, it happens) or if some other carcass (fish or otherwise) had been moved and strategically placed in a more photogenic location with better light (a common practice, though usually done very discretely – typically they’re not proud of what they do and for good reason).
So these days I rarely go to Farmington during “eagle season” in February. When I do I’m mostly on the lookout for harriers to photograph or the occasional Bald Eagle flyover where I know the bird hasn’t been directly baited.
It’s an awkward situation…
Ron
PS – I’m fully aware that some photographers disagree with me about the ethics of baiting (and that the definition of baiting may be open to some interpretation). So be it – everyone has a right to their opinion. What I won’t do is debate the issue here. I know from past experience that doing so is futile and a waste of time and energy.
A Late Addendum – Neil Rossmiller posted a thought-provoking image and text on NPN of a Northern Harrier on one of the piles of carp at Farmington. That image can be seen here if you’re interested.
So what I want to know; Has all this carp dumping been effective in controlling carp populations? What species of fish are native to those waters?
John, it’s my understanding that the “carp dumping” has been working well on Utah Lake which is where these trucked carp came from. But it’s a big job. There are roughly 7.5 million carp in the lake and they average 6 lbs each so it’ll take a while.
The primary goal of removing the carp is to clear up the lake water. Carp root around in the mud so much that the lake has become a muddy mess. It’s a huge lake but very shallow – 14′ at its deepest.
Not to change the subject from the baiting issue, but I wanted to point out the molt happening in the wing on your wonderful picture. I’m not an expert on molt or eagles, but it looks like 3 waves of molt going on (indicating 3 years of feathers present). The blackish feathers would be the newest and recently replaced, the brownish would be older (from last year) and the really pale feathers would be the oldest, from two years ago and will be the next ones to molt. I found it fascinating! Thanks.
Very interesting, Candace! So, if I understand correctly the flight feathers on the left wing are largely graded from newest to oldest from the end of the wing to the inside. Fascinating!
Molt is fascinating but not so easy as starting from the outside to the inside. With your wing, you can see 3 waves of molt (meaning 3 different colors indicating 3 different times of molt). So the darkest feathers (with the dark grey/black) would be brand new that year. Then there are the dark brown ones which are probably still there from the previous year, and the very light brown ones from two years previous (and will be the next ones to molt. Molt is not linear, staring from left or right and proceeding one after the other. It will start in a middle of a wing and move inward or outward while another wave may start from the outside moving inward (which is why you can see the three different colors of feathers in your wonderful picture.) Especially in eagles, the feathers take a while to grow back in after dropping, so they have to do it in stages so they can still fly and hunt. (Molt is also affected by things like lack of food, males hunting for females on eggs, hormones, etc.)
Again, I am no where near expert on molt, but it is fascinating!
Ok, thanks to you I’m starting to “get it”, Candace. Thanks very much!
Ron-
If you really want to geek out, here is a semi-scientific article that is not hard to read with pictures to illustrate molt. They use Goldens but the concept is the same! https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/nabb/v026n03/p0097-p0116.pdf
And I didn’t mean that the article wasn’t scientific! It is. It is just an easier read than those that may have tons of scientific jargon…
Hi Ron 🙂 Well done I say on even touching such a topic…can evoke high emotions from all as we all have feelings on this topic. You could have played it safe, but you didn’t and posted this…thank you. Beautiful pic too!! I’ll be “that guy” on your blog that veers away from the rest of the respondents. I am more interested in the photography aspect of the bird than the bird itself. As such, I’ve never thought it wrong to bait a bird. I’ve read articles on why this is inappropriate, but I am not convinced. Same goes for the stressing of the Snowy Owls. That said, I’ve never baited a bird nor photographed one that has been baited. Nor have I ever (that I am aware of) stressed/harassed/flushed or harmed a bird for a photo. Wanted to let you know that you had a follower that was on the “other side” of the fence on this issue.
I appreciate your honesty on the issue, Zaphir. Thank you for expressing your opinion. And you did it in an appropriate and civilized manner which is becoming almost unheard of on the internet. Much appreciated.
Great Post topped off with a great image, Ron.
I haven’t been back to Eagle days since my first experience. Seeing Northern Harriers (image on NPN) and Ringed-necked Pheasants feeding on carp blew me away. Talk about non-sequter. There are still going to be Eagles in the area without the bait, but just not circus numbers. I never knew it in the old days, Drat!
Thanks for posting this subject more eloquently than I could ever hope to.
Thanks, Neil. Wow, I’ve never seen or photographed pheasants eating fish (or any other kind of meat) though I have photographed harriers, coots and even a Song Sparrow eating carp.
I’ve provided a link to your NPN image of the harrier on the pile of carp at Farmington in my text above.
No arguments from this side of the pond.
Serendipity is one of my favourite words, and experiences.
Mine too, EC.
Unfortunatey, it seems that whenever “man” interferes by “fixing”something, something else far worse is the result…I would guess that one of the animals “baited” along with the eagles, has two legs, expensive photography equipment, few ethics and little or no common sense….
“it seems that whenever “man” interferes by “fixing” something, something else far worse is the result”
Yup. As you know Patty, the list of examples of that is endless.
You’re so right about the futility of debating the issue…people either “get it” or they don’t…if they don’t it indicates their receptors for understanding are missing, so don’t even waste the effort….
Debating baiting (love the way that sounds) is like debating politics or religion – fruitless almost without exception.
I was thrilled to see your blog today was on my favorite Raptor, Ron!! I also found your blog very interesting and thoughtful today. I have to say that I’m glad for the cameras set up to let us view these wild animals that many would never see otherwise. I think this is good for creating awareness and increasing funding to help protect them. We do need to be careful though that we don’t love these marvelous creatures to death!! I also feel that baiting birds to get more “amazing shots is not kosher in my opinion. In fact, it was a surprise to me when I first read about the use of baiting on your blog. I feel that a beautiful capture should have happened naturally. In fact I think photos should be labeled as to whether baiting was or was not used – IMO!!
“We do need to be careful though that we don’t love these marvelous creatures to death”
Loving animals to death is a common problem, Jo Ann. For example it often happens on Antelope Island with Burrowing Owls who are forced to abandon their burrows because of humans approaching them too closely or actually stomping on top of their burrows.
I just wish we could leave nature alone. It is not all about us, darnit! But, gorgeous photo Ron.
Agreed, Deborah. Thank you.
To me one of the joys of bird-watching is coming across birds unexpectedly. That is totally destroyed by baiting. I would stay away from “Eagle season” also. The one time I’ve seen lots of Bald Eagles in one place was when I was in Sitka, Alaska a number of years ago. That was exciting, because they belong there. I love the detail in this photo – the feathers, the face, and the feet.
Thanks, Susan. I agree about the detail – this shot is one of the most detailed images I have of a Bald Eagle.
Kind of reminds me of what the National Park Service used to do in Yellowstone with the bears. Nightly garbage dumping to entertain the tourists.
Often wondered how many of the pictures one sees in wildlife magazines are baited.
Jeff, they used to do the very same thing with bears in Glacier NP (I grew up within about 35 miles of the park). The bears became acclimated to the presence and smell of humans at the dumps where they were deliberately fed and they learned to associate that smell with food. It was a disaster waiting to happen (as grizzly researchers Frank and John Craighead predicted).
Then in the summer of 1967 two young girls (Julie Helgeson and Michelle Koons) were killed by grizzlies on the very same night in two different areas of the park. They were the first humans killed by grizzly bears in the entire history of the park and the incident finally got the attention of the NPS.
After that incident things slowly but inevitably began to change for the better.
Very nice article Ron. I do always find it interesting that most people that bait do not want others to know the image was obtained in that manner. Speaks volumes to the practice.
Yes, it certainly does, Daniel.
For whatever it’s worth, I’m not a fan of baiting, either. However, my bigger issue is this. You wrote, “In the past the refuge has used rotenone to kill damaging invasive carp in February and those dead and dying fish attracted many of the Bald Eagles that winter in our area and concentrated them in high numbers.” Can you say secondary poisoning? Whether it was lethal secondary poisoning to the bald eagles or not, it’s still poisoning. And that to entertain groups of humans who are too lazy to go out and look for themselves. Stepping down from my soapbox now.
Laura, Rotenone is not a poison in the traditional sense. It’s a natural extract from plant roots and stems and sunlight breaks it down within about 6 days. It has historically been used by indigenous peoples to catch fish.
That said, I agree with you. It’s still toxic and though its toxicity to other animals is somewhat limited I still believe that it should not be used in our wetlands – though to be perfectly honest I don’t know what causes more environmental damage, the rotenone or the carp.
I need to address an apparent misconception, probably caused by my less than perfect writing skills. Rotenone is not administered at Farmington for the purpose of “entertaining humans” by the attraction of eagles. It’s done to kill carp because those invasive fish do so much damage to the native wetland plants and habitat as they root around in the mud.
It was the trucking in and dumping of dead carp that was done to entertain humans, though at least part of their stated goal was to increase the public’s appreciation of wildlife.
Sorry to be tardy in response…Yes, I’m aware that it was administered to the carp. I just fast forwarded to the secondary and tertiary affects without signalling 😉 Sorry about that.
Thanks for the post Ron. This is an issue anyone that enjoys observing and/or photographing wildlife encounters.
You should know or at least point out that the first carp dump two years ago was done because Governor Herbert told the wildlife managers, specifically at Farmington Bay and Salt Creek, that he wanted this to be a “big year for Bald Eagle Day.” I’m not sure what the motivation was, I’d guess money via tourism, but it’s hard to blame the DWR or managers specifically for the dumps. It was handled very poorly the first year as two dump truck loads were dumped and that was that. One truckload was way too close to the road and the eagle wouldn’t hardly go for it. The other pile worked too well and way too many eagle were attracted to a very small area. A lot of fighting occurred and it became difficult to see an eagle without an injury or at least some broken feathers by the end of February.
Last year when the DWR did the same thing, I saw a few people spreading the carp out and decided to lend a hand. Spreading them out may have helped reduce fighting. But as it turned out, last winter was too warm, the ponds and marsh never froze for more than a day or two and the carp ended up only feeding the raccoon, crow and gulls as the eagles preferred catching live fish and staying away form humans as much as possible. The eagle don’t want to come in close to humans and feed on the carp unless everything else if frozen and they have no other choice. The question is what did the eagles do during a cold winter before the rotenone kills? Migrate further south? Probably. Some were saying that the carp dump two years ago fed starving eagles that may have otherwise died…..I don’t agree with that idea. I am curious to see if last year’s failed attempt at baiting with a carp dump will stop the practice or not.
I got a great shot before the dump last year that I am more proud of because it was taken more naturally…..although I have to assume that eagle was in the area because of its memory of past carp kills. And “natural” is a stretch as the entirety of Farmington Bay Wildlife Management Area is man made via the dike system. I very much prefer the old days of rotenone kills as it was more inadvertent baiting and spread the eagles out. You’d see a few squabbles here and there but nothing like the carp dump two years ago. I personally don’t have a problem with the rotenone kills as it is done for a good reason and studies have proven it safe for everything without gills and the eagle draw is simply a side effect that I’m OK with taking advantage of to get some photographs of an animal I love to observe. The carp dump on the other hand does weigh on my conscience.
I have never baited personally with exception of a black-oil sunflower feeder in my backyard, (and you can choose to count my helping spread the carp out last year or not), but I have taken advantage of the carp baiting at Farmington Bay. I’ve gotten a few nice Harrier pics because they came into a dead coot that I have to assume some duck hunter wasted and through out of their truck on the way out. My point is, I don’t think this baiting issue is as black & white as some here are making out to be.
My final thoughts on the subject, with all the development going on in the area around Farmington Bay these days, I think baiting is a minor concern. Loss of habitat and human encroachment is fast becoming a major threat to the area, not to mention things like West Nile, as we saw last year, as well bird flu and worsening air pollution. We also have to look at the fact that less and less water is reaching the Great Salt Lake every year as more human use consumes the water before it reaches its destination. Our very unique brackish inland wetlands are starting to disappear.
Thanks very much for the background info, Mark. I agree with nearly all of what you’ve said here and won’t dispute anything where you and I may disagree slightly.
I don’t “blame” DWR managers for the carp dump. In fact one of them is a good friend and I’m sure he’d have done things differently if he’d had a choice. I just took that wording from the DWR’s own publications on the matter. Regarding Governor Herbert’s motivations, for me they’re always suspect given his track record on related issues…
Personally I don’t see feeding songbirds at feeders or spreading carp out for the reasons you did as baiting.
And I couldn’t agree more with what you said in your final paragraph (though for me baiting raptors for photographic purposes is never, ever a minor concern…)
Wouldn’t it be neat if all of life’s questions had an easy answer? Alas and alack, no they do NOT! There are always shades of gray when you look closely at the issue. Back when I was 17, I solved all the world’s problems because I knew it all. I miss that time. But then I gained some perspective on things–DRAT! 😉
First of all, thank you for bringing up this issue and thank you, Keith, for your response. In recent months, several of us have had discussions about responsible photography, iwhen the quest to get the perfect shot causes undue stress for the subject of the image. This often happens during the iruption of northern owls, when some of those migrating southward are inexperienced young, and likely are suffering from varying degrees of starvation. That perfect shot could be the final meal for the bird in that award-winning photograph.
“That perfect shot could be the final meal for the bird in that award-winning photograph”
Very well said, Gail – that’s it, put accurately and succinctly.
Absolutely fantastic image! 🙂 WOW! The “unintended consequences” are always a problem when humans start mucking around. Had never thought of Eagles possibly getting West Nile virus.
“The “unintended consequences” are always a problem when humans start mucking around”
Well said, Judy.
Hi Ron: Thanks for the details on what has happened at Farmington Bay. I can’t remember when I shot there last, but I’m guessing back in the 2009 timeframe. Baiting eagles is really disturbing. As you noted, it seems futile to debate it. I’ll just note that those who regularly bait eagles, rarely if ever disclose that their amazing up close and personal image with their trusty 70-200 was captured by baiting in an eagle!! That speaks volumes in and of itself.
“those who regularly bait eagles, rarely if ever disclose that their amazing up close and personal image with their trusty 70-200 was captured by baiting in an eagle”
Exactly, Keith. And I also find it interesting that those who defend baiting often (though not always) are very careful that no one actually sees them setting the bait. Many of them are obviously not proud of their methods but they do it anyway. The end justifies the means…
Wonderful image. Interesting history of the Farmington Bay situation. I am seeing Bald Eagles more frequently in the Pensacola area, but rarely close enough to think about taking a photo.
Thanks, Dave. I know what you mean – it’s been quite a while since I’ve been able to get any decent Bald Eagle photos too.