HENRICO—
The eagle population has seen a resurgence in recent years and the James River community is benefiting.On a given afternoon, you can see upwards of 10 eagles if you know where to look and how to spot the majestic creatures.
CBS 6 tagged along recently with Captain Mike Ostrander on his tour, 'Discover the James,' to learn more about the eagle population here in Richmond.
"I think we have an incredible resource, it's very untapped and it's very low-marketed," said Ostrander.
On a sunny Tuesday afternoon, Ostrander took us out on a strip of the James in eastern Henrico County. We saw bald eagle regulars "Varina" and "Henrico," named appropriately after the bridge, "Smokey," and several other birds that live and breed on this section of the river.
By Ostrander's calculations, there could be as many as 400 eagles living in the James River concentration area.
"There's plenty of room to grow," said Ostrander, "plenty of forage, lots of shad in the river- it's 365 days a year, their grocery store is open."
The eagle population hit a low point in the 1970's but has since come back strong. The bird was taken off the endangered species list in June of 2007.
Other James River inhabitants we saw on our tour included ospreys and blue herons, which dipped delicately into the water and showed off their prowess for snagging fish.
Tourgoers Bill Campell and Stephanie Holt agreed- the eagles are the best part of the experience- but both enjoyed the full tour.
"Just being out on the James River is fabulous," said Holt, "taking in all that the eye can see."
Campell noted that he would have probably had some difficulty spotting the noble birds on his own.
"Our guide Mike, he can spot 'em with a naked eye," said Campbell. "Of course we can't see 'em with a naked eye too well, we have to rely on binoculars" and Ostrander's expertise.
Captain Mike started giving the tours in November. They last about two hours, and you can find out more information on his web site:
www.discoverthejames.com
During summer time, Ostrander said the total numbers swell due to summer migration patterns.
