Ellen Tinsley is acutely aware of the behavior and patterns of bald eagles in North Carolina. The retired equine veterinarian is a bald eagle monitor for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. She spends most mornings at Jordan Lake tracking the behavior of Petruchio, Kate, Hershey and Godiva – eagles who have nested in the area.
Among the rituals she has witnessed is one called a ‘death spiral,’ where a pair of bald eagles plummet to the earth with their talons entwined to test each other’s compatibility as a mate.
Host Frank Stasio speaks with Tinsley about the history of the bald eagle population in North Carolina.
Tinsley will lecture about bald eagles Saturday, July 15 at 2 p.m. and Saturday, August 12 at 2 p.m. at the Jordan Lake State Recreation Area Visitor Center. Her research is also compiled in an e-book entitled“Bald Eagles: Jordan Lake Neighborhood.”