Hey, we're from Lansing. We all do it. We're all guilty. If it's odd, unusual, a sight, a spectacle, something newsworthy, we flock like sheep to take in the sight first handedly. Some good examples: Kevin Costner performing at a music festival...yes, music festival; the Goodyear Blimp test flying over Spartan Stadium; presidential motorcades driving through town; Air Force One landing at Capital Region International Airport. We get overjoyed when our local sports teams make deep playoff or tournament runs. We overhype it, celebrate before anything is won, only to watch the teams fall just short...but, at least they got there and, boy oh boy, wasn't it a great season?? The list goes on and on. The occurrences happen way too frequently to be coincidental. Well, add bald eagle watching to the list of flock-able events. And, guess what? We probably blew it again!

Are we bored? Overly curious? Craving attention?

I'm a Lansing Area lifer, I'm just as guilty as my fellow sheep. I was overjoyed at the sight of an endangered species, and national symbol making a very rare appearance in our backyard. I tried to capture the posted photo of one of the eagles in a tree at Sycamore Driving Range. What had became a common sight for a few weeks for those who sought out the raptors has now become a rare phenomenon once again. According to this article today in the Lansing State Journal, the eagles have abandoned their nest above the Red Cedar River. Biologists and wildlife experts say that the spring nesting efforts of the adult eagles was not successful, and they have left the Blue Heron nest that they commandeered this spring.

That's a natural occurrence according to the experts. But, sadly, our sheepish fascination may have contributed to the inability of the eagles to reproduce. (Hence, the reason they are such a rare sight to humans to begin with.) Hundreds upon hundreds of Mid-Michiganders wanted a gander of nature up close. With most taking to the River Trail to catch a glimpse, there were a few who decided to take kayaks underneath the nest for photography. Canoeists rowed as close as possible to get a close-up. One idiot even flew a drone next to the nest to get a snapshot. all of the attention prompted those at Potter Park Zoo to establish a lookout point, so as to not disturb the eagles and their course of nature.

Biologists say that human interaction may not have led to the nesting failure. But, we really won't know until next spring, if and when the eagles decide to return to Lansing or not. If they do, consider us lucky to be graced by one of nature's greatest creations, but leave well enough alone!

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