Retired vet keeps vigil to protect Jordan Lake's bald eagles

OF WHAT EVENTS ARE EXPECTED.

VISIT THE MUSEUM'S WEBSITE.

SO JOIN LAKE IS NOT ONLY A

POPULAR RECREATION SPOT.

IT'S HOME TO DOZENS OF BALD

EAGLES. OUR NATIONAL BIRD COVID

SHUTDOWN CAMPGROUNDS. A PAIR OF

EAGLES MOVED IN ABOUT A PICNIC

SHELTER. AND FOR MONTHS A

RETIRED VETERINARIAN HAS FOUGHT

TO CLOSE THE GATE ON THE

SHELTER'S ACCESS ROAD.

>> AS WRAL'S BRYAN MIMS SHOWS

US THE PARK HAS KEPT THE GATE

OPEN WHILE DOC ELLEN HAS KEPT

DAILY VIGIL.

>> RIGHT NOW, I'M HERE PRETTY

MUCH EVERY MORNING.

>> SHE PURCHASED BY THE WATER

APPEARING EGALITE AT THE

TREETOPS CAMERA AND ZOOM LENS

AT THE READY L INTENSELY DOC

ELENA. SHE'S KNOWN STUDIES A

LOB LONGLEAF PINE ACROSS THE

COVE. IT'S A SHELTER. 8 OF THE

EBENEZER CHURCH RECREATION AREA

WHERE 2 BALD EAGLES HAVE

ROOSTED. JUST ADMIRED THE

PHOTOS SHE'S TAKEN.

THE NEST LOOMS OVER THE SHELTER

ITSELF. IT IS VERY UNUSUAL FOR

EAGLES TO BUILD AN ASSET

ANYWHERE FAIRLY CLOSE TO WHERE

HUMANS ARE ARE CONSTANTLY AND

ACTIVITY.

>> THE EAGLES ARE YOU.

PRETTY SHY BIRDS IN THAT

RESPECT THING IS SHE SAYS

HUMANS WERE AROUND WHEN THE

EAGLES MOVED IN THE PARK HAD

CLOSED CAMPSITES AND PICNIC

SHELTERS DURING THE WORST OF

COVID.

>> WHEN THEY REOPENED THE

EAGLES STAY PUT. I PROBABLY

WROTE TO SUPERINTENDENTS OF

POLICE ARE CLOSE AGAIN. SHE

WANTED THE GATE SHUT FOR

BREEDING SEASON WHICH RUNS FROM

WINTER THROUGH JUNE DOC.

ELLEN FEARS THE EAGLES AND

THEIR BABIES COULD BE SPOOKED

BY PEOPLE EQUALS WILL LITERALLY

ABANDONED A NEST.

IF THEY GET AGITATED ENOUGH

INTERFERED WITH ENOUGH.

>> THEY WILL ABANDON IT.

AND THE BABIES MAY NOT SURVIVE

THE GATE DOES REMAIN OPEN BUT

CONES AND SIGNS BLOCK OFF MOST

OF THE PARKING LOT. DOC ALLEN

SAYS THE SIGNS SIMPLY AREN'T

ENOUGH CLOSE THE ROAD. INDEED,

THERE WERE PEOPLE ACTUALLY HAD

THE DOG SOLUTION THAT PARKING

LOT ON. A NISSAN ASKED THE

STATE DIVISION OF PARKS AND REC

SENT ME A WRITTEN STATEMENT

SAYING BASED ON ADVICE FROM THE

U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

RANGERS HAVE CORDONED OFF A

330 FOOT AREA AROUND THE NEST.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH

FWS TO MONITOR THE NEST AND

DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE TIME

TO REOPEN THE SHELTER. I'VE

ALWAYS WORKED WITH ANIMALS ALL

MY LIFE FOR DOC ELLEN. THIS IS

HER DAILY CALLING SERVING AS A

KIND OF A MOTHER HEN TO A

FAMILY OF OUR REVERED NATIONAL

BIRD. SHE'LL BE HERE. LAKE CAN

LOB ALWAYS IN VIEW. EAGLE LIED.

BRYAN MIMS, WRAL NEWS, JORDAN

LAKE.

>> WIDE INDEED. THE PARK DOES

PLAN TO OPEN THE PICNIC SHELTER

TO THE PUBLIC BY THE END OF

THIS MONTH. DOCTOR ELLEN TOLD

US THIS AFTERNOON SHE WORRIES

THE NES MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN

ABANDONED, BUT WON'T KNOW FOR