Southern End of Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail Re-Opens

By Dennis Schain, CT DEEP

Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and Ahlstrom Nonwovens LLC has announced the re-opening of the southern end of the popular Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail.

“We are pleased to announce that a young bald eagle has successfully fledged and will be testing its wings along the Connecticut River this weekend,” said Susan Whalen, DEEP Deputy Commissioner.

The nesting progressed smoothly this year, with the pair using the same nest structure as last year. The mild winter meant that the eagles were able to start a bit ahead of their normal schedule. Last year’s chick did not leave the nest until July 13.

“Temporary closure of the trail was essential to allowing the eagles to efficiently—and successfully—attend to their nest and young during the cold snaps this past spring,” added Whalen. “The public’s patience and understanding during the closure have been rewarded with a fifth chick produced by this pair.”

This eagle pair first nested along the canal trail in 2011 and successfully fledged two chicks. Nesting attempts in 2012 and 2013 were unsuccessful, but nests in 2014, 2015, and 2016 each produced one eaglet.

The temporary trail closure required a cooperative effort between the DEEP Wildlife Division, DEEP State Parks Division, the Friends of Windsor Locks Canal Trail, and Ahlstrom Nonwovens LLC, which maintains a lease agreement with the State of Connecticut to allow public access to the trail. A key factor in this effort was the public’s willingness to respect the trail closure, reducing disturbance and giving the eagles the necessary space to successfully raise their young.

Once in decline due to the effects of pesticides, nesting bald eagles returned to Connecticut in 1992, after an absence of almost 50 years. This has been a record-breaking year for nesting bald eagles in Connecticut, with 48 pairs attempting to nest and at least 31 of those pairs producing chicks. The final success of those nests will not be known until all fledging data have been reported.

The DEEP Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail is formed from a historic towpath built to bypass the Enfield rapids in the Connecticut River. The rapids provide a shallow area that is perfect for the bald eagles to find their preferred food of fish. It is not a surprise, then, that the eagles chose a nest site near a feeding area.

Bald eagles are protected during the nesting season by Connecticut General Statute 26-93 and are protected on the federal level by the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940 and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. The DEEP Wildlife Division has published a fact sheet on bald eagles, which is available on the DEEP Web site at www.ct.gov/deep/wildlife.

Photo credit: Alexandra MacKenzie via flickr creative commons