Where was He: MN72 Archives 2017

2017

August 19: About three hours after release, both MN18 and MN72 checked in! You can see the path the Wildlife Center van took to get to Mason Neck State Park; there is a pin on the map at the visitor's center where the eaglets were released. Three hours after freedom, MN72 had flown about a mile down the bank of the river, while MN18 headed about one mile south of the release site.

August 21: MN72’s GPS transmitter has been sending a steady stream of data during the past few days, and seems to be functioning properly. So far, the eagle has flown about six miles from the release site at the Mason Neck State Park Visitor’s Center to his last known location on the Belmont Bay.

September 20: MN72 seems to have found suitable habitat along the Potomac River in Maryland; he’s remained on the eastern shoreline near Potomac Heights during the past week, covering an area of about four miles.

October 6: Bald Eagle MN72 is on the move! After crossing the Potomac River from Indian Head, Maryland into Mason Neck, Virginia, MN72 flew south for about 12 miles. Turning east, he crossed the state line again and made an almost complete circle before changing direction. After flying about 15 miles south, and crossing the border a final time, MN72 reached his last-known location in King George County, Virginia.

October 13: MN72 has continued his flight along the Virginian shoreline of the Potomac River during the past week. After traversing the entirety of King George County, MN72 reached the city of Colonial Beach before backtracking to his last known position -- a total journey of about 40 miles. 

October 27: MN72 has continued to frequently cross the Virginia and Maryland state lines during the past week. After flying upriver from the Colonial Beach, VA area, MN72 explored an area of about five miles in diameter near Nanjemoy, MD. His most-recent location is on the southern bank of the Potomac River – about one-quarter of a mile from crossing into Maryland yet again.

 

 

November 3: MN72 has remained on the Maryland-side of the Potomac River during the past week, seeming to favor the shoreline over areas further inland. His last-known location is in very close proximity – less than a few miles -- to Bald Eagle MN18, released on the same day from Mason Neck State Park.

 

 

November 21: MN72 appears to have found a suitable habitat along the Potomac River in Charles County, Maryland. Throughout the past few weeks, he can be seen patrolling the 12-mile wide peninsula in a loosely circular direction. He made a brief visit to Virginia after crossing the Potomac and checking out a residential area before heading back to Maryland and arriving at his most-recently known location.

 

 

November 29: Throughout the past week MN72 has been making steady progress circumnavigating this 12-mile wide peninsula on the Potomac River. His most-recently known location appears to be Bullit Neck, an undeveloped plot of marshland on Mattawoman Creek about a mile south of Hog Island, Maryland.

 

 

December 7: It looks like MN72 is on the move! After spending about four days in and around the small tidal creeks near Indian Head, Maryland, MN72 began flying in an easterly direction for about 15 miles. His most-recently known location appears to be directly overhead Charles County Landfill.

 

 

December 15: It’s been another busy week for MN72; from the Charles County landfill in Maryland, he flew west for about nine miles before heading directly north. Once reaching the Potomac River, he can be seen meandering along the shoreline and eventually arriving at his most-recently known location near the mouth of a small, unnamed bay.   

 

 

December 22: In a pattern similar to his previous updates, MN72 can be seen moving in a wide arc throughout the past week. From the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Charles County, Maryland, MN72 flew about 30 miles to his most-recently known location, roughly four miles south from the town of White Plains.