Eagle Eye – Steve Manders: Tracking the Comeback of Bald Eagles

In the quiet coves and pine-lined shores of the region, one man is piecing together a story that few others have noticed, a comeback seen in nests. Steve Manders, a longtime researcher with a background in industrial research at DuPont and Nortel, has taken it upon himself to document the remarkable wildlife recovery of the return of the bald eagle in southeastern Ontario.

Steve reports tracking over 20 bald eagle nests across the Kingston area. His approach is deliberate: count nests, not birds, as he explains; spotting eagles alone can be misleading. “I may see 20 eagles this summer, but did I see one five times, and miss 25 others?” A nest, however, tells the truth. According to Steve, each active nest represents two mature adults, plus chicks and juveniles, offering a far more accurate picture of the population.

This method of tracking nests in his research has revealed a thriving and expanding summer breeding population, something that did not exist in this region just decades ago, says Steve. In fact, Steve claims that in 1980, southern Ontario had no breeding pairs of bald eagles. Today, his work shows that the birds have not only returned but are actively reclaiming their place in the local ecosystem, as can be seen in growing local sightings.

Noting that eagles have always been abundant on the B.C. coast and in Alaska, Steve recounts the story of a few eagles venturing down from northern Ontario and Quebec to winter in the Thousand Islands a few decades ago, nesting in a favoured pine tree around Ivy Lea. Steve says, “What is very new is the growing summer breeding population” of eagles in our area now.

His efforts to seek out area nests include following leads, as he did recently while visiting the village of Lyndhurst. Steve’s research highlights a lesser-known aspect of eagle habitat: their nests are incredibly hard on the trees that support them. Some trees collapse under the weight of massive structures or the momentum of wind that swings them back and forth. One nest on Wolfe Island fell just weeks ago, sadly killing three chicks inside, says Steve, who continued to tell of another partially collapsed nest due to heavy snowfall. Local nature photographer from Athens, John Verburg, also notes a recent loss of two eaglets, with a nearby nest coming down in a windstorm.

Human activity also plays a role in nest location. While many nests sit above cottages without issue, others, like one on Milton Island (east of Kingston), were abandoned because it was located in a national park and the park “got very busy and noisy last summer,” speculates Steve.

Despite these challenges, the average clutch size in the region is 1.55 chicks per nest, according to Steve’s data collection, a promising indicator of population health. When asked for more details about the decline and now resurgence of bald eagles in the area, Steve notes that DDT once wiped out local populations by weakening eggshells, but thankfully the elimination of the chemicals has allowed eagles to rebound. The resurgence of bald eagles is a testament to both conservation and nature’s resilience. Cottage country, with its tall pines and abundant waterways, provides ideal habitat; “they belong here!” exclaims Steve.

What makes Steve’s work especially notable is that no government or university program is currently surveying these nests. His project fills a critical gap in understanding how bald eagles are adapting and thriving here in southeastern Ontario.

The talented photographer and experienced outdoorsman, Steve, conducts most of his observations from a canoe or kayak, moving slowly and quietly to avoid disturbing the birds. His philosophy is one of moving in a calm, predictable and uninterested manner, understanding that “Nothing, including you, likes being stared at or followed around with a camera,” he explains. Wildlife, he says, responds to gentleness and distance.

With a powerful zoom lens and decades of experience, he captures close-up images without ever intruding on the eagles’ space. Steve advises those wanting to take photos of the magnificent birds to do so by “keeping a polite distance … giving them space and time to adjust to your presence, moving slowly, out in the open with no sudden moves, approaching on the diagonal.”

An author of numerous books, including The Rideau Canal, The Napanee River, The Salmon River, The First Spike – The Early Railways, Tramways and Roads of Eastern Ontario, The Gilmour Tramway at Mazinaw Lake, The Winter That Crows Stopped Migrating South From Kingston, Ontario and more, Steve is also an avid researcher who has spent the past 50 years studying climate change. He has paddled most of the lakes and rivers north of Kingston, both coasts of Greenland, Haida Gwaii, the north end of Vancouver Island, a half-dozen wild Rocky Mountain rivers in Idaho, Montana and B.C., and the Upper Amazon of Peru. This past week, Steve took to the local lakes by canoe and kayak and to the air by helicopter while exploring the Thousand Islands in search of eagle nests.

Steve plans to compile his eagle-nest findings into a booklet (without revealing exact locations) and will continue to share his photographs and insights with the public. His work documents the eagle's return while teaching others how to observe wildlife respectfully.

“The Bald Eagle’s comeback is a good-news story,” as Steve says, one worthy of sharing because of his quiet dedication and persistent search. Thanks to his unwavering “eagle eye,” our region is gaining a clearer picture of a species steadily reclaiming its rightful place in the landscape.