Moving a 200-pound eagle nest took about 50 people, two days, and a replica electrical tower. Getting the eagles to accept their new address took considerably longer.
The project unfolded at the John Bunker Sands wetlands near Seagoville in July 2014. A bald-eagle pair had nested on an energized transmission structure.
Oncor and partners arranged to move the nest onto a separate tower without electrical lines, about a quarter-mile away.
Workers moved the tower arm with the nest still attached, preserving the birds’ existing construction. The partnership included steel and construction specialists, wildlife agencies, the North Texas Municipal Water District, The Rosewood Corporation, and the wetland center.
The eagles were away during the summer move. When they returned that fall, they went back to the original transmission tower and began rebuilding.
Every few days, Oncor removed the fresh sticks to discourage another nest at the hazardous location.
In October, the birds finally found the relocated nest and moved in. The wetland center reports that the replica tower has been used in most years since.
The project’s uncertainty was part of the drama: ornithologists had given acceptance of the new site only a 50-50 chance.
Engineers could move the nest intact and recreate its supporting structure, but the eagles still had to choose it. Their first choice was to rebuild at the old address.
