This morning, Phil Spivey from the Forsyth DNR office talked with a caller who reported a dead bald eagle in the road near Lake Jackson in Butts County. As we do with most call-in wildlife reports, Phil quized the caller a little in an attempt to verify the identity of the "eagle" before going to pick it up. The caller responded that the bird was obviously an eagle because there was a band on its leg that said so. Not wanting to dispute the caller's ability to read as well as doubt her ability to identify wildlife, Phil went to retrieve the "eagle." He brought the bird back and sure enough, written on a band on its leg was a 3-digit identification number and the phrase "bald eagle futurity 2000." The rock dove bearing the band appeared to have been run over by a small car.

The Atlanta peregrines should be fledging any day, so keep an eye on the skyscrapers when in the city.

Jim Ozier Georgia DNR Forsyth