The following article appeared in the Feb. 23, 2024, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with smart and original local news for Charlotte. We offer free and paid subscription plans. More info here.
Eagle couple at center of south Charlotte development fight welcomes babies
Residents near Piper Glen have cited the fate of the eagles in a battle against proposed apartments
Like clockwork, every year in December, baby prep begins for Piper and Glen, a pair of American bald eagles who live at the TPC Piper Glen golf course in south Charlotte — and who happen to also be at the center of a development fight.
December is when the eagles start “remodeling” their nest high in a tree within eyeshot of the golf course’s clubhouse, expanding it with more sticks and then hunkering down once the eggs arrive, said Chris McIntire, a local resident who with his wife, Ellie, keeps a close eye on the eagles.
Around Valentine’s Day, the eaglets hatch, and then Piper and Glen continue their parental duties, keeping the babies warm and safe, until they’re ready to leave the nest.
Typically, two or three eagle babies hatch each year, Ellie McIntire says. They’ll become visible with binoculars once they grow and their heads start to pop out of the nest.
One afternoon this week, the proud parents were visible in and around their treetop nursery. Piper was in the nest tending to the babies, while Glen perched on the tip of a branch of a tree nearby, keeping guard.
The McIntires say they choose not to give the babies names, because once they fledge, Piper and Glen shoo them out of the area, forcing them to go and find new places to live. “We don’t want to get too attached,” Chris McIntire says.
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Piper and Glen have become something of a symbol for one of south Charlotte’s current development battles. Neighbors say their nest is approximately 900 feet from a proposed residential development. Although that’s within legal limits according to wildlife law, it is one of the major reasons why local residents are opposing the development, along with concerns about flooding and traffic. The developers have said the eagles won’t be affected.
A public hearing on the rezoning in front of Charlotte City Council is scheduled for March 18 at 5 p.m. in the government center uptown.
An online petition titled “Save The Eagles Request Charlotte City Council VOTE NO On Rea Road Rezoning” has nearly 19,000 signatures. — Cristina Bolling
3 comments:
How does stopping development save Eagles?
Eagles adapt to urban settings as this pair proves. Charlotte is lucky to have so many trees with residents to enjoy majestic birds near their homes. It seems the proposed development benefits the Eagles and the environment saving dramatically more trees than a by right plan. We need thoughtful development for newcomers.
I notice the same person and been posting nonsense over and over again. But hey trolls gonna be trolls.
This is awesome news congratulations Pipe and Glen now lets shut down the development.
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