Observation Notes April 15, 2024

We are pleased once again to share with you this week's field notes from our eagle expert. While most of us enjoy watching these impressive beautiful birds, Bob's detailed and recorded observations serve as an important baseline to a more formal understanding of our eagles' behavior.

OBSERVATION NOTES
PIPER GLEN BALD EAGLE NEST

OBSERVER: Bob Barrows

LOCATION: Piper Glen Golf Club (Driving Range) 4300 Piper Glen Dr.

DATE OF VISIT: 04/15/2024

TIME OF VISIT: 11:25-12:10

WEATHER CONDITIONS:

Temperature: 77 F 

Wind (direction & speed): SW 3mph

Sky: Sunny        

Precipitation: ——

BAEAs PRESENT: (Yes) No

Number & Type: 2 mature + 2  eaglets

BEHAVIORS OBSERVED: Territorial Defense: (Yes) No

Eaglet(s) in Nest: (Yes) No 

Eaglet Fledging: Yes (No)

OBSERVATION NOTES

As I walked from my car towards the dam a BAEA flew from the tree to the
right of the 18th hole peninsula. It flew to the nest area, but did not perch.
It did multiple flybys of the nest tree, chortling all the while. It flew off
towards the Gillespie property.

I walked down to the driving range area.

While there was no tournament, there were a number of golfers on the
course.

With Piper and Glen absent, several crows thought it would be fun
to terrorize the eaglets.

An almost immediate defense of the nest was mounted by both parents and the crows were driven away. Both adult birds perched in a tree nearby the nest and remained there for the rest of my visit. Both eaglets showed themselves in the nest, but were not active.

They are big, black and beautiful. 

As I got to the top of the dam there were 25 turtle heads bobbing in the water. 

Something Nasty - Ed Driggs

During last month's Charlotte City Council meeting Ed Driggs cautioned the 200 plus south Charlotte residents sitting inside city council chambers that if the Rea Road Gillespie Property was developed "by right" they could "end up with something nasty".

What is it about Republicans calling people and things "Nasty"?

The only thing nasty is how Ed Driggs talks down to his constituents. Every meeting in the last two years I've attended Ed Driggs was telling citizens that "they don't understand" and that "its complicated".

For the record Mr. Driggs has been told again and again by hundreds of residents, in person, online, via phone calls and email that the RK Investments Charlotte LLC Rea Road Gillespie Property rezoning petition is a solid NO.

He has also been told by a group of select nearby HOA board members in "no uncertain terms" that they do not support the rezoning petition and would rather see the property developed as currently zoned, that is "by-right'.

Yet even after months of being told no one supports it he still spent nearly fifteen minutes trying to scare residents about the possible something "nasty" via the "by right" option during Charlotte City Council's discussion last month.

Here is the refresher:

The current zoning under the newly adopted Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) is NA-1 which allows somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 single family homes and prohibits a 640 unit rental apartment complex and buildings higher than 48 feet.

The 300% increase via the new UDO from the former R-3 (3 homes per acre 159 single family detached homes) to 400 under N1-A is not attractive but is far better than the proposed apartment complex.

In other words "by-right" would mean; no rental apartments, less density, less traffic and no big box apartment buildings that reach skyward to 65 feet. 

Which all my neighbors agree is a win.

Despite the obvious advantages to "build by right" Ed Driggs continues to side with the developers. 

In a email Ed Driggs says"

"My personal view is that denial of this petition could lead to by-right development of the property that residents like even less, with half as many trees and minimal traffic improvements.  

If, however, the HOA leadership group that met in December considers whatever RK's final offer is and still wants to take a chance on what might come next instead, I will oppose the petition and encourage my colleagues to do likewise.  

I just hope that residents, and you in particular, will carefully study what the real options are and choose thoughtfully.  If we kick it to by-right, there will be no opportunity for me or residents to weigh in, and I cannot be responsible for the outcome." - Ed Driggs

Mr. Driggs has even gone as far as to point out that if the property is developed "by-right" citizens will not have the opportunity to voice their concerns about the property to Charlotte City Council as we were doing last month.

Let's be clear, citizens have no voice in council chambers, they were given all of ten minutes to voice their concerns. Allowing 200 plus citizens to speak for a collective Ten Minutes is hardly fair or having a voice or input into the process, as the developer has been talking to Ed Driggs and City Staff on a continual basis for the last two years.

But this is how Ed Driggs seems to operate:

A developer decides on a project that needs rezoning in the future, so they reach out to Ed Driggs because they've been funding his political campaign for the last several years. (Nothing illegal about developers making contributions to a Charlotte City Council member's election fund).

Mr. Driggs then apparently suggests they come in with a big request, to give him something to work with, so that they can reduce the size of the request later and therefore have the appearance of making big oncessions.

In this case the developer asked for a crazy amount of 1,100 units on 53 acres of which only 37 is developable. Effectively going from 3 units per acre to 20 units per acre. Remember the new UDO already gave them a 300% density increase without having to ask for rezoning.

Then the developer says we've reduced the project to 640 units, to which Ed Driggs reminds residents about over and over again. During last month's council meeting Mr. Driggs continued to push this reduction myth saying: "recognizing that we are getting close to the point where we have half as many units as were originally proposed". 

The developer then presents a traffic study as "suggestions" and calls them "improvements" when in fact these are "requirements" that have been worked out in advance with NCDOT and Charlotte DOT. Mr. Driggs also parrots this idea of being improvements and enhancements. 

The facts are, all but two of the "improvements" are poorly conceived and counter intuitive. Some are just stupid. Everyone of them is required by city staff.

Developer then holds required community meetings and hopes that no one shows up. In this case both meetings were overflow crowds with absolutely zero support for the project.

Again let me be very clear NO ONE NOT ONE PERSON SPOKE IN FAVOR of the Gillespie Project Rezoning Request.

During each these meetings Mr. Driggs refused to state that he would oppose the project despite the overwhelming opposition. 

With the massive pushback, Ed Driggs suggested smaller meetings to get to know the developer better and understand the plan. His goal however is always reach a compromise.

Ed Driggs then recruits local HOA board members to discuss the project and then works towards a "compromise" that he can present to his fellow council members as the community "coming together" to reach an agreement.

When asked if "by right" would allow rental apartments, Mr. Driggs answers in doublespeak that the UDO doesn't differentiate between rental property and home ownership.  Despite the fact that the UDO clearly prohibits apartment complexes in N1-A.

Mr. Driggs encourages the HOA board members to draft a request list. This "ask" once completed runs five pages. What the developer returns in compromise is nothing. Absolutly nothing.

Ed knows that participation in most HOA's is typically very limited and that most homeowners are not involved or even concerned. Unfortunately for Mr. Driggs with this group they are not your average crowd and not easily swayed.

So Mr. Driggs tries a more conciliatory route:

"If, however, the HOA leadership group that met in December considers whatever RK's final offer is and still wants to take a chance on what might come next instead, I will oppose the petition and encourage my colleagues to do likewise."

What Mr. Driggs is really telling the group of just a few board members is that if after his big sales pitch they still want "by-right" and are willing to "take a chance" he will finally formally oppose the petition.

In other words based on just a few HOA board members agreeance he will tell Charlotte City Council the neighborhood came together as a whole and agreed to support the rezoning petition or that the community is opposed.

This is what happened to our neighbors along Endhaven and Rea Roads and to our neighbors along Ardrey Kell. Get a few HOA contacts to agree to some small concession and claim the entire neighborhood came together.

In the above statement reading between the lines he clearly wants to move forward with telling his fellow council members that the neighbors agreed to accept the developer proposal. 

Never mind that during every step in the process, every meeting, even with council chambers filled with a sea of green t-shirts saying NO! Ed Driggs has refused to support the residents of south Charlotte. 

Instead behind the scenes he's conducted "tours" of the Gillespie Property with HOA Board members and the developer and then touts the positives of those on site visits.

Telling south Charlotte residents "I wish there was a way to preserve this as the habitat I walked it over the weekend it is beautiful it breaks my heart". 

Later adding "if you walk the site as a number of us did this weekend it’s really quite striking how far away the roads are from the nearest building".

For Mr. Driggs there is just one problem perhaps due to the overwhelming opposition the HOA board members are not willing to support Ed Driggs scheme without having a community meeting and allowing that group of neighbors to decide on that outcome.

Ed Driggs is not your friend. His mixed signal emails are terribly disingenuous. 

He routinely indicates that there is no rush and plenty of time before council votes on this petition. His fear mongering about "build by-right" is relentless.

He has become nothing more than an info-mercial sales channel for RK Investments.

What is the answer?

Unless RK Investments presents a 200 unit non-rental development with a majority of single family detached homes. Any proposal is a non-starter. Ed Driggs has promised "substantial" changes. So expect an 180 degree shift on density and stunning concessions from the developer. Widening Elm Lane to a two lane with bike lanes and sidewalks from 485 to Pineville Matthews Road. Single entrance and fulltime security and no more than a four year construction time table.

Update: the developer has come back with a reduction of wait for it 80 units? 80!

So much for Ed Driggs "substantial" change.

Bald eagle lands in D.C. decades after his dad helped revive the species

Clark, a 21-year-old bald eagle, is the offspring of Ronald Reagan’s eaglet

By Sydney Page

April 3, 2024 at 7:05 a.m. EDT

Clark, a 21-year-old bald eagle, could probably fly himself from Missouri to Washington, D.C., but he took a commercial airline on Tuesday.

Clark is a frequent commercial flier; he takes at least six trips a year. When the plane touches down, the pilot will often announce to the cabin: “The eagle has landed.”

“I don’t know how many times I’ve heard the pilot make that joke,” said Daniel Cone, Clark’s handler. “And every pilot thinks they were the first to say it.”

Clark going through security on Cone's arm at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in August 2022. Kelsey Reichmuth, World Bird Sanctuary registrar, traveled with them. (Courtesy of the Transportation Security Administration)

Like many passengers who touch down in the nation’s capital, Clark has a pretty high profile.

His eagle father, Captain, was given as a gift to President Ronald Reagan in 1982 by West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. The president received two eaglets in total: Captain and his sister, Carol.

At the time, the bald eagle — the national bird of the United States since 1782 — was endangered, and environmentalists were concerned about the gift.

Reagan was only able to keep the pair because of an interpretation of the 1940 Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act that allowed the federal government to import or export the birds, while banning all others from doing so.

Reagan held on to the birds for a few years, then sent Captain to the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, Mo., in 1988, and Carol went to the National Zoo in D.C.

Captain became part of a critical conservation breeding program, fathering about six healthy eaglets that were released into the wild. The sanctuary’s work to revive the bald eagle population was part of a broader effort across the country — which served its purpose. In 2007, the bald eagle was removed from the list of threatened and endangered species.

“It was a success story; the species was saved,” said Cone, 31, who started volunteering with the World Bird Sanctuary when he was 13 and is now the assistant executive director. “We almost lost our national symbol.”

At its low point, the bald eagle population in 1963 had fallen to 417 known nesting pairs. In 2021, there were more than 300,000 bald eagles across the country.

While Clark’s siblings were released into the wild, Clark hatched in 2003 with a deformity that probably would have led to his quick demise in nature.

“Clark hatched with bad feet,” Cone said. “His feet did not form properly and just didn’t give him the protection that he would need.”

“The wild is not the most forgiving place,” he added.

Clark flew into D.C. on Tuesday. (Craig Hudson for The Washington Post)

Clark has spent his whole life under human care and become a conservation ambassador and VIB (very important bird). He travels across the country to perform flight demonstrations and other educational programs at events including fundraisers and sports games. His father died in 2018.

Clark, who is just under eight pounds and about 30 inches tall, has taken more than 100 commercial flights.

Clark is given special treatment at airports. (Courtesy of the Transportation Security Administration)

Through a partnership with Southwest Airlines, Clark glides past airport queues and gets a special escort through the TSA line. He is the first passenger on the plane, and the first passenger off. Plus, he gets plenty of snacks before and after the flight — including his favorites, rats and mice.

“Clark gets all the food he wants,” said Cone, adding that Clark is very well-behaved. “You’d never know he’s there except for the big travel carrier that he’s in.”

Of course, people wonder what’s in the big black box, and Cone doesn’t hesitate to give them a peek.

“Everybody comes up to see him,” he said. “They’re blown away. It’s a moment they’ll never forget.”

Clark in his carrier on a recent flight. (Daniel Cone)

People react similarly when they see him at events. Cone said Clark’s physical presence leaves a lasting impression and encourages people to care more about conservation efforts.

“There are things that every single person can do to make a difference, and make sure that the species continues,” said Cone, listing a few examples: “Volunteer at your local wildlife rehabilitation center; plant native plants in your yard; contribute to citizen science projects by observing birds in your area.”

“Or, if you’re really ambitious,” he said, “consider a career in wildlife conservation.”

When Clark performs at events, he flies between two trainers — typically to the tune of “The Star-Spangled Banner” — and is rewarded with a big treat when he’s finished. On Friday, Clark will attend Horatio Alger Association’s annual award ceremony.

Clark rests on Cone's arm at the Darcy hotel. (Craig Hudson for The Washington Post)

When they travel, Clark and Cone share a hotel room.

“We lay a tarp down, put a perch down. We give him his own little bath that we take with us and turn the TV on, so he’s got something to watch,” said Cone, adding that they only stay at animal-friendly hotels.

Clark and Cone relaxing in their hotel room in front of the TV. (Craig Hudson for The Washington Post)

“He’s very quiet,” Cone said. “It’s as normal as it can be having a bald eagle in the hotel.”

Cone has come to adore Clark’s quirks.

When they travel, Clark and Cone share a hotel room. (Craig Hudson for The Washington Post)

“He’s got such a big personality. He’s curious; he can be sassy,” he said. “He’s kind of like a cat, where he knows he has a whole staff that’s going to be at his beck and call.”

This trip, they’re lodging at the Darcy, a boutique hotel in downtown D.C. where they stayed last year. Upon his arrival Tuesday, Clark was served fresh seafood in the lobby, including scallops, wild salmon and Gulf shrimp.

Scallops, salmon and shrimp prepared for Clark at the Darcy hotel in Washington on Tuesday. (Craig Hudson for The Washington Post )

“Having Clark soar into the Darcy is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said James Ryan, the general manager of the hotel. “I think it’s fantastic.”

Other hotel guests, he said, have been pleasantly surprised by the bird.

Calista Hayden, 8, has her photo taken with Clark and Cone at the Darcy. (Craig Hudson)

“They’ve got a great story to tell,” said Ryan.

Wild bald eagles typically live to be about 25 years old, Cone said, and if they’re in human care, they can reach 40 or older. Clark has many more years of travel and important work ahead of him.

“He’s an ambassador for his species,” said Cone.

Update April 4, 2024

We are now less than 100 people away from 20,000 online signatures against the Rea Road Gillespie Property Rezoning.

The developer continues their threat of using "build by right" to destroy the trees and natural habitat of the last large green space in South Charlotte inside 485. They want everyone to know that the eagles Piper and Glen as well as their two eaglets are not protected, because the property is outside of the federal guideline of 600 feet. The Eagles are of course symbolic of the developer's complete disregard for nature, traffic, flooding, overcrowded schools and the quality of life we now enjoy in Piper Glen, Touchstone, Ivy Hall, White Oak, Challis Farms, Carson's Pond and many other nearby neighborhoods. So many neighbors have supported this effort to stand up against mindless greed and density saturation that I'm still moved to tears. We may not win but doing nothing was never an option. Thanks for listening. Ellie

change.org/savepiperglen

Observation Notes April 1, 2024

We are pleased once again to share with you this week's field notes from our eagle expert. While most of us enjoy watching these impressive beautiful birds, Bob's detailed and recorded observations serve as an important baseline to a more formal understanding of our eagles' behavior.

Photo Courtesy of Emilie Knight All Rights Reserved

OBSERVATION NOTES

PIPER GLEN BALD EAGLE NEST

OBSERVER: Bob

LOCATION: Piper Glen Golf Club (Driving Range) 4300 Piper Glen Dr.

DATE OF VISIT: 04/01/2024

TIME OF VISIT: 12:10 - 2:10

WEATHER CONDITIONS:

Temperature: 78 F Wind (direction& speed): WSW12mph

Sky: Mostly Cloudy Precipitation: none

BAEAs PRESENT: Yes Number & Type: 4; 2 mature+ 2 eaglets

BEHAVIORS OBSERVED:

Food Deliveries: (Yes) No Eaglet(s) in Nest: (Yes) No

Eaglet Fledging: Yes (No)

OBSERVATION NOTES:

As I arrived I saw Emilie’s car in the lot and spotted her down below

the dam. As I walked out onto the dam I could see the head of a mature

BAEA in the nest, which was unusual. I watched for a couple of minutes

and it appeared as though the adult was feeding the eaglets. I saw a

second adult BAEA fly to a perch a few trees down from the nest. I got to

Emilie’s spot where she had her camera set up on a tripod. She confirmed

that Glen was in the nest feeding the youngsters. She had seen him deliver

a good sized fish to the nest a while before. The feeding continued for

quite a while and then Glen left the nest and perched above it. Lots of

vocalizing by Glen. Emilie wanted to get a shot of Glen flying, so I walked a

short distance toward the nest and he left his perch. Unfortunately he flew

away from us and there was no photo opportunity. He flew to a perch

beyond the golf cart path and remained there. Emilie and I continued to

watch the eaglets which had gotten to the top of the nest. There was

much wing exercising by the eaglets. After a while I walked out toward

Glen’s perch and he flew on cue so Emilie could take a photo. At some

point Piper had left her perch unobserved. All remained quiet for the

remainder of the visit.

Piper Glen rocked by eagle love nest scandal; Piper caught in feathery fling as Glen broods at being stuck with new hatchlings

From Today's Charlotte Ledger:

The future of a 640-home development in south Charlotte took an unusual turn over the weekend, as the two eagles at the center of opposition efforts were reported to be experiencing personal problems that threaten to derail neighbors’ moves to block the project.

Reports have emerged that Piper, the female bald eagle at the center of a massive south Charlotte rezoning controversy, was spotted nesting with a red-tailed hawk in Mint Hill.

Images previously released by neighbors depicting a happy domestic life with eagle husband Glen and their two chicks are now believed to be sophisticated fakes prepared by PR firm Luquire, which represents the royal bird family, according to celebrity birding site AviaryGeeks.com, which first reported the news on its website Sunday.

REVEALED: Photos of Piper and Glen, which have been enlisted in the fight against a development off Rea Road, appear to have been doctored, with Glen having an extra set of talons and Piper having four eyes instead of two.