West Point eaglets killed during Tuesday storms

Eagle watchers were quick to contact the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) after someone posted to the West Point, Ohio Eagles and Nest Facebook page that a nest holding eaglets was not spotted in the tree where it was usually seen.

The nest was able to be seen along State Route 30 in Madison Township.

Columbiana County ODNR Wildlife Officer Jesse Janosik responded to the scene.

According to Janosik, the eagle nest was built on a dead tree, and as a result of the high winds in the area, the tree limb holding the nest was knocked down.

21 News reached out to Wildlife Officer Janosik who confirmed that the eaglets had died as a result of the fall.

Members of the West Point, Ohio Eagles and Nest group shared photos of the eaglets and comments following the announcement that the eaglets did not survive. The loss of the baby eagles caused devastation throughout the community.

"It affects the community. I think that, you know, like I said before, we're a family, and we've lost some. And I think everybody is hurting and they express it in their own way," said Sonya Jones, member of the West Point, Ohio Eagled and Nest Group.

Wildlife Officer Janosik said that at least five eagle nests remain in Columbiana County, and eagles have seen success in building the population over the years.

Heather Merritt, the director of the Birds in Flight Sanctuary, was first to reached out to the officer. She said Janosik responded to the scene within 10 minutes.

"He said the way the nest fell, he said if would have fallen just 6 inches to the left, they probably would have lived, he said, but it's the way that it fell," said Merritt.

Merritt pointed out that falling nests are not uncommon. While there are groups, like ODNR, that can respond to fallen nests, there is no stopping it.

"There's really nothing that anybody can do. They build their nest, they do the best that they can. But god comes through with a storm, and unfortunately it happened," said Merritt.

According to statistics found on the ODNR Bald Eagle page, Ohio saw roughly 700 nests across the state in 2020. There were just under 100 nests across the state in 2000.

Janosik estimates that the state has roughly 900 nests as of 2025.

The Birds in Flight Sanctuary took in about twenty animals since the storms last night, including squirrels, owls and opossums. There are over 170 animals at the sanctuary.

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