Bald eagle nests to be removed

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - Based on advice from the USDA, the City of Norfolk will be removing three bald eagle nests at the Norfolk Botanical Garden.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services recommended the city remove the nests as a precaution to protect the bald eagles based on the nests' proximity to the Norfolk International Airport.

"Once the nest is removed, there will be activities undertaken to keep the birds from trying to re-nest," USDA Wildlife Service's Carol Bannerman told WAVY earlier this month.

The City of Norfolk has filed for federal and state permits to remove the nests, and all parties involved are reportedly in agreement.

From 2010 to present, there have been seven eagle strikes in Virginia, five in the Norfolk/Newport News area alone.

"The bottom line is trying to provide airline safety," director of the Norfolk Botanical Garden Don Buma told WAVY.com Aug. 14. "The USDA, the FAA and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries would like to see the eagles moved farther away from the airport."

The USDA had recommended the city remove the nests July 24.