Lee Grim is the “Eagle Man” of Voyageurs National Park. Lee came to International Falls in 1967 to be a biology instructor at Rainy River community College. Lee retired in 2000. We have had many of our student workers and guides attend Rainy River Community College. Our young people raved about Rainy River Community College, especially the experiences attending Lee Grim’s biology class.

During the summer of 1972 Lee began working for “Voyageurs National Park with a heavy concentration on the American Bald Eagle, and continues in that capacity today. I had the opportunity to visit with Lee on March 26, 2007.

I asked Lee how many American Bald Eagles were in Voyageurs National Park in 1972

Lee: The U.S. Forest Service turned the eagle monitoring over to the staff of Voyageurs National Park in 1972. The eagle population was in terrible shape throughout our country due to pollution. We had nine nesting pairs in all of Voyageurs National Park. People were very nervous as the bald eagles had been present in forty five of the lower forty eight states. The last eagle population in the lower forty eight states was located in Minnesota and Wisconsin (western Great Lakes area).

How many breeding pairs in Voyageurs National Park at present?

Lee: Approximately fifty breeding pairs. The banning of DDT allowed the eagle populations to recover.

Do eagles have different personalities from one and another?

Lee: Yes, some may not enjoy intrusion to their nesting areas, others show no difference. Some are territorial.

What is the best time of the year to watch young eaglets learn how to fly?

Lee: Generally during the middle of July to early August. It depends upon what time spring breeding took place. Some are mating now in late March others may breed in mid to late April. It generally takes thirty days for the eggs to hatch. You can see the eaglets perch on the edge of the nest or branches flapping there wings ten to twelve weeks after hatching.

Once in awhile you see eagles interlocked talon to talon, what does this signify?

Lee: First let me explain the phases of growth. There are four phases, eaglet, White belly phase one, white belly phase two, and sub adult phase (will dusky whitish head and tail).

Lee: In the spring of the year if it is a two whitehead and whitetails (adults) it is usually a courting activity.

Later when it is a whitehead and whitetail and an immature eagle what does this signify?

Lee: It is usually aggression by the adult as the immature may be infringing on the eagles nesting areas. Many adult eagles are territorial. While there may be fifty pairs of nesting eagles in a given year, there are at least that many or more immature eagles in the area.

Do eagles always eat dead things?

Lee: No, once the eggs hatch they eat primarily live things. Their diets vary greatly from nest to nest. At one particular nest we found sixteen cormorant skeletons and a number of seagull skeletons. Other nests we find fish, beavers, loons, snakes and even turtles. Once the young are flying they add carrion (dead animals or fish) back to their diet.

Are there present day protections for eagles in Voyageurs National Park?

Lee: Successful nests generally have a 1/4 mile primary protection zone around them. These are listed each season, reported in the local papers and notification is sent to all resorts and also posted at our visitor centers. If they involve a park tent campsite, houseboat mooring site or a day use site they are posted closed with signage.