The Points February 2018

HELPFUL NUMBERS
NEWSLETTER...The Points
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POLICE/FIRE
Emergency 911
Fort Bend County Sheriff non-emergency 281-342-6116
281-341-4665
Katy Volunteer Fire Dept.
Alarms only 281-391-2300
SCHOOLS
www.katyisd.org
KISD Administration 281-396-6000
KISD Transportation. 281-396-7560
Fielder Elementary
Rylander Elementary 281-237-8300
Cinco Ranch Jr. High 281-237-7300
Woodcreek Jr. High 281-234-0800
Cinco Ranch High School 281-237-7000
Katy High School 281-237-6700
UTILITIES/POST OFFICE
Gas 713-659-2111
Reliant Energy 713-207-7777
Power Outage 713-207-2222
Comcast Cable 713-341-1000
Katy - Park Row Post Office 1-800-275-8777
Dept. of Public Safety 713-465-8462
Poison Control 1-800/222-1222
LIBRARIES FT. BEND CO.
Cinco Ranch 281-395-1311
George Memorial 281-342-4455
Mamie George 281-491-8086
Maude Marks 281-492-8592
COMMUNITY
YMCA 281392-5055
VFW 281-391-4872
Fort Bend Co. Court House 281-342-3411
William B. Travis Building 281-342-3411
Jane Long Annex 281-342-3411
Harris County Court House 281-859-0685
Katy Chamber of Commerce 281-828-1100
MEDICAL
Methodist West Hospital 832-522-5522
Memorial Hospital 713-932-3000
Texas Childrens Hospital 832-227-1000
Houston Methodist St. Catherine 281-599-5700
HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT
OUR NATIONAL SYMBOL?
By Cheryl Conley, TWRC Wildlife Center
Against Benjamin Franklin’s wishes, the Bald Eagle became our national
symbol in 1782 and by 1970, they were nearly extinct. There
are several reasons for this. It was legal to hunt eagles for sport
and the long-held belief that eagles picked up lambs and children
with their talons was another reason to kill the birds. Since the
diet of the eagle is mostly fish, eagles were killed to protect fishing
grounds. The use of pesticides proved disastrous to the survival of
the eagles. The chemicals collected in the fish that were eaten by
the birds. These chemicals severely limited their ability to reproduce
and when they did produce, the egg shells were very thin and weak.
The chemical DDT was restricted in 1972. When restrictions were
put in place and DDT was banned, the eagle population began to
rebound. It was removed from the US government’s list of endangered
species in 1995 and went from being classified as endangered
to threatened. In 2007 it was de-listed and has been assigned a risk
level of “Least Concern.”
Bald eagles mate for life but recent research suggests there may
be an occasional “divorce” and if a mate dies, an eagle will “remarry.”
They work together to construct the largest nest of any North
American bird which they return to every year. The work to build
the nest is what actually “cements” their bond. Typically the nests
are 5 to 6 feet in diameter and 2 to 4 feet wide and since they tend
to use the same nest every year, the nest can continue to get a little
bigger every year. They prefer to nest in old growth at least 65 feet
high, near open water and away from human habitation but have
been seen in populated areas.
Because the Bald Eagle is our national symbol, it has been given
protection by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The Act
prohibits anyone, without a permit issued by the Secretary of the
Interior, from “taking” bald eagles. Taking is described to include
their parts, nests or eggs, molesting or disturbing the birds. The
Act provides criminal penalties for persons who “take, possess,
sell, purchase, barter, offer to sell, purchase or barter, transport,
export or import, at any time or any manner, any bald eagle ... [or
any golden eagle], alive or dead or any part, nest or egg thereof.”
In the winter of 1999, a pair of Bald Eagles decided to make The
Woodlands their home. Normally staying away from populated
areas, these eagles didn’t seem to mind the noise and traffic in the
area. The eagles have returned every year and have fledged 22 eaglets.
The Woodlands Development Company in cooperation with
the US Fish and Wildlife Service developed a habitat conservation
plan protecting their nesting area from development.
FAST FACTS
• The only difference in appearance between the male and the
female is that she is bigger. Eagles have an average wingspan of
6 to 8 feet.
• Bald Eagles can live up to 35 years of age. Of course, there are
older Bald Eagles on record.
• During courtship, eagles will soar into the air, chase each other, fly
upside down, lock talons and take death-defying spirals back to the
ground. This is done with both potential mates and competitors.
Timing is everything! Poor timing can result in death for both birds.
• They lay 1 to 3 eggs and incubation takes about 35 days. The eggs
hatch a few days apart in the order they were laid. It can take 12-48
hours for them to hatch.
• It’s not uncommon for the first-born to kill the smaller one. Parents
do not intervene.
• 40% of young eagles don’t survive their first flight.
2 February 2018 | Community Newsletter