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Guided
Eagle-Watch Activities Along the Mississippi River
Story by Pat Middleton and
may not be used without written permission from Great River
Publishing
See also: Eagles
the Comeback Birds
|
Eagles on the
Mississippi River | Eagle
Events on the Mississippi River
We're Birding on
the Mississippi River!
Public Eagle watches are well attended along the entire
length of the Upper Mississippi. Read details below for
general general information on Eagle Watching events operating at
specific locations. Call for specific dates annually or CLICK
HERE to see the
updates we have for THIS YEAR.
Reelfoot Lake Tennessee
Reelfoot Lake claims the highest concentration of
wintering eagles east of the Mississippi River. Guided eagle
watches are available from January through March. Call first
to reserve your spot. The
Airpark Inn Resort within
the park offers a marvelous opportunity to stay in a
comfortable stilted townhouse apartment located right over the
waters of Reelfoot Lake. Phone 901-253-7756. Unreleasable
raptors are caged outside the park visitor center for easy
close-up viewing of eagles, hawks, owls.
Keokuk, Iowa. Excellent
eagle viewing at the lock and dam. Eagle Appreciation Days
January 15 & 16, 2000, include presentations by the DNR,
Raptor Center, Corp of Engineers, etc. Keosippi Mall. For
detailed Information contact the Keokuk CVB or email keokukia@interl.net 800-798-8844
or 319-556-4372. Morrison
Manor,located in Fort Madison, midway between Keokuk and
Davenport, Iowa, offers immaculately comfortable lodging to
eagle watchers.
Muscatine, Iowa, Bald Eagle Watch
Outdoor Viewing at Lock & Dam 16, 8 – 11 a.m. Indoor raptor
program. Call 319-263-7913 for details.
Bellevue Bald Eagle Watch, Bellevue, Iowa
Outdoor viewing at L&D 12. Indoor programs at Bellevue
Elementary School. Call 319-652-3783
Dubuque Bald Eagle Watch, Dubuque, Iowa
Outdoor viewing at L&D 11, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Indoor programs
at Marshall School, 1450 Rhomberg Ave. For details call
319-582-0881. A meal at the Tollbridge Restaurant combines fine
dining and eagle watching at it’s best.
Guttenberg, Iowa, EagleWatch
weekend is
Jan 15 & 16 2000
Outdoor viewing with spotting scopes provided at L&D 10.
There will be live eagles on display, ice carving demo's, snow
sculpting for kids, and soup/sandwich specials in many
restaurants. Call
319-252-2323.
Dresbach Dam, Dresbach,
Minnesota. Late December and early January at the Information
Area
Wabasha, Minnesota, Eagle Watch. At
Wabasha’s City Deck on Pembroke Avenue & Lawrence Blvd. November
through March, Sundays from 1-3 p.m. Staffed by volunteers
trained by the Raptor Center of St. Paul, Minnesota.
1-800-565-4158. Viewing scopes are provided, bring your
binoculars! The Raptor Center presents live birds of prey and an
informative slide presentation in Mid-March at the Felix
Auditorium.
Approximately 50-75 bald eagles overwinter in the
Wabasha/Reads Landing area of the Mississippi River. The river
stays open due to inflowing current from the Chippewa River on
the Wisconsin shore. Best viewing December through March. The
drive on Hwy 61 between Camp Lacupolis often yields many eagles.
WINONA, MINNESOTA, Eagle
Watch Weekend, March 6 & 7, 1999 at the Quality Inn. Wildlife
lecture at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday 1 p.m. bus field trip to
eagle concentrations along Hwy 61. Cost $8 adults, $4.50
children. Refreshments. Reservations required. Call 800-657-4972
or email: altwncvb@luminet.net http://www.visitwinona.com
Request their excellent full-color birding brochure.
EARLY JANUARY
The 12th Annual
Quad City Eagle Watch, Jan 8, 9, 10, 1999. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
—call for details. 309-788-5912-
10,000 to 12,000 people visit the annual display at the Quad
City Conservation Alliance (QCCA Expo Center) in Moline,
Illinois. The Eagle Expo includes an Environmental Fair with
displays of live eagles and exhibits by various conservation
organizations and an art show with regional wildlife artists.
Eagles forage over the river at the dams most of the day and
roost ˝ to 1-mile inland of the feeding areas.
Most eagles in the Quad Cities are concentrated at Locks 14
(Arsenal Island) and 15 (Hampton, IL-LeClaire, IA) with
excellent viewing from the public levee and the casino riverboat
in Davenport, IA. The river access at Sunset Park at the lower
end of Rock Island is very good, as is Credit Island and the
Modern Woodman property below L&D 15. Walkways on the Modern
Woodman property are open to eagle watchers. As many as 40
eagles have been spotted feeding on discarded piglets at a hog
operation near Andalusia, Illinois.
The Potter House B&B and Victorian Inn are located in Rock
Island, just blocks from the riverfront casino and the historic
arts and entertainment district. Contact the Quad Cities CVB at
800-747-7800 for complete accommodation listings.
Bald Eagle Watch, Clinton, Iowa. 1st
Weekend in January
Outdoor Viewing at L&D 13, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and at Albany Boat
Landing. Indoor programs & exhibits at Clinton Community
College. Programs feature live birds of prey, free busing from
the college to outdoor viewing areas. Call 815-259-3628
Bald Eagle Watch, LeClaire, Iowa, 1st
Weekend in January,
Outdoor viewing at Lock & Dam 14, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., indoor
programs at the Mississippi Valley Welcome Center. Call
319-289-3009
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Important Eagle Watching Tips
The best eagle viewing occurs when it is cold enough to
freeze large stretches of river so that eagles must
concentrate at specific feeding areas. Mild winters mean
eagles are more widely dispersed and spotting them is that
much more difficult.
For eagle watchers, the combination of guides, equipment,
and an opportunity to view "up close and personal" the many
wintering eagles along the Mississippi River has proven
irresistible. Eagle watch volunteers need to carefully monitor
the interaction between viewers and eagles.
"Humans," says Pat Schlarbaum, "must also do their part. We
need to learn to watch, but not disturb. We in Iowa feel
strongly that we are only acting as hosts for these marvelous
creatures. Come March, we want them returning to their nesting
sites in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Canada, in good health.
Therefore we need to take a holistic view…protecting the
quality of the water and the fish, the air, the trees." To
that end, Pat offers these suggestions to eagle watchers:
Above all, do not disturb the birds. Eagles spend about
98% of their time roosting or perching. Loud noises,
movement, trying to approach to closely will cause the birds
to fly away, thus wasting valuable energy needed just to
hunt and survive.
Use spotting scopes and binoculars so you can stay a good
100-400 feet away from the birds. They are visible with the
naked eye, but to really view their bright yellow beaks and
piercing eyes, the truly beautiful white head and tail
feathers, binoculars are best.
Stay in a parked car when viewing so that your movements
don’t frighten them. Birds are most susceptible when
roosting and roosting areas must not be disturbed at night.
If you find an injured or dead eagle, leave it where you
found it and call your local DNR. Though no longer
endangered, eagles are still listed as threatened, and it is
against the law to kill them for any reason.
MORE Eagle-Watching Links
Eagles on the Mississippi River The
Comeback Bird Eagle
Events on the Mississippi River
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