Eagle Celebrations Brighten Midwest Winter Days

About 2,300 bald eagles winter in Wisconsin., about 2,200 in Missouri and at least 3,100 in southern Illinois.

In Canada and the Great Lakes region bodies of water freeze, which makes it difficult for eagles to catch fish. The birds fly south looking for open water, following the rivers as they migrate between late December and early February. They stay in an area as long as the water remains open, and if the weather is not too cold, they may stay until mid-March.

"The worse the weather is for humans, the better it is for eagles," said Kathi Weilbacher, program manager for Trailnet, a nonprofit organization that promotes outdoor activities in Missouri and Illinois.

Trailnet partners with the Missouri Department of Conservation and Illinois Department of Natural Resources to organize Eagle Days, an annual bird watching festival celebrating the bald eagles' arrival.

The 2008 Eagle Days are scheduled for January 19 and 20 from 9 am to 3 pm at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge over the Mississippi in Madison, Illinois.

Spotting scopes along the bridge will give eagle watchers a chance to see the wild birds in their natural habitat. Events include live eagle programs, exhibits, activities, videos and refreshments on-site or nearby.

Bald eagle soars above Lock and Dam 14 on the Mississippi. (Photo courtesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

If the weather warms or remains constant, the eagles may linger there. If the temperature drops, they will continue southward. They roost in large cottonwood, sycamore and other riparian trees. Nesting begins in January, with incubation and rearing of the young taking place from March through mid-May.

Farther north, in Keokuk, Iowa the 24th annual Bald Eagle Appreciation Days will be happening this weekend.

Observation points will be set up at the George M. Verity Riverboat Museum and at the Southside Boat Club. Personnel from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Lee County Conservation Board, Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Illinois Department of Natural Resources will be at the observation points to assist. Wildlife, conservation and environmental agencies will exhibit in the River City Mall.

Eagle Days has become one of the highlights of winter at the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. The first live eagle program held in 1999 attracted 651 participants. Last year the event drew more than 4,700 visitors, setting a new record. This year the event was held on January 5 and 6

"The purpose of Eagle Days is two-fold," says Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Trisha Creach. "First, the event gives residents and visitors to the Lake area the opportunity to interact with live bald eagles in close proximity. Also, the program helps raise awareness of the bald eagle, our national symbol, and that helps keep them safe and flourishing."

There were 20,000 breeding pairs in America when the bald eagle became the nation's symbol in 1782. But by the 1970s, due to the thinning effect of pesticides on the shells of their eggs, there were only 200 pairs in the lower 48 states.

The eagles were placed on the federal endangered species list. Now, after 30 years of conservation, there are 10,000 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states.

In June 2007, the Department of the Interior and Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies announced that the bald eagle had been removed from the federal list of endangered and threatened species.

People who want to see the eagles can check out The Confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, a 200 square mile conservation, heritage and recreation corridor where the two mighty rivers join to flow southward.

At the point of confluence in Alton, Illinois, the Visitor's Center hosts an annual Eagle Meet and Greet on Saturdays during the month of January. The program hours are 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Alton Visitor's Center, 200 Piasa Street.

After the free live eagle demonstration pick up an All Around Alton Eagle Watcher's Guide to observing eagles in their natural habitat along the Great River Road. For more information, call 1-800-ALTON –IL or go to www.VisitAlton.com.

Bald Eagle Days at Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton, Illinois are held throughout the winter, December through February. The program includes a video presentation followed by an observational drive to view wintering bald eagles. All programs begin at the Pere Marquette Visitor's Center, IL Route 100 – Great River Road, Grafton, IL 62037 at 8:30 am. Reservations are required; call 618-786-3323 for program dates and reservations.

A long list of eagle viewing sites is found on the Missouri State Parks website at: http://www.mostateparks.com/resourcecenter/articles/eagles.htm

A little further south, people have to wait until February to see the giant birds with their six to eight foot wingspans. The eagles have been returning to the open water, marshes and cypress-laden sloughs of northwestern Tennessee's Reelfoot Lake for generations.

This year's Reelfoot Lake Eagle Festival is set for February 1-3. Local park and wildlife experts will sponsor walking tours, bus tours, pontoon cruises, interpretive sessions and special photography displays throughout the weekend. Bald eagle and waterfowl tours and educational lectures will continue through March 2 at the park.

"The return of these American Bald Eagles to Reelfoot Lake has become one of the most exciting winter events in Tennessee," Reelfoot Lake State Park Manager James Cox said. "The entire staff at Reelfoot Lake State Park looks forward to providing an opportunity for guests to see our national symbol in its natural habitat."

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