Winter Eagle Watching - One Tank Getaway #2


You might catch a glimpse of an eagle or two soaring over Johnson Lake in summer, but find some open water during the dead of winter and you'll likely find many more. Our second "One Tank Getaway" is all about the prime viewing time and places for our national symbol.



Wisconsin is home to the largest concentration of wintering eagles in the nation. Seasoned eagle watchers know how it works. Eagles love to eat fish. Find the food source and you'll find birds. While most lakes and rivers freeze over, locks, dams waterfalls and rapids keep the water open and fish available. Wintering eagles flock to these places all winter long.

Large eagle populations can be found near open water on the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers. Two popular places on the Wisconsin are Sauk City and Prairie du Sac. The town of Cassville sits on the banks of the Mississippi and offers a new wildlife observation deck at Riverside Park. Prairie du Chien is another popular spot. Click here for a list of eagle watching events on the Mississippi.

When you go, it's important to remember a few tips: Take your binoculars and telephoto lens for your camera. Check the weather -- eagles are generally most active on sunny mornings, when fish are easier to spot. During the day, they may fly off to feed on dead deer and other carrion. Dress warmly. You may want to spend a fair amount of time in the cold and being quiet and still will avoid disturbing the birds.

As an example of what you might see, these pictures were taken in early February at Lock and Dam 11 in Dubuque, Iowa. The sun called for by the forecasters failed to show, but we saw dozens of eagles soaring overhead on their giant wings. The eagles stood in groups on the snow-covered ice and caught fish occasionally. In the first shot, an eagle prepares to snatch lunch from the frigid water. In the second shot, a mature adult soars over Lock and Dam 11.





Photos by Jon Okerstrom, February 7, 2004

Even smaller bits of open water will attract eagles. A roller dam in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (the author's home) draws a dozen or more eagles during a typical winter. Be patient and you'll see their natural behaviors. The shot below shows the color pattern on an immature bird. The "bald" head you see on many of the birds develops when the eagles are four or five years old.




Photo by Jon Okerstrom. February 8, 2004


If you have a favorite eagle watching spot, please share it with us by posting a comment on this story. We'd also like to publish your "one tank getaway" stories. You know where to send them!



Posted: Mon - February 9, 2004 at 07:39 PM      

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