‘Tis the Season

At this time of year, the holidays are behind us, the weather has turned cold and nasty, and we’re all looking for something to do besides watching TV and holding down our recliners.

For those of us who live along the Mississippi flyway the colder temperatures herald the arrival of some of the most admired and magnificent creatures of them all.  No--not reindeer.  This is the season for eagle watching!

 See wild Bald Eagles perched on an ice floe on the river...

The nearby rivers make for great eagle watching, particularly near Locks and Dams.  Bald Eagles migrate south along the Mississippi River, looking for good fishing in water that hasn’t frozen solid.

 ...or perched in the trees at the riverbanks

If you can bear braving the cold and the wind along the river, chances are that you will see wild Bald Eagles in action, hunting their prey, perching in a tree, or soaring up above.  Eagle watching is an annual tradition for many of us, even those of us that are lucky enough to see and work with them every day.

 Meet them up close when our Naturalists give their presentations

If you want to see a live bald eagle up close and in person, you can visit the World Bird Sanctuary, or catch one of the displays or presentations below:

Traveling Talons Calendar

January 20, 27

February 3, 10

Audubon Center at Riverlands

West Alton, IL

Eagle Meet and Greet

January 19, 26

Alton Visitor’s Bureau

Alton, IL

Eagle Meet & Greet and Traveling Talons Gift Shop

January 19

Fort Bellefontaine Park

St. Louis, MO

Display with eagle and other birds of prey

January 19 and 20

Keokuk Eagle Days

Keokuk, IA

Raptor Awareness Program with eagle

January 26 and 27

Clarksville Eagle Days

Clarksville, MO

All About Eagles Programs

January 26 and 27

Starved Rock Lodge

Utica, IL

Raptor Awareness Program with eagle

February 2

Kaskaskia Eagle Day

Modoc, IL

All About Eagles Programs

February 16 – 18

National Great Rivers Museum

East Alton, IL

Masters of the Sky program and eagle display

February 23

Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower

Hartford, IL

Eagle Meet & Greet

Our annual celebration to mark the end of Eagle Season will be held on March 24, 2013 at World Bird Sanctuary.  It’s called World Eagle Day and celebrates eagles from around the world with educational shows and more.  Mark your calendars!

If you would like to stay up to date on where you can catch WBS on the road, sign up to receive our email newsletter by entering your email address in the box on the right hand side of this page.

Submitted by Billie Baumann, World Bird Sanctuary Outreach Coordinator