Eagle Watching Season is here! - Save Our Eagles Events
2010 Eagle Watching in Illinois
Specially planned programs allow visitors to experience bald eagles and witness the majesty of our national bird.
Although the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service still considers the magnificent American bald eagle a "threatened" species, this winter Illinois will present visitors with the opportunity to see thousands of bald eagles in their natural habitat - more wintering American bald eagles, in fact, than in any other state outside Alaska.
Every winter Illinois rivers, reservoirs and waterfowl refuges are temporary homes to more than 3,000 bald eagles who spend the season on their shores, migrating from Canada and other northern states when the water there freezes. The first eagles of the season are spotted in Illinois in December and remain in residence until they migrate back north in March, with January and February the optimal time for visitors to see eagles.
To accommodate visitors who want to take advantage of the opportunity to experience the bald eagles' majesty and glory, towns and parks across much of the state will host specially planned eagle observation programs and exhibits throughout the prime-viewing season. For anyone interested in American history, bird-watching and the environment, bald eagle season in Illinois is a not-to-be-missed opportunity.
Northern Illinois
Eagle Watch Weekend will be January 23 and 24, 2009 at Starved Rock State Park in Utica. It is the premier event of the area's bald eagle watching season. The events will be held at the Starved Rock Lodge and Conference Center and Illinois Waterway Visitors Center Lock and Dam. Activities are planned throughout the day, and include Native American Eagle Dancer. The World Bird Sanctuary will offer programs at the Lodge at 10:00, 12:00, 2:00, and 4:00. At the Visitors Center, the Illinois Raptor Center will offer programs at 12:00, 2:00, and 4:00.
For more information, contact the Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau (800-746-0550, www.flocktotherock.com/events.htm).
The Eagle Nature Foundation is hosting the Bald Eagle Bus Tours. The 4-hour bus tours to see wintering bald eagles along the Upper Mississippi River will be on January 16th, February 13th, and February 27th. Tickets are $75 for adults and $50 for children.
For more information and to RSVP call the Eagle Nature Foundation (815) 594-2305 or visit www.eaglenature.com.
Western Illinois
In the western region of the state visitors can attend the Quad Cities Bald Eagle Days will be January 8, 9, and 10 in Rock Island. The World Bird Sanctuary will present a seminar, complete with flying demonstrations, that features live bald eagles, hawks, owls, vultures and other birds of prey. The Audubon Society will be offering tours along the Mississippi to view the Bald Eagles in nature. Admission is $4 for adults and $1 for children under 16.
For more information, contact the Quad City Conservation Alliance (309-788-5912, www.qccaexpocenter.com).
Bald Eagle Watch and Clock Tower Tours will be held each Saturday and Sunday January 2, through February 14, 2009 at 9:30 AM, 11:00 AM, and 1:00 PM in Rock Island. The tours begin with a brief presentation about bald eagles in the Visitor Center Theater. Guests then walk to the Clock Tower for an overview of the historical structure. A spotting scope will be available at the top of the Clock Tower for eagle viewing. Admission is free. Please dress warmly and wear comfortable shoes
For more information and to RSVP, contact the Mississippi River Visitor Center (309-794-5338, www.missriver.org).
The Quincy Bald Eagle Watch held during January 23, 2009 from 9 AM to 4 PM in Quincy features outdoor eagle viewing at Lock and Dam 21. Rangers will be available to answer questions and help visitors locate eagles with spotting scopes. The eagles are drawn to the area's open water along the Mississippi River, where food is the most plentiful. Admission is free.
For more information, contact the Quincy Ranger Field Station (217-228-0890).
The 2nd Annual Eagle Apprieciation Day will be held with the Illinois Raptor Center on January 16 at the Community Center in Hamilton at 3:30.
The 10th annual Eagle Day Festival will feature a variety of family activities. The festival is a collaboration of the Emiquon Audubon Society, the Fulton County Arts Council, the Havana Public Library, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Illinois State Museum - Dickson Mounds, the Mason County Arts Council, The Nature Concervancy, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Activities will run from 8 AM to 5 Pm on February 6, 2010 at Dickson Mounds.
Southern Illinois
The Union County Refuge in Union offers another popular spot for bald eagle watching. Visitors can view bald eagles and take wildlife photography off the main road, which runs down the middle of the wildlife refuge. In addition to eagles, Union County is home to a winter population of 50,000 to 100,000 Canada geese every year -- one of Illinois' largest populations of wild geese in their natural habitat. Park rangers will be available weekdays to answer questions about the eagles and other wildlife spotted in the refuge. Admission is free.
For more information on eagle watching, contact the Union County Refuge (618-833-5175).
Southwest Illinois
Located off the Great River Road on the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton offers free bald eagle watching programs December through February. These programs consist of lectures, video presentations and observational drives to several areas where bald eagles are most plentiful. In addition to eagles, visitors may also spot great blue heron, Canada geese, wild turkeys and the pileated woodpecker. Admission is free.
For more information, contact Pere Marquette State Park (618-786-3323, www.greatriverroad.com/Eagles/eagleViews.htm).
Brussels Free Ferry Area in Jersey & Calhoun Counties, Illinois This is a favorite area for Bald Eagles with two adjacent government wildlife areas for roosting and the Brussels Free Ferry churning up fish to eat or to steal from the ringed billed gulls. There is riverside Eagle Watching Parking at the Ferry and several other off road parking areas just east of the Ferry (towards Grafton.) Just west of the ferry along the Great River Road is the Gilbert Lake Hiking Trail of the Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge.
For more information, contact Calhoun County Ferries (http://www.greatriverroad.com/SecondaryPages/ferries.htm).
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway in Madison and Jersey Counties, Illinois From Alton to Grafton the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway runs along the Mississippi River under the limestone bluffs. Eagles can be spotted riding the ice down the river or soaring as they look for fish. There are a number of places that eagle watchers can pull over to get a longer look. Don't forget to stop at the Alton Visitors Center near the grain elevator to get information on the area and on Saturdays in January to see an eagle up close.
For more information, contact Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway (http://www.greatriverroad.com/mgrindex.htm).
Calhoun & Jersey Counties, Illinois offers a viewing station and long range binoculars can be found at the Visitors Center in the Calhoun County portion of this refuge operated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This part of the refuge is most easily accessed by the Brussels Free Ferry which may not be running if the river is frozen. In Jersey County, eagles can be spotted along the flat three mile long Gilbert Lake Hiking Trail. Unfortunately the only known Bald Eagle nest in the region was destroyed by a storm in the spring of 2002.
For more information on the Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge visit http://www.greatriverroad.com/Cities/Brussels/refuge.htm. For more information on Calhoun County Ferries visit http://www.greatriverroad.com/SecondaryPages/ferries.htm.
At Melvin Price Locks and Dams in Jersey County, Illinois the water below the locks and dam are almost always free of ice which makes this a popular place for Bald Eagles. The Esplanade Park has several viewing platforms and a good view of the Maple Island Conservation Area. The Locks and Dam complex is adjacent to the new National Great Rivers Museum (http://www.greatriverroad.com/Cities/EAlton/riverMuseum.htm).
For more information on the Melvin Price Locks and Dams visit http://www.greatriverroad.com/Cities/EAlton/MelvinPrice.htm.
The Nature Institute in Madison County, Illinois is located on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River in Godfrey. The office has a spotting scope that visitors can use to look for eagles and is open Monday through Friday. The Nature Institute also hosts several informational Bald Eagle programs during January and February.
For more information on The Nature Institute visit http://www.greatriverroad.com/Cities/Godfrey/olin.htm.
Bald Eagles like to roost in the trees along the Illinois Hardin Riverfront in Calhoun County, Illinois. Many eagle watchers like to take a lunch break after a morning of "baseball spotting" at either the Barefoot or Mel's Riverdock where diners can view eagles from large picture windows.
For more information visit http://www.greatriverroad.com/Cities/Hardin/HardinCover.htm.
Eagle Days at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Saturday, January 16, and Sunday, January 17, 2009. It includes live eagle programs, exhibits, activities, videos and guides with spotting scopes. The spotting scopes will be located in the middle of the mile-long Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, where guides will help visitors locate the birds along the Mississippi River. Admission is free.
For more information, contact the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge (314-416-9930, www.trailnet.org).
With more than 40 miles of pristine shoreline, the Alton Lake section of the Great River Road is a picturesque spot to view bald eagles. The World Bird Sanctuary will present a live bald eagle for visitors to view up close every Saturday in January at the Alton Eagle Meet & Greet. More than 1,000 eagles migrate to the region each year, returning to their winter home along the bluffs of the Great River Road.
For more information, contact the Alton Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau (618-456-6676, www.visitalton.com).
Two Rivers Bald Eagle Tour will be February 16 at 7:30 AM at the Pittsfield Visitors Center. The tour is $40 and includes lunch. Presentations will be made by the World Bird Sanctuary. To RSVP, call Access Illinois Outdoors at 217-285-2462. Check out the website at www.accessil.org.
The Illinois Bureau of Tourism offers free travel resources with additional information on eagle watching, winter and holiday festivals, and events and attractions. All are available by calling 1-800-2CONNECT to speak with an Illinois travel counselor or by visiting the Bureau's Web site, enjoyillinois.com.
The Illinois Important Bird Areas are a network of designated sites that provide essential habitats for bird populations. For more information about Illinois Important Bird Areas and how to nominate a site for designation go to www.habitatproject.org.
Click here for a list of designated Illinois Important Bird Areas.
