Eagles Winter Over in Southern Illinois

Southern Illinois bird-watchers gets a chance during the winter months to enjoy a singular sighting experience:  American bald eagles down from up North, seeking feedind and nesting sites.

From December to March, more than 3,000 American bald eagles visit the state, especially in the Mississippi River valley. They favor dammed up sections of the river perhaps due to quieter waters but also because the opening and closing of locks sometimes stuns fish which become easy prey for eagles.

The US Army Corps of Engineers, for the record, created the chain of dams along the Upper Mississippi River down as far as just above St Louis at Chain of Rocks to build up deep-water pools to aid navigation. Unavoidably, it did complicate transits somewhat with the lock systems needed but it tamed the river. Below St Louis, the river is consistently deep enough dams are not needed.

The eagles are seafood connoisseurs. When the lakes and ponds up north ice over, they come down to Illinois where they not only have comparatively warmer winter quarters, but they often construct nests that they return to annually to raise their young. Over time, these nests can become quite huge.

Alton, Illinois

Eagles are not hard to find. One popular spotting location is the bird sanctuary located across the Mississippi River from Alton, on the Missouri side. There's a gas station about a half mile down the highway from the Lewis and Clark Bridge that takes you down to a viewing area on the left which looks out over a slough between the road and the river. There's even a viewing pier that looks across to the finger of land extending out into the slough. There you'll see eagles perched in the trees and flying overhead, perhaps one sitting on the ice, swiveling his head back and forth. The 2009 Eagle Watcher's Guide with tips for eagle watching, recommended driving routes, and eagle watching hot spots, can be requested at www.VisitAlton.com. A schedule of related activities can also be found at the site.

Good time to mention, binoculars are recommended.

Pere Marquette State Park, Grafton

Another popular spotting area is Pere Marquette State Park near Grafton, about 30 miles north of St Louis and located on the Illinois River just above its confluence with the Mississippi.  The site interpreter presents about 25 eagle-viewing programs about bald eagles on select dates throughout the winter starting at 8:30 am at the visitor center.  A short video starts things off then you get to go out and spot eagles who are wintering over. Visitors will learn to distinguish between immature and mature bald eagles, what eagles eat, why they spend winter months in the area, and much more. For schedule and information, call 618/786-3323. Advance registration is needed. The tours can accommodate 60 and are always booked up.

Chain of Rocks, North St Louis...and more

The Chain of Rocks area just north of St Louis is another popular viewing site. There are also some inland locations where bald eagles can occasionally be seen such as the man-made Rend Lake. I've even been told by officials at Carlyle Lake, the state's largest man-made lake, that they believe they may have a nesting pair of eagles.