Eagles do not disappoint at 40th annual Bald Eagle Watch in Fulton

FULTON – The eagles did not disappoint Saturday when they showed up for the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge’s 100th anniversary at the 40th annual Bald Eagle Watch.

The program, originally scheduled for Jan. 17 and hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was postponed to February when Mother Nature swept the region with a frigid winter storm.

One of the concerns organizers had in delaying the event was the fear that fewer eagles would be at the nearby Lock and Dam 13, north of Fulton, for spectators to see.

Jacquelynn Albrecht, a park ranger with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and host of the day’s program, said that concern was unfounded.

“The last I heard from some of our naturalists, we have 60 eagles at the Lock and Dam right now,” Albrecht said during the event.

In addition to the raptors, plenty of guests also turned out for the event, which included activities at Clinton Community College, across the Mississippi River, in Clinton, Iowa.

During the winter months, eagles take advantage of the unfrozen water created by man-made dams to hunt for fish. Hundreds of eagles can be found skimming the waters of the Mississippi, but as the ice melts, the eagles seek other foraging areas.

“When the winter was so cold the river froze, that was when the eagle view was really best,” said Mary Schabilion, a member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Paul Winer, one of the hosts and naturalists at Fulton, also was concerned eagles may not as visible on Saturday as they were last month.

“I didn’t expect to see any here this morning, and there are about 20 at the moment. If you look at the tree directly across from us and look at all white spots, every one of those is an eagle,” he said.

Bald eagles can sometimes be hard to spot because they don’t gain their distinctive white head until they mature at about 5 years old.

“They go from almost solid brown in their first year and start getting patches of white when they are almost adults. Their eyes are brown as juveniles, and they change to their yellow coloring. That is why people mistake them for golden eagles,” Winer said.

He made sure to point out eagle nests along the river line at Lock and Dam 13. The event is designed to teach visitors about bald eagles.

“We’re excited to be here if we can get people out here, educate them about bald eagles and get them reconnected to nature, especially for the people living in the neighborhood,” Schabilion said. “They live in your own backyard. I’ve known so many people that were surprised that this is even a thing that happens, but it’s quite the spectacle.”

At Clinton Community College, presentations from a variety of conservation groups were offered.

“It’s quite the special event. We have representation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, local conservation groups, master gardeners and all sorts of folks here today, really, to get people oriented with the event,” Albrecht said.

Kevin Zidarich, also a park ranger and member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, echoed that sentiment.

“I’ve been involved with nine of the eagle watches here in Clinton. We’ve always tried to make it a family-friendly-oriented program. We try to get several different organizations each year, and we offer the opportunity for people to learn new things about birds of prey and whatever other program we offer at the time. It’s just an open forum for folks to ask questions or see what is going on with the Mississippi River,” Zidarich said.

Events this year included presentations celebrating the centennial of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge; lectures on amphibians; and presentations with live raptors including a barn owl, a red-tailed hawk and Thora the bald eagle.

“I’m thankful that people are here spending time to learn about community, connection and conservation,” Albrecht said. “We’ve had tons of people ask what our 100-year celebration looks like. We have a kids’ fishing clinic in September and lots of other programs throughout the year, so it’s very special to be kicking things off with [the] Eagle Watch.”