Bald Eagle Watching Days

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DNR

media release: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) invites the public to participate in the rescheduled 38th annual Bald Eagle Watching Days happening on Saturday, Feb. 10, in Sauk Prairie. All Bald Eagle Watching Days events are free and open to the public; events at the River Arts Center require a ticket, which can be picked up at the ticket booth..

Bald eagle lovers can watch eagles soar above the Wisconsin River from a newly renovated overlook located at 490 Water St. in Prairie du Sac. Volunteers will be available at the overlook to help visitors spot eagles and answer questions from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Visitors can also enjoy live raptor shows in the River Arts Center of the Sauk Prairie High School featuring educational birds and trainers from the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in Milwaukee, a screening of a recently recorded rehabilitated bald eagle release with live expert Q&A session and more family-friendly activities. Full details are available on the Ferry Bluff Eagle Council website.

Programs include: Eagle release video, 10 am; "Laughing with Animals" program by David Stokes, 11:30 am; Live birds of prey from Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, 2 pm.

"These events offer unique opportunities for people to come together to celebrate the success of bald eagle recovery and conservation in Wisconsin," said Sumner Matteson, DNR avian ecologist.

Active bald eagle nests can be found in every county of Wisconsin. Bald Eagle Watching Days celebrates eagles as they gather in winter areas, providing fantastic viewing opportunities as eagles from northern Wisconsin, Canada, northern Michigan and Minnesota move south in search of food. Raptors looking for fish typically congregate along open water areas below dams along the Wisconsin, Mississippi and Fox rivers, where their growing presence has turned the sites into birdwatching destinations and inspired many community events.

The event is co-sponsored by Ferry Bluff Eagle Council, the Sauk Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce, the Wisconsin DNR and Tripp Museum in Prairie du Sac.

Eagle Watching Tips

The best time to see foraging eagles will be in the early morning (8-10 a.m.) as they depart their nighttime communal roosts to feed along the river and two hours before dusk as they return to their roosts.

When viewing eagles at these events or on your own, biologists advise onlookers not to venture too close as it will cause the eagles to fly off. Watchers are also encouraged to stay in their cars unless they are at a staffed viewing site.