Sure, you could stay inside the entire month and avoid the cold.
But you’ll be missing the bald eagles.
It’s the best time of year to watch the majestic national mascot, even if the Mississippi River isn’t as frozen as it often is in January. Eagles tend to congregate near dams when the air temperature drops low enough to freeze portions of the Mississippi River, forcing them to grab fish from the unfrozen pools of river water.
Des Moines County Conservation will lead several bald eagle educational programs for the next couple of weeks, culminating with the annual volunteer bald eagle count Jan. 25 at Lock and Dam 18. The eagle count will be preceded by a short eagle informational session at 10 a.m. at the Port of Burlington Welcome Center, and all are welcome.
Eagle enthusiast and retired teacher Lori Carnes will lead the programs for the rest of the month, and those too are also free and open to the public. Carnes works with the Raptor Research Project, educating children about the animal’s importance, lifestyle, and history.
From 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Jan. 15, Carnes will be on hand at the Port of Burlington Welcome Center to answer eagle questions and will present an hour-long program at 10:30 a.m. Participants are then welcome to join Carnes at Lock and Dam 18 in Gladstone, Ill., for some eagle watching at about noon. Binoculars will be available for loan.
Carnes will return to for an interactive program from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday (Jan. 18), helping participants build a life-sized eagle nest at Starr’s Cave Nature Center. Participants will measure out the size of the nests, explore the different nest shapes, and take a short hike to build our own. All ages are welcome, but everyone should dress for the weather.
Carnes will lead another program from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday (Jan. 20) at Starr’s Cave Nature Center titled “Eagle Cycle Life.” This program will explore the life of an eagle from every angle, and another eagle watching opportunity with Carnes at Lock and Dam 18 will follow.
The series of eagle events will end with an annual bald eagle count at 10 a.m. next Saturday (Jan 25), staring with one last presentation by Carnes at The Welcome Center. Participants will caravan to Lock and Dam 18 in Illinois and are expected to arrange their own transportation. Birdwatchers will be given instruction in eagle identification and counting methods used for the survey, and binoculars will be available for loan.
There is no fee or registration required for any of the programs, and participants can come and go as they please. For more information, contact Starr’s Cave Nature Center at (319) 753-5808.