Henry Rifle Forums

Today was a perfect day for Bald Eagle watching. It was chilly with temps in mid-30s, but the sun rays were warming coming down out of a cloudless blue sky. A most refreshing outdoors time. Our MDC not only provides our state's residents with great shooting venues and a lot of hunting seasons, the Conservation services are also great.

This is the statewide MDC web page for eagle watching https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/eagle-days-5 . I went out today to the Corp of Engineers Smithville Lake, which is about 20 miles north of the KCMO Northland where I live. Here is the event description:

Eagle Days this weekend at Smithville Lake will allow area residents to watch waterfowl and bald eagles at viewing stations.

Spotting scopes will help visitors get a closer view, and conservation agents and park rangers will be there to help spot and identify wildlife.

Eagle Days is a free event hosted by the Missouri Department of Conservation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Clay County Department of Parks and Recreation. The event includes indoor nature programs and wildlife viewing opportunities outdoors.

I went out around noon time, and it was a real enjoyable time walking along the field and woods where any number of Bald Eagles are seen. I saw four eagles today using both my own binocs and the scopes the Rangers had set up for public use. Beautiful sight! I chatted with one Ranger and he said a couple of hours earlier there were 12 Bald Eagles seen at the same time!

Then an extra unexpected visitor, a large, beautiful doe, came running out of the woods and headed across the field directly toward me. There were little tykes eagle watching with their parents, and the doe was especially exciting for them to see. This yearly MDC event is on my calendar again for next January. Great time was had watching these magnificent birds

PT7

Glad you got out. It is a great sight. When I lived in Nebraska, I often participated in winter eagle counts along the Platte river. Pretty amazing to see so many eagles in some locations. On some counts, we tallied over 100 eagles in one day of traveling along the river.

Love to see them around here, they are around often.

The winter count of Eagles in my neighborhood along the CT River usually exceeds 100, too. It's tidal (the name Connecticut is anglicized from the Pequot word “quinetucket,” meaning "long tidal river") and the lower 15 miles rarely freezes over, so for the Eagles and Osprey, the fishing is good and both birds thrive here now that DDT has long ago been banned. I've been lucky enough to see them from my living room window, and it never fails to excite me.

PT7 wrote:Today was a perfect day for Bald Eagle watching.

North Country Gal wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 04, 2020 6:03 pm

When I lived in Nebraska, I often participated in winter eagle counts along the Platte river. Pretty amazing to see so many eagles in some locations. On some counts, we tallied over 100 eagles in one day of traveling along the river.

There are several places on the bike trail I ride when the weather is warm enough where they nest. Its always cool to see them taking care of there young and there are many people who watch and take pictures of them.

That would be cool to see the eagles care for their young'uns, Al. Adjacent to the woods and fields I was at yesterday, there are hiking/biking trails, and also very nice picnic areas. I think I might be heading there this year in the warmer weather to see more eagle activity! The Northland is becoming more crowded like metropolitan KCMO. Sure glad to have the Smithville Lake so close by which takes me away from the hustle-bustle around me.

PT7

CT & RR, sounds very to be able to see Bald Eagles from your own yards!

BigAl52 wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 04, 2020 10:13 pm

There are several places on the bike trail I ride when the weather is warm enough where they nest. Its always cool to see them taking care of there young and there are many people who watch and take pictures of them.

We live in the woods on a small lake that is classified "Primitive". We have eagles nesting across the lake from our dock and canoe over sometimes to see the chicks. They usually sit on limbs and watch us paddle beneath them. The nest is huge. Yesterday morning I woke up and looked down at the lake which is frozen now, and two immature eagles were roosting in trees at the waters edge. In the past we have watched the parents trying to drive the chicks away. They seem to want to live in Ma's basement.

A couple miles up the road there are two deer kills by auto. Every time we go to town there are eagles feeding on the carcasses. Last week I watched three eagles fighting over one while the crows took advantage.