Bald Eagle Appreciation Days Feb. 28-29

By Ted Pennekamp

The 15th Annual Bald Eagle Appreciation Days will be held on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 28-29, in Prairie du Chien. The event will feature new programs and presentations by state and local birding experts. The event will consist of educational and fun activities for outdoor enthusiasts and the entire family.

“I’m pleased and excited about our 15th Annual Bald Eagle Appreciation Days,” said Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce Director Bob Moses. “I’m excited about people returning to Prairie du Chien for this event and the fact that local lodging businesses are participating as well.”

Free programs open to the public begin Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. at Country Inn and Suites, located on Highway 35 in Prairie du Chien. Ty Smedes will kick off the weekend with his new program concentrated on Bald Eagles, Hawks and Owls of the Upper Midwest. Immediately following Ty’s presentation, Albert LeBeau, Cultural Resource Program Manager at Effigy Mounds National Monument, will be sharing a special featured presentation.

Ty Smedes will be make his second presentation on Bald Eagles, Hawks and Owls of the Upper Midwest at the Waterfront Hotel located at 113 S. Main Street at 8 p.m.

Highlights on Saturday at Hoffman Hall, 1600 S. Wacouta Ave., will be live bird programs featuring a bald eagle and five other raptors during the event, presented by The Schlitz Audubon Society from Bayside, Wis. 

Other educational programs include John Howe, executive director of the Raptor Research Project from Decorah, Iowa, on the Immigrate Falcon Recovery in the Driftless Region from 9:15 a.m.–10 a.m. At 12:30 p.m., Rich Staffen, zoologist/conservation biologist with the DNR Natural Heritage Conservation Program, will address Southwest Wisconsin bald eagle surveys and monitoring.

Throughout the day, attendees will also be able to view many educational birding and nature exhibits. Children will be able to take part in hands-on activities as they engage in the Bald Eagle Coloring Contest and face painting by Linda Coon.

The Villa Louis Historical Site will be providing tours at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The Fort Crawford Museum will be offering self-guided tours of the museum from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and providing a children’s story time entitled “The Legend of Old Abe – A Civil War Eagle” at noon and 2 p.m.

Quality Inn & Suites is hosting two programs on Saturday evening, Feb. 29. The first presentation “The Eagles of Decorah” by John Howe, Raptor Resource Project Director, will be from 6 p.m.–6:45 p.m. Biologist Brett Mandernack will be featuring wildlife displays from 6 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

On Sunday, March 1, Quality Inn & Suites is hosting a fundraiser painting party for Rivers and Bluffs Animal Shelter. The fundraising activities are schedule for 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Participants can register at Rivers and Bluffs Animal Shelter or Quality Inn & Suites.

Local birding observation will also be available throughout the Prairie du Chien area. Pick up a bald eagle site map at Hoffman Hall during the event.

For a complete list of programs and exhibits, as well as times and locations of activities, call (800) 732-1673, or visit the website at prairieduchien.org.

Every year is a bit different, and the number of eagles in the Prairie du Chien area that can be easily viewed will be dictated by the weather. Hopefully, the recent warming trend will continue and a good breeze will be maintained in the days leading up to Bald Eagle Appreciation Days. Warmer weather along with a breeze usually aids in eagle migration.

Local birds who stay year-round are already on their nests, and will be protecting their nests from migrating eagles. A nesting pair can be seen by driving north from Prairie du Chien on County K. A large nest is on the left as one travels north and there is usually one or two eagles in a tree about 90 yards to the south of the nest. Four mature bald eagles have been spotted in that area over the past few months.

Dead shad drifting through at the Washington Street Bridge, the Blackhawk Avenue Bridge, the Campion Boat Landing and other local areas usually make for easy feeding and roosting sites for bald eagles. In recent weeks,  however, there haven’t been many eagles at the Washington Street Bridge and other normally good viewing spots in the Prairie du Chien area. That could change soon, however, depending upon the weather.

There has been a lot of current recently in the sloughs with the relatively high river level, so eagles may have been going inland to smaller rivers such as the Kickapoo and Yellow River in Iowa where feeding is easier. Area trout steams may have been attracting eagles as well, so those wishing to view eagles in the wild might wish to take a short drive to those parts of Crawford County.

If the migration begins, migrating eagles will follow the Mississippi River as their natural flyway. The normal peak for good numbers of birds is around March 2.

Ritter’s Fish Market on Highway 27 near County N between Prairie du Chien and Eastman can also be a good spot to view eagles if fish guts have been spread on the nearby fields.

Eagle watchers should bring their scopes or cameras and be sure to stay in their car, because a car is the best bird blind they can have at many of these locations.

At the end of February, normal winter flock (local eagles) usually start laying their eggs. Hopefully, eagle enthusiasts will get the chance to see synchronized flights and other activities by the various pairs.

Eagles are fun to see whether in a natural setting or a controlled setting such as the presentations at Hoffman Hall and the other locations where programs will be held during the Prairie du Chien Bald Eagle Appreciation Days. 

These presentations will provide plenty of photo opportunities of people with the live birds as well as photographing the people who are in various educational costumes.

All-in-all, Prairie du Chien Bald Eagle Appreciation Days offers an enjoyable educational opportunity for the whole family.