Bald Eagles can be found along the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway from Alton to Grafton, Illinois from late December through February.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Day trips are often the best getaways taken. Alton, Illinois is one such destination, especially during winter when for the cost of gas and lunch one is afforded an unforgettable spying experience on its seasonal celebrities, the bald eagles.
The Mississippi Flyway is the second largest concentration of migrating bald eagles in the country. The Alton region is their favored roost. Here sightings begin before dawn with eagle watching lasting throughout the day. To spot eagles in the air look for what some describe as a flying two by fours.
“Eagles have wide flat wing span so they’re easy to spot in the air,” said Scott Isinghausen, park interpreter with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) who has led eagle watching tours for 19 years. “ To spot eagles in trees I tell people to look for a white baseball, then look closer you’ll see there’s a body attached to it.”
Eagle counts have been averaging about 30 with 42 being sighted by Isinghausen on a tour earlier in the week.
“People are happy with the numbers we’re seeing but once the temperatures come up and the ice breaks up in the river there will be more to view,” said Isinghasen.
Live Eagle Meet & Greets are every Saturday at the Alton Visitor Center in Alton, Illinois with eagles provided by the World Bird Sanctuary.
Eagle tours are offered free through the Illinois DNR at Pere Marquette Park’s Visitors Center, located a short drive from Alton and outside Grafton. To take a guided tour all you need is a reservation. Tours begin at 8:30 am with an hour orientation program at the visitor’s center before heading out for a day of viewing that lasts until 3 p.m. As a courtesy the IDNR provides spotting scopes for visitors to get a close look these majestic birds.
A Dutch treat lunch stop is provided during the tour at a local restaurant along the river. Favored stops with great river views are the Loading Dock and The Bearfoot Bar where with luck you can watch eagles fishing and feeding while you feed yourself. The historic CCC-constructed Lodge at Pere Marquette located within Pere Marquette State Park and near the Visitor’s Center offers full-service dining along with overnight accommodations. The Lodge also offers specialty priced Eagle Getaway packages that can include upgraded luxury eagle watching tours from a stretch limo.
The Alton Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) can help you plan your eagle outing with its free Eagle Watcher’s Guide, available free for the asking. It lists eagle watching tips and etiquette to information on area activities, including this years new photography workshops. An alternative activity to include during a day of eagling is to stop for mapling at Mason Hollow where maple trees are tapped and sap is boiled down using vintage wood fired evaporators.
Mason Hollow is the only public maple syrup sugarbush in the Alton region. Sap runs are totally dependent on Mother Nature. Freezing nights and warm days are needed for the sap to run at its best. Mason Hollow is open on weekends when weather permits and weekdays when the sap is running.
Beyond eagles and maple syrup check out area shopping, antiquing, dining and entertainment. For a complete listing of touring options contact the Alton Visitors Convention Bureau www.VisitAlton.com 1-800-ALTON-IL.
For information on eagle watching tours sponsored by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources click on www.dnr.state.il.us or call (618) 786-3323 and for Pere Marquette Lodge www.pmlodge.net
Suzanne Corbett is an award-winning writer/producer and culinary teacher, but her passion is being a food historian. She has written for Better Homes & Gardens, and was the radio host of Hot Plates, which aired on KSLG. She is the author of the award winning cookbook, Pushcarts & Stalls: The Soulard Market History Cookbook.
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