Bald Eagle perched on a snag along the upper Mississippi River
We loaded up in the pewter school van yesterday and set out on a sight-seeing trip. We spotted our first birds near the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, MN. There were close to 20 eagles pearched in trees along the river.
We continued north along Hwy 61 to Lake City, MN. There are several places to pull over and observe birds along the highway. Eagles flew right over our van as we were driving!! An amazing sight when you consider their wingspan is six to seven and a half feet!
At one of the highway pull-offs we spotted several eagles standing on the edge of the ice near open waters. They were fishing!
Their vision is so good - they could read a newspaper from across a football field. This helps them spot fish from a great distance while they're flying.
The eagles weren't alone. They shared the river with large numbers of waterfowl, including Canada Goose and Mallards.
Not all the Bald Eagles we spotted had the distinctive white head and tail. It takes about five years to get their adult plumage. The immatures are all variations of mottled black and white.
