Mississippi River American Bald Eagles

I took a trip to Fulton, Illinois today where I saw lots of Bald Eagles. Define "lots"?? Probably close to 200.

There are 44 in this tree alone. It looked like a tree in bloom with eagle flowers.

I didn't have a long enough lens to get detailed pictures, but you can certainly get an idea of the amazing spectacle.

…

Wow, I want to go!

Lots of fishing taking place.

Success!

More fishing.

Another shot

So cool how they are sitting in the trees behind.

A young one…

I like how they sit on the ice.

There were a few on this side of the river.

A squabbling pair.

Now who has something to say?

thanks to Glo77 who gave me the tip on this location. I'll be back!

Wow,what a great place! Glad you had such a tremendous time!

Thanks for sharing it with us!

Oh my gosh...I think I would be so overwhelmed I would sunburn the roof of my mouth! Fabulous Mrs. Ed...thanks for posting!

LOL Rose!

You are most welcome all. Was truly spectacular.

Here is a shot of the dam. In the foreground is a lock for barge and boat traffic. They have a building with a viewing platform on the top of it, otherwise it's a tall fence blocking the area.

Amazing! 44 in one tree. And to think a few years ago they were on the endangered list. What a comeback.

Just imagine what you could have done with Linth's 700mm lens. (Assuming you could make it fit on your camera.)

Thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed your trip.

Dave

Wowee, Mrs Ed, that's absolutely wonderful. I can't imagine what it must be like to see 200 eagles at one time. I love the squabblers. It look like a great spot. I guess you'll force yourself to return?

Rose, that's so funny.

thanks all. it was indeed a spectacular site. DH and I were questioning whether the high fences with barbed wire were put in years ago, or since the Eagle's recent comeback. I counted about 42 in another tree and 20 in a third area. And that was just on the far side of the river.

The next time I go, I'm going to take my OLD pentax screw-mount 200 MM zoom lens and 2x teleconverter and see what I can do with it. I have a ring that attaches to it to make it fit my K-mount pentax. I really hope it proves successful.

Marna...I just found out that we have Eagle Days at Lake of the Ozarks tomorrow!! You have got me very excited to attend...hope it doesn't rain!

WEEEE! Oh Rose, how fun!! It's Eagle Days this weekend at that spot on the river, but probably too many people for my taste.

Wow, I can't imagine how exciting it was to see so many eagles in one tree! I get excited when I see the four that we have here. Your photos are amazing.

I just ordered a 1.4 teleconverter and am hoping to get better photos of my eagles.

What fantastic fun Mrs_Ed, that was surely worth embracing the cold to see all those! I was sat here with my mouth wide open as I looked at your pics, but no sun to burn the roof of my mouth, lol!

Dellrose, is that by the bagnall dam site?

It truly was spectacular. When you pull into the area you have to go left or right. Having never been there before I didn't really know where to go. Before I even saw the sign pointing left, I could see all of those eagles that were fishing… lots of swooping and riding the wind. I was amazed to get to the viewing area and see them all in the trees. I wonder how many were on this side of the river that i could not see.

Way to go, Mrs_Ed !!! Very nice series of photos. That is fantastic to see so many sitting in one tree. Hope you get back soon. I've taken a breather over the holidays from visiting my favorite site. I made 10 visits since mid-October and took nearly 6000 photos. That's hard to believe !

I'm sure you can't wait to get back. Hope your new lens setup works for you.

Take care and Happy New Year !!!

Great experience Mrs. Ed! And some really nice shots in there. The rare "Eagle Blooming maple" is my favorite.

Oh Charlie, I was thinking of you when I was there. Wish you could have been there too!

Thanks RD, I love that tree too. Now all I have to do is wait for there to be some sun. Let's see, maybe next week! sheesh.

What an amazing experience to have, so many in one spot. I can only imagine the thrill you must of had. I was amazed by the tree full of them too. Fantastic Mrs Ed.

How wonderful, Mrs. Ed! People who see me today might think it's St. Patty's Day I'm so GREEN!

Holy mackeral mrs. ed! Thanks so much for posting. This might be the closest I ever get to that many eagles. Does anyone know if the bald eagle is still on the endangered species list? From the recent postings, it seems like they are flourishing - thankfully.

The Bald eagle is no longer on the "endangered" specie list. It was removed in 2007. It now would fall into a category defined as "Special Concern". This is further defined as "A species of special concerns because of characteristics that make it particularly sensitive to human activities or natural events". There are now over 10,000 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states.

Edited to add: I assume that it would stay in this classification for quite some time. The real issue is the growth in eagle population while habitat continues to be destroyed. There are some locations where that is already an issue. However, they seem to be becoming more adaptable to human environments. It is for that reason that we are starting to see them "in our backyards".

And you thought bird seed was expensive ! Try buying several pounds of fish on a daily basis. What does an eagle bird feeder look like ?

This message was edited Jan 2, 2009 7:33 PM

MAN....

Thank you for the most valuable information Linth. I really appreciate your knowledge! goldfish pond . . . haww haww.

Aww Mrs Ed I am glad you found your way to the Fulton Dam. I did drive up there about 3 weeks ago on a spur of the moment visit leaving lock and Dam 14 but not ready to come home. There were several sitting in the trees across the river that day but really not too much flying around going on. Did you manage to spot the eagles nest while you were there?

Hope you are staying warm Been too cold to get out and photograph the eagles lately. I am going to try to go somewhere over the weekend if this bitter cold doesn't turn to snow next.

Very nice pic glo!!!

Mrs. Ed is Mexico right now, so she is very much staying warm!! lol