ST. LOUIS — It’s time for the eagles, like any migrating birds, to follow the Mississippi Flyway south and grab a few snacks along the way. It’s also time for crowds of humans to grab their binoculars and watch.
The Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau based in Alton, Illinois, as well as local nature groups and centers, hosts the eagles and the people. Several festivals provide opportunities get a closer look, including the Alton Eagle Ice Festival, which happened Jan. 7.
The tourism bureau also encourages self-guided eagle watching using a downloadable Eagle Watching Passport at explore.riversandroutes.com, which guides spectators to specific destinations.
Pere Marquette State Park
Visitors can make reservations for a bald eagle tour that starts at Pere Marquette State Park. The tours started in late December and will continue on select days through early March. The program begins at 8:30 a.m. with a presentation at the visitor center and continues with an observational drive to view bald eagles. Visitors are advised to dress warmly, bring binoculars and have a full tank of gas.
Audubon Center at Riverlands
The Audubon Center at Riverlands is one of the locations for as Raptor Saturdays and Eagle Sundays through January and mid-February. Eagle Days, previously held at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, will move to Riverlands for this year’s festival on Feb. 11. This is to accommodate improvements on the Missouri side of the bridge.
When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 7 (Eagle Ice Festival); 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 11 (Eagle Days)
Where: Audubon Center at Riverlands, 301 Riverlands Way, West Alton
Cost: free; registration required for Eagle Days
More info: riverlands.audubon.org; greatriversgreenway.org/eagledays
National Great Rivers Museum
The National Great Rivers Museum is also a part of the Alton Eagle Ice Festival and will host watching tours and a live eagle from the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park. The event is free, and guided tours by shuttle are $15 per person. The museum will also host an Ice Jam at the Dam on Feb. 18, with presentations and live music.
When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 7 (Eagle Ice Festival); 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 18 (Ice Jam at the Dam)
Where: 2 Lock and Dam Way, East Alton
Cost: free; $15 for shuttle tours
More info: mtrf.org
Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower
For the ice festival Jan. 7, representatives from the TreeHouse Wildlife Center will bring several birds of prey from the region to the Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower. They’ll talk about what kinds of birds can be seen in the winter. Visitors can take a tour of the tower to spot birds on their own.
When: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Jan. 7
Where: Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower, 435 Confluence Tower Drive, Hartford, Illinois
Cost: free for presentation, fee to climb tower
More info: riversandroutes.com/directory/lewis-clark-confluence-tower/
Missouri Department of Conservation Eagle Days
The Missouri Department of Conservation presents all kinds of eagle-watching events. The ones closest to St. Louis are Eagle Days on Feb. 11 at the Audubon Center at Riverlands and a sunrise hike Jan. 7 at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area to watch for eagles at the confluence. Meet at the front gate and caravan with the naturalists to lot “L.”
When: 6:30-8 a.m. Jan. 7
Where: Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, 801 Strodtman Road
Cost: free
More info: mdc.mo.gov/events/eagle-days
Eagle meet and greets
The Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau in Alton will partner with the World Bird Sanctuary to host several Eagle Meet and Greet events. Visitors can meet a live American bald eagle Jan. 7 at Flock food truck park, Jan. 21 at the Alton Visitor Center, and Jan. 14 and Jan. 28 at the Grafton Visitor Center. The meet-and-greets are 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
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