In Wisconsin, we’ve got it good when it comes to eagles. Outside of Alaska, the best place to spot a bald eagle in this country is along the Upper Mississippi River Valley, where the river is full of fish and the surrounding landscape harbors plenty of furry treats for the feasting eagle.
Today there are 200 nesting pairs of bald eagles along the 260-mile stretch of the Upper Mississippi refuge, says Scott Mehus, education director at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minn. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but between 1968 and 1973, there was just one nesting pair in the same stretch.
From an estimated high of almost half a million birds in the colonial days, bald eagle populations took a dive, despite the fact that the bird is our national symbol. Hunting, unmitigated use of pesticides, and the fouling of watersheds all contributed to the drop in eagle populations.
Until the mid-90s, the bald eagle was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 43 of the lower 48 states and threatened in the remaining five states, including Wisconsin. In July 1995, bald eagle status was changed to threatened in all lower 48 states. In June, 2007, the Department of the Interior announced that nesting pairs of bald eagles had reached 10,000 in the lower 48, warranting their removal from the Endangered Species List.
There are more than 1,000 nesting pairs of bald eagles in Wisconsin today, says Mehus, increasing the chance of sightings, especially along the winter migration routes listed here.
Lake Pepin & Alma
A great place to seek bald eagles in Wisconsin is from the quaint town of Pepin down through the lock and dam at Alma. Lake Pepin is really just a widening of the Mississippi north of the mouths of the Chippewa and Buffalo rivers. Where there’s open water in winter, there are bound to be eagles.
Check the boat landing at Pepin spring through fall, the Highway 35 bridge over the Chippewa River in winter, or follow Highway 35 right into the city of Alma, where eagles convene at the lock and dam platform.
High above Alma is the stunning Buena Vista City Park, where you can get closer to soaring eagles while getting an unforgettable eyefull of the Mississippi River Valley.
La Crosse & vicinity
While eagles can be seen from beautiful downtown La Crosse in any season (try Riverside Park at the end of State Street, or Pettibone Park across the bridge), the best eagle-watching is actually out along the fringes. See eagles at Myric Marsh, spring through fall, and soaring eagles that hug Grandad Bluff, the highest point in La Crosse County.
Just south of La Crosse on Highway 35, turn into scenic Goose Island County Park. Eagles cruise the river along the campground and boat landings, and roost in the trees to the west.
Head south on Highway 35 to Stoddard and Genoa to take advantage of one of several parking pullouts on the west side of the road to see eagles fishing in the wide channel or riding the thermals overhead. Watch out for fast-moving traffic when entering and exiting the pullouts.
Prairie du Chien & vicinity
Like the river communities farther north, Prairie du Chien is good for four-season eagle traffic. Eagles use the Wisconsin River as a road map when migrating, so a good place to wait them out is at one of the gorgeous scenic overlooks at Wyalusing State Park, just south of Prairie du Chien.
Nelsen Dewey State Park is a prime eagle spot, as is the area south of Cassville where the Mississippi widens – which, when not frozen in the winter, attracts hundreds of adult and immature birds.
The boat landing in Potosi is a great all-around bird-watching spot. It’s located on a long spit of land that sticks out into the Mississippi River. You can reach it by following Highway 133 south out of the town of Potosi. The Grant River Recreation Area farther south along Highway 133 is another good option.
Necedah National Wildlife Refuge
As you head east and south into the state of Wisconsin eagles are harder to come by. One of the better inland sites for eagle-watching is the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. The 43,656-acre refuge has large reservoirs that attract nesting and migrant bald eagles that are joined by smaller numbers of golden eagles in the winter.
The Wisconsin River Valley
Another great eagle-spotting area lies northwest of Madison along the Wisconsin River. A dam here helps to keep part of the river open all year, so eagle sightings are a regular winter event. The local communities celebrate the eagle visits with Bald Eagle Watching Days, held January 15 and 16 this year.
Both Sauk City and adjoining Prairie du Sac offer excellent vantage points to watch birds. Ferry Bluff Eagle Council volunteers man the overlook on Water Street just south of downtown Prairie du Sac off Highway 78 to help visitors see the eagles. FBEC also has an eagle-watching bus tour that runs Saturdays, January 9 through February 20. Eagle activity can also be monitored at the VFW Park, the Alliant Energy Dam off Highway 78, and from the Old Railroad Bridge on Water Street in Sauk City.
Eagle-watching Tips
• Use your car as a blind. Birds are less nervous about cars than about the people who get out of them. (It’s also warmer inside!)
• Go in the morning, when eagles are most likely to be out looking for food.
• Look for eagles perched in trees, on the ice near open water or soaring along bluff ridges.
• Watch for the extraordinary courtship flight of eagles!
• Participate in the 110th annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count through January 5. A nationwide bird census, the CBC has typically tallied good numbers of eagles in Baraboo, Cassville, Durand, Hudson, La Crosse, Nelson, Sauk City and Trempealeau.
Steve Betchkal is chief photographer at WQOW in Eau Claire and author of All of This and Robins Too: A Guide to the 50 or so Best Places to Find Birds in Wisconsin.
