Eagle Watching 20190126

The wife and I took a Saturday drive yesterday, we went out in search of eagles.  Up the River Road to Pere Marquette area, then back down with a side trip to Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary in West Alton, MO.  We had a nice drive, but all the way up, no eagles. That's OK, you take what life gives you.  

Some decent photo ops from the drive, and at Pere Marquette:

Lower Stump Lake,  Pere Marquette

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Piasa Island, Mississippi River.  About 1/2 way between Alton and Grafton

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Shortly after passing the Brussels Ferry, looking through the trees, I glimpsed an eagle riding the ice out on the Illinois River.  There was a pull-out almost immediately, so we were able to get a good view.  We saw an adult and a juvenile (no white head) out on the ice, and two more hanging out in a tree across the river.  Too far for photos, but a nice view of the river:

Illinois River, looking downstream.  Near Brussels Ferry landing

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Continuing south, not too far below Grafton, while passing through a bit of a snow squall, we saw a big eagle out on the ice in the Mississippi River.  I don't have a long-zoom for my new camera, but was able to catch the essence of the eagle.  This is stopped along the Great River Road:

Mississippi River

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We had fun wandering around Riverlands, checked out a few of the "backroads" we hadn't explored before.  Lots of birds, but not eagles.  As we pulled into the parking lot below the dam, one flew directly overhead.  Most cool, but I didn't have a camera at the ready.  We saw a couple more in the trees below the dam, maybe 750 yards.  Way too far for camera, on the edge of what we could see with the binoculars.

Overall, a great way to spend (most of) a day.  Looking online, it seems there were more out later in the day, after we had headed home.  Next time!