Peterson, Iowa — There are more bald eagles making their home in Iowa than ever before.
The majestic creatures are on the hunt at this time of year and the big birds are now available for viewing in every corner of the state. Pat Schlarbaum, a wildlife diversity technician with the Iowa D.N.R., says there are more than 400 eagle nesting pairs across the state’s 99 counties.
Iowa had no bald eagles for roughly seven decades until a nesting pair was confirmed in the state in the late 1970’s. There are bald eagle watch events scheduled in the upcoming weeks in O’Brien County and in seven locations in central and eastern Iowa.
O’Brien County Naturalist Charlene Elyea says that winter is a wonderful time of year to spot bald eagles and other birds in the Little Sioux River Valley. She says the valley provides protection from the winds as well as food sources.
The O’Brien County Winter Birding event is coming up on Saturday, January 7. If you’d like to go, meet at the Prairie Heritage Center. It’s located between Sutherland and Peterson on Highway 10. Just head east from Sutherland and when you get to Yellow Avenue, go a little more than a half a mile north.
If you go, you’ll carpool to visit some special birding spots and take part in the annual Bald Eagle Survey. The event begins at 10:00 a.m. and will continue into the afternoon; so Elyea says bring a sack lunch to enjoy for a break.
For more information about the event, you can contact the O’Brien County Conservation Board at 712-295-7200.
