If you enjoy watching Bald Eagles, visiting the Prairie du Chien area is a must! Prairie du Chien is along the migration route and, is a normal wintering area for these birds in the Mississippi River valley.
Bald
Eagle Appreciation Day - February 27, 2010
Held on the grounds of the Prairie du Chien Regional
Tourism Center/Prairie du Chien Chamber, 211 S Main, Prairie du
Chien, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Live Bald Eagle programs at 11 a.m. and
1p.m., various birding and nature exhibits and displays, birding
experts on hand, outdoor viewing of Bald Eagles through spotting
scopes, life-size Bald Eagle nest, activities for children, sponsored by Effigy Mounds
National Monument, Audubon Society, Wisconsin and Iowa DNR, Fish
& Wildlife Service, and the Prairie du Chien Chamber of
Commerce/ Tourism Council, 800 732-1673.
Decorah
Bald Eagle Cam
Watch actual live monitoring of a Bald Eagle nest in the Decorah area.
During the 2010 nesting season, Luther College, Decorah, IA, is
hosting the Decorah Bald Eagle web site, once on the web page click on
the Bald eagle to bring up the cam window.
Bald Eagle Report
 If you would
like to report Bald Eagle activities in the area, email your report
to this web site or contact the Chamber of Commerce office,
1-800-732-1673.
Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010: Prairie
du Chien area has slowed. However, activity near bald eagle nests
has been on the increase. Mated eagle
pairs are busy bringing sticks and other
nesting material to the nest. One or two trips a day to a nest with
material is about average at this
time. These resident eagles may be seen at
local feeding sites including near the Washington St. and Blackhawk
Ave. bridges in Prairie
du Chien. Eagles are also being seen at Lock and Dam 9,
10 miles north of Prairie du Chien.
Where you find open water is always a good
place to look for eagles. Check the nearby trees for eagles on post,
ready to swoop down and take a fish.
North of Prairie du Chien on State Hwy 27
at County Road N (west) a commercial fisherman is disposing of fish
waste on a nearby
field. Eagle activity varies at this site but usually there are
several eagles on the ground or in
nearby trees. If you go to this site park
along County Road N west of State Hwy 27. Stay in your car for the
best views of eagles feeding or
flying to or from this site. If you exit your
vehicle you will spook the birds. By staying in your vehicle eagles
may come within 10 yards of you. East
of Patch Grove, south of Prairie du Chien,
on U.S. Hwy 18 eagles have been seen feeding on agricultural carrion
in fields near hog and calf
confinment facilities.
Dennis and Alice
Kirschbaum
Prairie du Chien, Wi 53821
608-326-2718
Eagle Habits
The Mississippi River valley is an ideal wintering habitat for the bald eagle. There is food, shelter, and a good source of lifting winds in this area. The bald eagle prefers fish and the river has an abundance of species for the eagle to catch or scavenge. Eagles will also go inland where food sources are available. Eagles need deep valleys to roost in at night for protection from wind and cold.
During the day they use perching trees near open water feeding areas for resting and searching for food. Large riverbank cottonwood and oak trees are ideal for this perch. Eagles spend much of their time  soaring over the river looking for food or moving from one area to another. As the cold air of the morning warms it lifts. The greatest lifting action occurs along the river bluffs. Eagles take advantage of this lifting action and can be seen soaring along the bluffs for hours utilizing this free wind. As long as there is open water on the river there will be eagles in the area.
Prairie du Chien Viewing Areas
A good spot for eagle viewing is between the Blackhawk Avenue and Washington Street bridges in Prairie du Chien. A large artesian well provides open water. Eagles will perch in trees along the slough. Check the trees along the Mississippi River shore near and across from Lawler Park on St. Feriole Island is another location of eagle activity. The park is west and north of the Blackhawk Avenue bridge. A mounted bird scope for viewing is available (located in back of building) at the Wisconsin Welcome Center/Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce building, 211 S. Main. Enroute to Prairie du Chien watch for eagles soaring or perching in trees in open field areas looking for food.
Tips For Viewing Eagles
You can spend the day or several days viewing eagles. You will need appropriate clothing and binoculars. A spotting scope is nice too. Eagle watching begins in the morning about an hour after sunrise. The birds are most active from then until about 3:00PM, feeding in open water areas. Birds can be seen soaring, perching in riverside trees, and sitting on the ice. By late afternoon the birds will be heading for the roost and will not be active unless you are on a flight path to the roost.
The best places to see eagles in the area include the Gordon's Bay boat landing and Lock and Dam #9, 10 miles north of Prairie du Chien. The boat landing is cleared of snow so eagle watchers can simply park near the ramp facing slightly upstream. Watch for eagles in the big cottonwoods along the Wisconsin shoreline, across the river in trees along the Iowa shoreline, and soaring overhead or over the open water caused by flowing water from the dam. Staying in your vehicle will provide you the best viewing as soaring eagles have been known to come very close to the boat landing with their feeding activity. Eagles will be seen flying and perched in trees along the river as you travel to and from this area from Prairie du Chien.
Other Eagle Viewing Sites
Effigy Mounds National Monument
Three miles north of Marquette, IA,
563-873-3491
Pikes Peak State Park
2.5 miles south of McGregor, IA on Hwy 340
563-873-2341
Wyalusing State Park
10 miles south of Prairie du Chien, WI
608-996-2261
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