The Eagles Have Landed

The eagles are back!

There were seven of them in a couple trees on the property behind ours, two adults and five juveniles. They show up every year now and stay for anywhere from a few weeks to a couple months on their trek to the Mississippi.

They are a beautiful sight to see, especially in their natural habitat. They were too far away for me to get a decent picture with my camera and we wanted to respect their privacy, so we watched them through our binoculars instead, making sure to stand still and move as little as possible. That's what they tell you to do when watching eagles, that and stay at least 400 yards away and a quarter of a mile away from a nesting sight.

Here are some valuable tips from the Iowa DNR:

                                                     EAGLE ETIQUETTE
During the winter, bald eagles are under pressure to consume enough food and expend as little energy as possible in order to maintain body heat. If fishermen, bird watchers, or boaters get too close to the eagles, the birds will waste valuable energy flying away. It exposes them to undue stress and could cause abandonment of a site.

To avoid disturbing eagles, do not get any closer than 400 yards from a perched eagle. When possible, stay in your vehicle, use a blind, or stand behind stationary objects when viewing eagles. Stay on the opposite side of the river or lake to allow them a peaceful refuge. Since over 70% of the
eagle’s feeding occurs during the early morning, avoid visiting areas that eagles rely on for food
before 9 a.m.

If you find a dead or injured eagle, call the local conservation officer, biologist, or the DNR
Wildlife Diversity Program.

Bald eagles are protected by several federal laws, with fines of over $20,000 for harassing, killing or wounding an eagle. If you see a bald eagle in Iowa between April and August, please report this to the local biologist or Wildlife Diversity staff. A bald eagle seen during these months may be nesting nearby, and it is important to document any potential nest sites. But remember—eagles are very sensitive to disturbances when nesting and raising young, so remain at least 1/4-mile from the nest!

We feel very privileged to be able to witness these beautiful birds right from our property. We want to make sure that they keep coming back.