Watery Wednesday: Eagles at Alma

On my way back from Whitewater State Park on Sunday I decided to take the scenic route and follow the Mississippi River north back up to the Twin Cities. This is a route that I know well as I have spent a lot of time over the past ten years or so photographing the eagles along the river during the winter time. This area, and the congregation of eagles during the winter, was probably my biggest inspiration when I began to go out and take pictures of nature. I used to spend most of the morning of at least one day, if not both, each weekend down at the river photographing the eagles during the winter.

I still love to photograph eagles and even though I do not go down to the river as much as I used to the eagles are still one of the best wildlife subjects to photograph in southern Minnesota during the winter. So I stopped at the best locations to spot eagles, Reeds Landing and Colville Park in Red Wing, and as with other trips this year I spotted eagles but not nearly as many as I have seen in past years.

I am wondering if the harsh winter has pushed them further south this year. Most of the other years that I have been photographing them the weather has been milder, which probably made food more plentiful. If food becomes scarce the eagles will continue to move south until they find a place where they can find sufficient food. It will be interesting to see how many show up when they begin migrating back north again. These pictures where taken back on December 13th, 2008. They were taken at Alma, WI, where around approximately 20 eagles gathered around opening in the ice in the river below the lock and dam at that time.