Experience bald eagle’s mystique at appreciation days
By Correne Martin
Our national bird, the bald eagle, will be celebrated Feb. 22-23, at Bald Eagle Appreciation Days in Prairie du Chien, sponsored by the city’s tourism council. A few events are scheduled for Friday night at Country Inn and Suites; then on Saturday, a full day of programs will take place at Hoffman Hall. All activities are open to the public and most are free.
At Country Inn and Suites, starting Friday at 6:30 p.m., nature photographer Ty Smedes will present “Bald Eagles, Hawks and Owls of the Upper Midwest.” At 7:30, a feature of Neil Rettig’s award-winning cinematography, will be shared by local birding professional Dennis Kirshbaum.
On Saturday, Hoffman Hall fun will begin at 9 a.m. with the chance to learn more from Kirschbaum about “Viewing Local Eagles Today.” At 9:30, audiences will hear more about our American icon, the amazing bald eagle, from Wisconsin DNR Wildlife Biologist Craig Thompson.
From 10 to 11 is the first main event: a live program showcasing five different raptors will be given by the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, from Bayside. The nature center is returning to Eagle Appreciation Days, having exhibited its animals locally a number of times in the past.
“The thing that’s really nice about Schlitz is that even though their birds are in captivity, they’re still wild,” Kirschbaum noted.
Following the five raptors, another live Schlitz feature will highlight the bald eagle specifically for one hour.
Lunch will be available for purchase right at Hoffman Hall Saturday.
Then, in the afternoon, there will be more of the same. Thompson will present again at 12:30, and the two live programs—the raptors and the eagle—will take the stage a second time at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively. These opportunities hopefully give all interested families the chance to see these birds up close and personal.
“Just the mystique of the eagle itself combined with it being wild and an American symbol fosters such an interest from people of all ages and locales,” Kirschbaum pointed out.
In addition to the programming, the Hoffman Hall gym and lobby will be filled with free educational exhibits and displays for everyone to enjoy. The Friends of the Wyalusing State Park, Clayton County Osborne Nature Center, Driftless Area Wetlands Centre, Allamakee County Conservation, Cabela’s and Nelson True Value will each be represented. These birding and conservation experts will show live reptiles and amphibians, have a life-size bald eagle nest, offer a make-and-take chance for bird feed and other crafts, have an optics display, share mounted eagles and wild animal pelts and more.
Information about outdoor viewing locations in the area will be available as well.
Further weekend excitement will include the Villa Louis Historic Site and Ft. Crawford Museum both being open for tours on Saturday, the Villa starting at 10 a.m. with tours at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.; and the Ft. Crawford for self-guided tours between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. There are fees and suggested donations associated with these tours.
“We love participating in this annual community-wide event that celebrates our national bird,” said Susan Caya-Slusser, southwest sites director for the Wisconsin Historical Society. “Villa Louis is not only located along the bald eagle migration route but it is also a normal wintering area for these birds. This community-wide event is a great opportunity for eagle spotting and bird watching along the Upper Mississippi River Valley.”
Also on Saturday, AmeriVu Bluffview Inn and Suites will host two presentations by Kelly McKay: one at 7 p.m., called “Combat Birding: Avian Research” and another at 8 p.m., entitled “Frog Sounds.”
Rounding out the community-wide Bald Eagle Appreciation weekend, Country Inn and Suites will announce its bald eagle coloring contest winners at 1 p.m. Sunday
Plus, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., Sunday, AmeriVu Bluffview Inn and Suites will sponsor a painting party fundraiser with a portion of proceeds benefitting Rivers and Bluffs Animal Shelter, and participants will create their personalized versions of “Starry Night for Eagles” and “Starry Night for Pets.” Register now at RABAS or AmeriVu Bluffview.
With questions regarding Bald Eagle Appreciation Days, contact the Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce at 326-8555 or prairieduchien.org/visitors/eagles. These events are also sponsored by Effigy Mounds National Monument.
“We have a stable group of visitors who come back to Prairie du Chien for Bald Eagle Appreciation Days,” Kirschbaum remarked. “The more hotels and other local businesses get involved, it’s going to help them during this lax time of year. And, we encourage everyone to come back to our community.”
He added, “There’s a normal local flock of eagles that stay all winter. In January, they start protecting their nest sites and cleaning house. In the early spring, people may catch the migrants coming through. Then, in late spring, you start to see the eagles all over as they’re in their nests with their young.”
Kirschbaum emphasized that it’s around mid-March when enthusiasts will start to see as many as 500 or more eagles in Gremore Lake. Along the river in the Prairie du Chien area, trees have grown so big that there plenty of nesting sites, an estimated 101 in Crawford County alone (2018)—which is third most in the state.
Kirschbaum concluded that local residents and visiting tourists are quite lucky to be able to view bald eagles in large amounts and so often.
“When I was a kid, to see an eagle was pretty rare,” he said, reminding about the decline of DDT use in the environment. “Now, the population is so much more because we’re seeing this effort where man quit interfering with the actual eagles.”
