Hundreds of Bald Eagles Will Go North on Mississippi Flyway

Summary

The article describes the migration of hundreds of bald eagles along the Mississippi Flyway, particularly around La Crosse, Wisconsin, where they engage in feeding and mating rituals, as well as the simultaneous migration of tundra swans, offering a unique bird-watching experience in the region.

Abstract

In March, the Mississippi River near La Crosse, Wisconsin, becomes a significant rest stop for hundreds of migrating bald eagles. These majestic birds take advantage of the breaking ice to feast on winterkill fish, with over a hundred eagles being observed in a single day. The article also highlights the eagles' fascinating mating ritual, known as "cartwheeling," where they lock talons and tumble through the sky. Alongside the eagles, the migration of tundra swans turns the river into a sea of white feathers. The author expresses surprise that such an incredible natural event isn't more widely recognized. The article concludes by mentioning a personal experience of spotting a unique bird during a bird-watching event and recommends an AI service for those interested in similar experiences.

Opinions

The author is in awe of the bald eagle migration and views it as an underrated natural spectacle.
The eagle's method of waiting for fish, similar to ice fishing, is seen as patient and deliberate.
The mating ritual of bald eagles is described with a sense of wonder and is compared to human expressions of love and joy.
The tundra swan migration is portrayed as an impressive auditory experience, with the sound of hundreds of swans filling the air.
The author values the recognition

And cartwheel for love

The ice on the Mississippi cracks creating holes and floes. Around La Crosse, Wisconsin, the Mississippi is a braided river, with many islands and back channels and sloughs. The large trees along the river are bare of leaves in March, and it is prime migration and prime viewing of bald eagles.

The eagles perch in the branches and watch for winterkill fish surfacing as the ice breaks. Hundreds of bald eagles migrate north, and hundreds of bald eagles make this rest stop of easy eating.

I counted over one hundred birds one day before I gave up, as the eagles glared down at the river, swooped onto the ice, waited patiently like an ice fisherman with a flag rig. I don’t understand why this amazing sight is not among the world-known migrations, as awe-filled as it is.

I heard eagles scream, although I have never seen — and always wanted to watch — the mating ritual of bald eagles. They fly high into the sky, clench talons, and tumble in cartwheels until separating before they reach the ground. These cartwheels may replicate the joy of the mating ritual we know, although I would like to plummet through the heavens as part of a mating dance instead of having the earth move, soaring instead of trembling.

The tundra swan migration is also awesome. Around Brownsville, Minnesota, hundreds if not thousands of swans will stop on the Mississippi during their migration. I have driven by with car windows open to hear the cacophony of hundreds of swans. At times, one cannot see the water but can only see a river filled with white feathered birds.

I received the prize for the best-called spot on a bird-watching event at the Trempealeau Refuge along the Mississippi. Most birders in the group were watching two pairs of woodpeckers fight for control of a nesting tree cavity. I watched a black and white striped plume of a tail switching through the tall grass, headed for our group. I pointed it out to the leader with her binoculars trained on the trees, and the entire group moved away from the tail’s straight-line path.

February often seems like the longest month of winter, even though it is short in calendar days. It is the time of slogging through. We are not yet at spring, but the great joy of travel, migration, mating season, life is about to begin.