Valentine’s Weekend Bald Eagle Retreat

Salamonie Reservoir Indiana

One of the most memorable Valentine's Weekend Retreats Rich and I ever took was in 2015 when we went to the Salamonie Reservoir Bald Eagle Weekend Retreat.

We booked two nights in a Knights Inn hotel. It was a nice place for a cheap rate. The only thing I remember not liking about it was the outside entrance to the rooms.

In 2015, we were still actively seeking out Bald Eagles and were photographing them every chance we got. Nine years later, we don’t have to search for them as hard. They are more abundant in our area.

I did get flowers that weekend too. Rich is such a romantic. Flowers AND a weekend away to see bald eagles.

This weekend of eagle-watching changed our lives. This place is one of our favorite places in the whole country. There is something special about the first place you see bald eagles up close.

The first place we stopped was the Interpretive Center to get information regarding the schedule for the weekend and to find out where we would be going. It was freezing cold that weekend and there was a lot of snow on the ground.

We dressed extremely warm. In 2015, I wasn’t afraid of the snow and ice yet. I had not broken any bones or legs. It was the last time I ever hiked in the snow.

The Turkey Cove Nature Trail is a short .25-mile loop around the Interpretive Center building. We saw a lot of birds, mostly cardinals, and I was able to get several photos. I was just learning at this time, and the cell phones didn’t take as good of pictures as they do today.

We attended an informational class and learned about predator birds like hawks, owls, and eagles.

Next, we all drove together to a known nesting place on the lake. Salamonie Reservoir is centrally located between the cities of Wabash, Huntington, and Marion, Indiana.

At this time we saw several bald eagles but they were too far away to get good photos with just a cell phone. There are bald eagles in the trees below but we could only see them with binoculars.

From here we drove further west to Mississinewa River to a known roosting spot. The Mississinewa River on the Mississinewa Reservoir is located in Peru, Indiana. The water of the two reservoirs is connected by the river.

The water flow of the river is strong enough that it rarely freezes. This is a perfect area for the bald eagles to survive and be able to fish in the water.

Early the next morning we spied our first bald eagles up close.

There is just no mistaking a bald eagle in a tree. The prominent black and white stands out.

Driving along the river road we saw several bald eagles perched in the trees right beside the road.

There were several juvenile bald eagles that weekend also. Bald eagles do not get their prominent black and white feathers until they are four years old.

One of my favorite moments was catching this bird on the shore and watching him take off.

Another one of our favorite sites was the Salamonie Dam and the Tailwater Fishing Site.

It’s been a couple of years since we have been back to this area in February. Now that we are within driving distance, a day trip might be in order, to see if the eagles are still frequenting the area.

Thanks for visiting Salamonie Reservoir with me. I hope you enjoyed the photos and the visit.

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