Start seeing eagles! Drive west of Du Quoin, then look up!
Wildlife enthusiasts and bird watching aficionados from Carlyle to Cairo and from the Mississippi River to the Ohio River are experiencing a unique opportunity that, until recently, did not exist.
Bald Eagle populations have tripled in southern Illinois resulting in fantastic views of our majestic National Symbol. The Bald Eagle was placed on the endangered species list in 1970 when only 400 nesting pairs existed in the lower 48 states. The American Bald Eagle was taken to the brink of extinction by the not so environmentally friendly pesticide DDT.
DDT was introduced into the bird through fish that the eagle consumed. The DDT weakened the shells of eagle eggs greatly reducing the ability of the bird to reproduce. Thanks to the outlawing of the use of DDT and aggressive conservation practices, eagle numbers have rebounded immensely and by 2007, it was estimated that 10,000 nesting pair were thriving in the lower 48.
As far as southern Illinoisans are concerned, all one has to do to witness the magnificent bald eagle is just step out of your front door and look up. Eagle sightings in the southern part of the state are becoming so frequent that, on a recent day trip, my family and I had the good fortune to record 14 eagles in their natural setting.
Our planned route would take us southwest from Pinckneyville into Ava then south on Illinois route 151 across Kinkaid Lake to Illinois route 3. Illinois route 3, also known as the Great River Road would take us in a southeasterly direction along the Mississippi river to Cairo. From Cairo, we would head back north on Interstate 57 to Illinois route 148 which would take us across Crab Orchard Lake to the Crab Orchard Lake Visitor Center.
At only 11 miles in to our journey, we spotted our first subject. It was a magnificent adult eagle perched high in a tree just west of the main entrance of Pyramid State Park on the south side of the Pyatt blacktop. Our next sighting was 42 miles later in the river town of Grand Tower. A stop at Devil's Backbone Park quickly revealed eagle number two as it lifted off from a sandbar on the mighty Mississippi River, soaring effortlessly high above the bluffs on the Illinois and Missouri sides of the river.
After leaving Grand Tower, we only had to travel 12 miles to locate two more eagles. In between the hamlets of Wolf Lake and Ware, 2 adult eagles were located without much effort and could be seen from the highway. One eagle was spotted sitting vigilant from a treetop roost and the other was spotted standing on a frozen pond in what appeared to be an attempt in ice fishing.
After only 100 miles into our adventure, we stumbled onto Olive Branch and Horseshoe Lake and some of the best eagle viewing that I had ever witnessed. Horseshoe Lake was alive with migratory bird activity but the eagles at the lake were the main attraction. It appears that Horseshoe Lake has a healthy population of adult and juvenile eagles as at least five juveniles and 2 mature eagles were located. The most surprising and exciting secrets of the lake were the 2 active eagle's nests that we discovered. Both nests were constructed in huge cypress trees growing right out of the water of the lake. Eagle nests can be quite large, up to nine feet in diameter and weighing as much as two ton. It would not be fair for me to judge the size of these particular nests but I can assure you, they are a sight to behold.
28 miles later, we reached Cairo and watched one more eagle flying gracefully over the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers at Fort Defiance State Park. As we headed back north on Interstate 57, two more eagles were spotted perched in a dead tree next to a small lake at mile marker 8 near the Mounds Road exit.
Shortly after leaving the Interstate, we arrived at the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center to discover that eagle tours around Crab Orchard Lake were in progress. The visitor center offers eagle tours annually at Crab on the last two weekends of January and available spots fill up quickly due to the popularity of the tour. Rangers at the site report 47 eagles at the lake during the mid winter eagle survey, up from 13 eagles in 2011. Rangers also report that the eagle tours are the biggest event held at the lake. "People drive from two to three to four hours away to see the eagles" one ranger says.
Eagle viewing in southern Illinois can be a great family adventure. Our day consisted of 8 hours and 240 miles. A tank of gas, a good pair of binoculars and a camera are the only supplies that one needs for a mid winter's change of pace. If you love the outdoors or are simply awestruck at the sight of our national bird, a trip down the Great River road deep into southern Illinois will certainly leave you breathless as you take in the natural wonders of the State.