Eagle Eye Over Montauk

One of the more popular activities held at Montauk State Park during the winter season is eagle viewing. February 18 marked the last of the official Montauk eagle viewing sessions for the season. Luckily, I made it to the event just in the nick of time.

Around ten other individuals and I met up at 9:00 a.m. Friday morning at Montauk’s stone shelter excited to see our country’s national symbol. With many years of experience working with the Missouri Department of Conservation, Park Naturalist Steve shared many stories and information about the local eagle population. Thanks to the generosity of the park, we were able to use a spotting scope and binoculars to view two active eagle’s nests. However, none of us could get a good shot of the nest or of the eagles with our average digital cameras.

To the surprise of many people, the state of Missouri is actually one of the leading bald eagle states. According to Park Naturalist Steve, thousands of these majestic birds migrate south from their nesting range in Canada and the Great Lakes states each fall to hunt around open waters such as the rivers and lakes here in Missouri. More than 2,200 bald eagles are reported in Missouri regularly during the winter season, making our state the leader in the lower 48 states.

With its open waters and plentiful food sources, Montauk is a prime residence for these huge birds. In fact, during our eagle viewing, we witnessed the adult eagle leave its nest, soar over the park to the hatchery and catch a couple of trout which it then took back to the nest to feed its babies. With three large hatcheries, fully stocked with trout, it’s no wonder why eagles choose to nest at Montauk.