Hello Friends,

This migrating Bald Eagle has in all reality ended. The last wo outings along the Great River Road. I have seen only a few eagles, two where juveniles and the other was near a nest. It appears that the migrating Eagles we had this mild warm winter have left and headed north. The number of migrating eagles were very low in the first place all winter related to the very mild winter not only in my area but up north. If the river up north does not freeze then there is no purpose for the eagles to migrate to this area.

I know of four eagle nests that the parents are incubating egg/eggs on their nest. The Lock and Dam nest, West Alton nest, Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge nest, and the new nest at Pearl IL along the Illinois River. Here are photos from those nest with incubation going on.
Click on photos to see them clearer and larger.

West Alton Nest


Pearl Nest


Two Rivers Refuge nest

The Lock and Dam Nest


I started yesterday out at the Lock and Dams, there was this tug boat and it big load of barges it was pushing going to the lock area to pass up river. The whole purpose of the locks is to provide passage for the boats on the river to get past the Dam. They enter a chmaber and the lock door closes behind the boat and then either raises or lowers the water level of the chamber. Once the water level is equal to the river level on that side of the locks, the lock dooe opens and the boat leaves the lock and continues its travel either up river or down river. The Dam is very important in controling the level of the river and preventing flooding.

Here is a video I made of this large Tugboat and it BIG Load of barges passing up river and through the Lock system at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam area at Alton IL.

A Large Tugboat and its Large Group of Barges Pass through the Lock and on up the Mississippi River.

The Tugboat and barges entering the Lock.


The Tugboat and it barges passing on through the lock after the water level was raised.

And heading up river and under the Lewis and Clark Bridge in Alton IL.

Also at the Locks and Dam area was this beautiful mature Kestrel watching from the a power line for prey below.

In this photo the Kestrel is checking my leaf blower (Camera) out and the clicking noise it makes.


I headed over to the Ellis Island area and there were Red-breasted Mergansers there, I caught shots of these two males.

I turned around from taking the photos of the Mergansers to see a Juvenile fly over the river and three times try to pick a large fish out of the water. It looked to be very young and was only using one foot and talons to lift the fish from the water. It never did get it up into the air and finally flew off with another young eagle. The shots are not great since the distance was great. It was really cool to watch, I so hoped it would get the fish hooked and fly off with it. All part of the learning process for these young eagle, two feet and talons catch works better for BIG FISH.

I bet that little Merganser saw that eagle coming and was saying its prayers.

The drop!


More attempts, nearly making it off with the fish and then loosing it. The fish looked pretty big.