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 Visitors Enjoy Spectacular Viewing December through February

by Madelyn Miller

When  the winter blues set in this year, it’s time to plan a trip to the Quad Cities for the yearly Bald agle Days and Bald Eagle Watch held each January along the Mississippi River.  The Quad Cities, which sits on the banks of the Mississippi River, is made up of the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, and Moline, East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois.

Each year, from mid-December through February the area serves host to a large majority of Bald Eagles making their annual southern migration from Canada to the unfrozen waters of the Mississippi River.

Residents and visitors alike look to the skies to watch the eagles, easily identified by the white feathers of their heads and tails, and their immense wingspans.  A symbol of freedom and strength, and once on the brink of extinction, the Bald Eagles regularly awe visitors who line the banks of the Mississippi River on the crisp, clear winter mornings.  The Bald Eagles that winter in the Quad Cities continue to grow in number.  In 1994, the Bald Eagle’s status was upgraded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from endangered to threatened.

Just down the river from Locks and Dams 14 and 15, these magnificent birds of prey gather along the wooded bluffs to spend the winter in the Quad Cities.  The waters of the river remain unfrozen, fish is plentiful and old-growth forests provide prime sites for perching and roosting. Quad Cities celebrates these transient residents each January with a series of events, tours and eagle watching opportunities.

The Mississippi Valley Welcome Center in LeClaire, Iowa –just a 20 minute drive from the Quad Cities – will host a Bald Eagle Watch on January 2 – 3, 1999.  The event is FREE to the public, with special events planned by the Welcome Center staff.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers park rangers will present slide programs and set up spotting scopes for enhanced viewing.

Bald Eagle Days, another FREE public event, is set for January 9 – 10, 1999 at the QCCA Expo Center in Rock Island, IL.  Thousands of residents and visitors participate in this annual celebration featuring birds of prey shows, environmental exhibits, wildlife art and outdoor eagle watching.

The Mississippi River Visitors Center on Arsenal Island in the river between Davenport, Iowa and Rock Island, Illinois offers eagle watches and Clock Tower tours every weekend in January and February.

There is also a variety of prime viewing locations in the area.  The best spots are Lock and Dam 14 at Pleasant Valley, Iowa and Hampton, Illinois.  The Davenport and Rock Island riverfronts downriver from Lock and Dam 15, as well as Davenport’s Credit Island and Rock Island’s Sunset Park are also prime viewing spots.

For guided tours, Quad Cities’ naturalist, Bob Motz, offers professional 2 – 3 hour Bald Eagle watching tours.  He guarantees eagle sightings to tour groups and offers a refund should his tour fail to produce any sightings.  He has yet to have needed to refund money to his clients.

For more information about Bald Eagle Days, holiday tours, specials, attractions, lodging or other information about Quad Cities: contact the Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau representing Bettendorf & Davenport, IA; Moline/East Moline & Rock Island, IL.

1-800-747-7800
Fax 309-788-7898
2021 River Drive, Moline, IL, 61265

http://quadcities.com/cvb;
E-mail address: cvb@quadcities.com.

-Updated 10-26-98-

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