274 Bald Eagles

If you're up-to-date with holiday chores and would enjoy a short bird jaunt down the MIssissippi River, 274 Bald Eagles were seen near Wabasha Thursday afternoon. The report came from Scott Mehus who works for the National Eagle Center in Wabasha. The birds were seen at Read's Landing, a few miles north of Wabasha, and roughly 90 miles from downtown Minneapolis. Scott said most of the eagle were visible from the town of Read's Landing and the first highway pull-off area north of town. He counted more than 60 eagles on one sandbar in the river. Tundra and Trumpeter Swans and other waterfowl also can be seen on the river in that area. Scott is education and eagle research director at the eagle center, which is well worth a visit as long as you're in the neighborhood. The eagle below was photographed at Gray's Bay, Lake Minnetonka, a couple of weeks ago. I caught it making a sharp turn into the setting sun, and dropping a wing feather as it made the move.