St. Martin’s Episcopal Church

Twenty-one folks from the Lunch Bunch braved the cold temps on February 4, 2009, to go Eagle watching along the Mississippi. Both the Golden Eagle and Grafton Ferries were closed so our carpools traveled through Alton, Ill., on the way to Pere Marquette.

When we got to Alton there were Eagles everywhere we looked! The river was a beautiful sight being almost completely frozen over. Eagles were just perched on ice flows, in trees, and soaring gracefully everywhere.
At Pere Marquette, we saw a great short film on the Bald Eagles. The Park Ranger was fun and very informative. We then followed his van in search of the best Eagle viewing spots.

Right before lunch we headed to the Winfield Lock and Dam aboard the Winfield Ferry. At the Dam there were Eagles by the score, beautiful white pelicans flying in a straight line against a brilliant blue sky, seagulls swirling everywhere and Canadian geese swooping off the waters in massive groups. Our Ranger brought his powerful scope and trained it on an Eagle roosting in a nearby tree. Most of us had binoculars, but looking into his telescope you could almost see each feather! Amazing!

Lunch was at the Barefoot Restaurant where you could also view the Eagles. It was a very cold day to be sure, but the sunshine and wonderful sightings made you almost forget the temperature. Everyone truly enjoyed the day.

See the Lunch Bunch and eagles  in the photos of the day’s excursion. (Click on one of the pictures, then use the right or left arrow on your keyboard to move to the next one.)