Scouting for Eagles at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District
Published Jan. 21, 2014
A Girl Scout dresses up as an eagle during the 2014 Scouting for Eagles event January 18, 2014 at the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton, Ill.

A Girl Scout dresses up as an eagle during the 2014 Scouting for Eagles event January 18, 2014 at the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton, Ill.

A Girl Scout uses a spotting scope to get a better view of eagles on the Mississippi River during the 2014 Scouting for Eagles event January 18, 2014 at the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton, Ill.

A Girl Scout uses a spotting scope to get a better view of eagles on the Mississippi River during the 2014 Scouting for Eagles event January 18, 2014 at the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton, Ill.

A group of Girl Scouts learn more about eagles and get a chance to view a live one up-close during the 2014 Scouting for Eagles event January 18, 2014 at the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton, Ill.

A group of Girl Scouts learn more about eagles and get a chance to view a live one up-close during the 2014 Scouting for Eagles event January 18, 2014 at the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton, Ill.

More than 200 Scouts from the St. Louis Metro region grabbed their binoculars and gathered Saturday at the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton, Ill., for the annual “Scouting for Eagles” event.

Hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows were a must as Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts rotated through five stations where they learned about the behavior, nesting habits, migration paths and adaptations that help our national symbol, the bald eagle survive the wild.

“The scouts had the opportunity to engage and connect with the river through interactive stations that were fun and exciting, while learning about the importance of stewardship,” Erin Hilligoss-Volkmann, St. Louis District Corp of Engineers’ Park Ranger said. 

Some of the activities included a bird migration game, drawing on an eagle graffiti wall, eagle watching from atop the Melvin Price Locks and Dam, and even dressing like an eagle.

Participants had the opportunity to meet Liberty, a rehabilitated bald eagle ambassador from the World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis, Mo., where he taught them that migration isn’t always easy for birds.

“Gun shot wounds, lead poisoning from eating wounded animals, starvation and collisions with vehicles are some of the causes of death for the bald eagle,” Cathy Spahn, Liberty’s handler from the World Bird Sanctuary explained.

Liberty was brought to the sanctuary after sustaining permanent retinal damage to both eyes after being injured by a car while hunting for food.

“Eagles normally have excellent eyesight and are often able to see fish in the water from several hundred feet above,” Spahn said. “The injury that Liberty sustained has left him unable to hunt for food in the wild.”

During the winter months, the Mississippi flyway at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers is a popular spot for bald eagles during their migration as they fly south along the Mississippi. This area is home to the second largest population of wintering bald eagles outside of Alaska. The turbulence created below the dams provides open water and plenty of fish for the travelers.

Thousands of eagles can be seen soaring around the Corps of Engineers St. Louis District area, diving into the water in search of food or roosting in the trees that overlook the Mississippi.

For more information about Eagle watching in the St. Louis District area visit: www.mvs.usace.army.mil/missions/recreation/eaglewatching.aspx