By Cathy Blumig

When lakes and rivers freeze in Canada and the far northeast of the U.S., bald eagles migrate south to areas with open water and reliable food sources, especially fish. The Rio & Mongaup reservoirs in New York, and other spots along the Upper Delaware, have traditionally been hotspots for wintering bald eagles.

NJ OWL's trip to the Upper Delaware has been a tradition for many years. Under the guidance of NJ OWL's birding expert, Mike Bisignano, we convoyed up to New York state to look for eagles perched in treetops and scan the skies for birds in flight. Participants learned to distinguish the unique plumages associated with each age category (it takes bald eagles 5 years to mature), and how to tell vultures from eagles in flight. We also learned about bald eagle wintering ecology and conservation efforts.

We saw 19 bald eagles in all, from adults to first-year birds. We also had a very unexpected and delightful sighting of a roadside porcupine!

A special thank you to Mike, the eagles and all the others species of wildlife that we encountered during our educational sojourn. It was an exhilarating day that revealed the majesty and wonder of wildlife to all involved.

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