WARREN — Residents are invited to polish their binoculars and get ready for eagle-viewing near Kinzua Dam in Warren County, as Eagle Watch Day will be held next month at the Big Bend Recreation Area at Kinzua Dam.
Numerous eagles spend winter along Allegheny River and Reservoir, and this is prime time to spot them. Eagle Watch Day, held annually at the Big Bend Recreation Area, is an opportunity for nature lovers interested in seeing American bald eagles in the wild. A popular resting area for eagles that appreciate the unfrozen water conditions, this area offers exceptional views of the birds’ temporary stopovers in the vicinity of Kinzua Dam.
For 2017, the event will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 4. Partners include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Penn Soil Resource Conservation and Development Council, Kinzua Cachers and the Allegheny Outdoor Club.
In addition to wildlife observation, activities will include an audio-visual program detailing eagle restoration efforts presented by David Donachy, a presentation by a Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife conservation officer and a geomeet — “Caching with Eagles” — organized by Kinzua Cachers. Several temporary caches will be set up around the recreation area. A representative from Audubon Nature Center in Jamestown, N.Y., will also be available to provide information on their activities.
Three sites will be open for public viewing and learning about America’s national bird: Big Bend Visitor Center, Riverside Watchable Wildlife Trail/Viewing Platform (located along Allegheny River tailwaters) and Kinzua Dam roadway. Sites will be staffed, and spotting scopes will be available to better observe the awesome eagles. No pre-registration is required, but persons over 17 years of age must show photo identification to gain access to the roadway at the dam. Interior tours of the dam will not be available.
At the Eagle Watch in February of 2016, nearly 300 visitors to the Big Bend Recreation Area viewed juvenile and adult eagles just downstream from the dam. Other wintering birds and cold-water creatures were also observed.
The program is recreational, observational, educational and free to the public.
For additional information, contact Steve Lauser, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, at (814) 726-0661.
