WEST ALTON, Mo. — Bird watchers are hoping for colder weather as the warm start to winter is keeping bald eagles from migrating south.
"Eagle watching up here has been a little slow," Audubon Center at Riverlands director Ken Buchholz told 5 On Your Side.
Buchholz said some winters make for exceptional eagle watching. "When the ponds, rivers, lakes start freezing north of us, in northern states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, we can see as many as a hundred eagles in the sanctuary."
If only that was the case this year.
"What you can see at Riverlands are resident species that stay here year around," Buccholz explained. "In the area there are three to four nests within a mile or two radius, so on any given day we'll see one to five eagles in the sanctuary."
The annual Eagle Ice Festival is Saturday and not seeing eagles is worrisome. "That's always a concern," Buccholz said, "but people can come here every Sunday through February and see a live eagle presented by World Bird Sanctuary."
Even if eagles are spare this year in Alton, there is another wintering bird that is fun to watch.
"One really great bird of winter that we have here are short-eared owls," Buccholz siad with a smile. "There's been seven or eight spotted consistently this winter out in the prairie marsh."
Short-eared owls are spectacular to watch and will only be in town for the winter months.
"We always have waterfowl and this is a great place to see ducks," Buccholz said. "Ducks are beautiful and they are extremely active while they are here."
If your heart is set on eagle-watching, root for very cold weather.