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4TH
ANNUAL REELFOOT LAKE EAGLE FESTIVAL
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ART CONTEST |
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STORY TELLING |
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VIEW BIRDS OF PREY |
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SUNRISE AND SUNSET PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS |
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WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED |
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BACK YARD HABITAT PROGRAMS |
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SCAVENGER HUNT |
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GUEST SPEAKER |
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VENDORS
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Can you see the nest in the
tree top?
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ARRIVE EARLY! YOU SEE THE GREATEST LEVEL OF ACTIVITY WHEN THE EAGLES ARE EATING THEIR BREAKFAST, USUALLY BEFORE YOU EAT YOURS. THE REAL SECRET TO HAVING THE BEST EAGLE WATCHING OPPORTUNITIES IS TO STAY THE NIGHT SO YOU CAN BE WATCHING THE EAGLES WHEN THE SUN COMES UP! CALL 731-253-6581 TO BOOK YOUR ROOM. REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT OUR SPECIAL ROOM RATES. |
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FILL IT UP! MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PLENTY OF GAS TO GO ALL AROUND THE LAKE WHERE THE EAGLES ARE USUALLY SPOTTED. GET AN AUTO MAP FROM OUR OFFICE TO DIRECT YOU AROUND THE REELFOOT LAKE AREA. |
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DRESS ACCORDINGLY! CHECK OUT THE WEATHER FORECAST TWO TO THREE DAYS AHEAD OF YOU OUTING. LAYER SO YOU CAN SHED THE OUTER CLOTHING AS THE SUN COMES UP AND DAY GETS WARMER. BRING A CAP TO COVER YOUR EARS AND GLOVES FOR OUR HANDS. WARM STOCKINGS ARE A MUST, AND COMFORTABLE SHOES ARE RECOMMENDED. |
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THE EYES HAVE IT! WHILE NOT ESSENTIAL, IT IS RECOMMENDED TO BRING BINOCULARS OR A SPOTTING SCOPE. EAGLES FLY AMAZINGLY CLOSE ALONG THE LAKE, BUT EVEN A LIGHT PAIR OF BINOCULARS CAN DRAMATICALLY ENHANCE YOUR EXPERIENCE. |
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BRING YOU CAMERA! WE RECOMMEND 400 ASA COLOR FILM AND A CAMERA WITH A TELEPHOTO LENS. DON'T USE UP THE WHOLE ROLL OF FILM IN THE MORNINGS. SAVE SOME PICTURES FOR AFTERNOON FUN ALL AROUND REELFOOT LAKE. |
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ENJOY LUNCH ON THE ROAD! OGLING THE EAGLES IS BOUND TO MAKE YOU HUNGRY, AND EVERY RESTAURANT AROUND REELFOOT LAKE IS READY TO QUENCH YOUR APPETITE. COME OUT OF THE COLD FOR ONE OF REELFOOT LAKE FAMOUS FISH DINNERS WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS THAT IS BOUND TO HAVE YOU COMING BACK FOR MORE. |
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DRIVE DEFENSIVELY! REMEMBER TO BE AWARE OF TRAFFIC AND ROAD CONDITIONS AT ALL TIMES. IT IS ALRIGHT TO SLOW DOWN AND PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER TO OBSERVE EAGLES, BUT PLEASE DO NOT STOP ON CURVES OR HILLSIDES WHERE VEHICLES APPROACHING YOU FROM BEHIND CANNOT SEE YOU STOPPED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IN THE EARLY MORNING, DRIVE WITH YOUR HEADLIGHTS, AND BE SURE TO USE YOUR EMERGENCY FLASHER ANY TIME YOU STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. |
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NO, NO, NO! NEVER EXIT YOUR VEHICLE ON THE LEFT SIDE WHEN STOPPED ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. IT IS NEVER RECOMMENDED TO LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE WHILE ON THE SHOULDER. |
ABOUT THE BALD EAGLES
THE BALD EAGLE WAS OFFICIALLY DECLARED THE NATIONAL EMBLEM OF THE UNITED STATED IN 1782 BECAUSE OF ITS UNIQUENESS AS A SPECIES. ACTUALLY, THE NAME "BALD" DOES NOT MEAN THESE MAGNIFICENT BIRDS HAVE NO FEATHERS ON THEIR HEADS. THE WORD "BALD" COMES FROM THE WELSH WORD "BALDE", WHICH MEANS WHITE. THE AMERICAN BALD EAGLE'S SCIENTIFIC NAME, HALIACETUS LEUCOCPHALUS, LITERALLY MEANS "WHITE-HEADED SEA EAGLE."
YOUNG BIRDS, CALLED EAGLETS, ARE A UNIFORM BROWN IN COLOR. AS THEY MATURE, THEIR FEATHERS BECOME MOTTLED, AND THEY GENERALLY HAVE A WHITE HEAD AND TAIL FEATHERS BY THE TIME THEY ARE 5 YEARS OLD. THESE MAJESTIC BIRDS ARE ONE OF THE LARGEST BIRDS OF PREY FOUND IN NORTH AMERICA. FEMALES ARE SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN MALES REACHING 15 POUNDS, STANDING PROUD AT 3 FEET TALL AND SPREADING UP TO 8 FEET IN WINGSPAN.
LOOKING FOR OPEN WATER IN WHICH TO FISH, HUNDREDS OF BALD EAGLES MIGRATE SOUTH TO THE REELFOOT LAKE AREA EACH YEAR FROM THEIR NESTING TERRITORIES IN THE NORTHERN U.S. AND CANADA. AN EAGLE'S DIET IS PRIMARILY FISH, AND THEY CONSUME 1 TO 2 POUNDS OF FOOD A DAY. DURING THE WINTER, EAGLES WILL ALSO FEED ON DEAD OR INJURED WILDLIFE. DURING DUCK SEASON AT REELFOOT LAKE THEY ESPECIALLY LIKE A CRIPPLED DUCK. A BALD EAGLE CAN CARRY PREY WEIGHING UP TO HALF OF THEIR BODY WEIGHT. SO, STORIES OF EAGLES CARRYING OFF BABIES OR LIVESTOCK ARE PROBABLY EXAGGERATED.
LIKE MOST BIRDS OF PREY, BALD EAGLES HAVE A POOR SENSE OF SMELL; THEREFORE, THEY RELY HEAVILY ON THEIR EYESIGHT FOR FINDING THEIR NEXT MEAL. THE BALD EAGLE HAS EXCELLENT VISION AND CAN SEE UP TO TEN TIMES BETTER THAN A HUMAN. ON A CLEAR DAY, THEY CAN SEE FISH FROM NEARLY 2 MILE AWAY. ONCE SPOTTED, EAGLES USE THEIR RAZOR SHARP TALONS TO CATCH THEIR PREY. THEN, THE BIRD'S HOOKED BEAK IS USED FOR TEARING FLESH OFF THEIR CATCH. YOU CAN WITNESS THIS FROM YOUR LAKE FRONT ROOM AT SPORTSMAN'S RESORT NORTH.
AS OF 1995, THE BALD EAGLE IS NO LONGER CONSIDERED AN ENDANGERED SPECIES. THROUGH THE RESTRICTION OF AGRICULTURAL PESTICIDES, SUCH AS DDT, AND CONSERVATION EFFORT ALL ACROSS NORTH AMERICA, THE POPULATION HAS BEEN GROWING AT A STEADY PACE. THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 4,500 NESTING PAIRS AND 20,000 TOTAL BIRDS IN THE LOWER 48 STATES.
A MATED PAIR OF BALD EAGLES WILL RETURN TO THE SAME NEST, AND DEFEND A TERRITORY AROUND THAT NEST EACH SPRING. NESTS ARE USUALLY IN A TREE OR EXPOSED AREA AND EACH YEAR THE ADULTS ADD MORE STICKS TO THE STRUCTURE. THE LARGEST RECORDED NEST WAS 20 FEET DEEP, 10 FEET ACROSS AND WEIGHED 2 TONS! WE HAVE SEVERAL TO NEST AT REELFOOT LAKE EACH YEAR.
THE FEMALE EAGLE LAYS 1 TO 3 WHITE EGGS IN MARCH AND APRIL. BOTH EAGLES TAKE TURNS INCUBATING THE EGGS FOR 34 TO 40 DAYS. YOUNG EAGLES TAKE THEIR FIRST FLIGHT AROUND 11 WEEKS OF AGE, AND BY THEN THEY ARE THE SAME SIZE AS THEIR PARENTS!
THOUGH THEY ARE NO LONGER ENDANGERED, IT IS STILL A FELONY TO HARM AN EAGLE. INITIAL CONVICTIONS CARRY A ONE-YEAR JAIL SENTENCE AND $5000 IN FINES. IT IS ALSO ILLEGAL TO POSSESS AN EAGLE, DEAD OR ALIVE, OR ANY EAGLE PARTS WITHOUT A PERMIT. IF YOU FIND A FEATHER, LOOK AT IT, TAKE A PICTURE, BUT DO NOT PICK IT UP!
EAGLE WATCHING ETIQUETTE:
IMPORTANT! WINTER IS A DIFFICULT TIME FOR EAGLES. THEY NEED TO CONSERVE ENERGY TO KEEP WARM, AND FLYING BURNS UP NEEDED ENERGY. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THEY ARE NOT FRIGHTENED OR STARTLED INTO FLIGHT.