Winter is for eagles
LACKAWAXEN — Join the Delaware Highlands Conservancy and its partners for a series of eagle-watching events all winter long, including guided bus tours and the third annual Eagle Day at the Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center.
The Upper Delaware River Valley is one of the largest wintering habitats for eagles in the northeastern United States because of abundant clean water and large, undisturbed stands of trees.
Protected lands in Sullivan County, N.Y., and Pike and Wayne Counties in Pennsylvania provide a safe haven for these migratory birds, and for the breeding eagles that live here year-round. Twenty years ago there was just one eagle’s nest in Pennsylvania and one in New York. Now, there are hundreds in each state.
Bus toursBus trips will be guided by an eagle expert on a heated bus throughout the Upper Delaware River Valley on four Saturdays, Jan. 16 and 30, and Feb. 6 and 13.
These trips to look for these magnificent raptors and their habitat commence at the Upper Delaware Visitor Center in Lackawaxen and run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dress warmly in layers and wear waterproof boots. Bring binoculars, camera, and snacks. Snow dates for the trips are the Sundays immediately following.
Seats are limited and reservations are required. The fee is $15 for conservancy members, $20 for non-members. Call the Conservancy at 570-226-3164 or 845-583-1010 or email info@delawarehighlands.org to register.
Check delawarehighlands.org for updates and additional trips. Refunds will not be given for cancelled reservations.
Eagle DayJan. 23 is Eagle Day, a free afternoon for the family at the Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center in Hawley. See live birds of prey presentations with Bill Streeter of the Delaware Valley Raptor Center at 1 p.m. and again at 3 p.m.
Hands-on activities provided by Lacawac Sanctuary will help people of all ages learn about eagles and other native birds.
There is no advance registration for this program. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Talen Energy is a co-sponsor of the day.
Eagle watching on your ownThe Upper Delaware Visitor Center at 176 Scenic Drive in Lackawaxen, provided by the National Park Service, offers information about viewing and protecting eagles. Visitors can pick up information, maps and directions to eagle viewing locations, watch a short documentary, and view new interpretative exhibits.
The Lackawaxen office is staffed on Saturdays and Sundays in January and February, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Delaware Highlands Conservancy has also partnered with the National Park Service and the New York State Department of Conservation to maintain well-marked eagle observation areas open to the public. These viewing blinds are also staffed by Conservancy volunteers on weekends through the winter. Visitors can look through binoculars and spotting scopes to see eagles in the wild. Visit delawarehighlands.org/eagles for directions and information about eagle viewing on your own.
The Conservancy’s Eagle Watch program is supported in part by grant funding from the American Eagle Foundation, the Land Trust Alliance, Orange & Rockland, Sullivan County, and The Philadelphia Foundation.