LOOK UP: The top of the Kinzua Dam has been a popular place
these days for people hoping to catch a glimpse of several American
bald eagles cruising the open waters of the Allegheny
Reservoir.

At least six or seven bald eagles were spotted on an outing last
Saturday, according to a report in the Warren Times Observer.

Some 125 people bundled up against the cold and snow for this
“Eagle Watch,” an observation and education program organized by
Cooperative Extension of Warren County in partnership with the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers and the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

The eagles were classified as immature, meaning they had no
white feathers yet. It takes about five years for them to fully
mature and develop white feathers on their head and body, according
to the newspaper report.

“This is a great opportunity probably the best opportunity in
western Pennsylvania to observe live bald eagles,” said L.
Christian Mosebach, forestry and natural resources educator with
Cooperative Extension.

Kinzua Dam is one of he best places in the area to see the birds
because of the excellent water quality and open water maintained by
its power plant, Mosebach said.

“Open water gives them an area to be able to fish, which is why
we see them right here on top of Kinzua Dam, and it is the prime
place,” he said, noting that 90 percent of the bald eagles’ diet is
fish.

Winter is a good time to see the birds. Once the ice on the
reservoir melts, usually the end of March or early April, the birds
will move north in order to nest.

“When you have ice on the river downstream, say around Tionesta,
and on the reservoir, this area that is open right around the dam,
for example, were the power plant is and right below the dam gives
the bald eagles an opportunity to fish in this area.”

Those who attended were able to view the eagles through multiple
spotting scopes and binoculars.

This “Eagle Watch” was the first held since 2000.

If we hear of another one coming up, we’ll be sure to let our
readers know.

TODAY’S QUOTE: “Good writing, detailed reporting and in general
great storytelling are never going to go out of style.” So said
Michael Wilbon, sports columnist, the Washington Post, 2007,
according to our Freedom Forum calendar.