The Chance to see one of nature’s majestic creatures brings many to town.

By Chris Keller and Craig Maier
From the Sauk Prairie Eagle
January, 2004

There wasn’t quite one pair of binoculars for every pair of eyes in the Sauk Prairie area during the weekend.

However, the ratio was probably closer than normal as thousands flocked to Bald Eagle Watching Days on Jan. 17 and 18.

Kay Roherty, the president of the Ferry Bluff Eagle Council, said the weekend was wonderful for the visitors and the eagles.

“Despite the weather, we had good turnout on Saturday and on Sunday,” she said. “It’s the cold weather that brings us the eagles. I think it was a great success.”

Roherty said it was heartwarming to see so many who are interested in the recovery of the bald eagle. But it wasn’t just the visitors that made the weekend a success.

“The coordination that it takes is great, and to come out without a hitch is wonderful,” she said, adding the Kiwanis, River PAL, Alliant Engergy, chamber of commerce and the state Department of Natural Resources all helped with the event in one way or another.

One of the weekend’s highlights was the release of a mature eagle at VFW Park in Prairie du Sac. The anticipation peaked as several hundred people – grandparents and grandchildren, families, couples, conservationists and average Joes – crowded around a woman and an eagle on the bank of the Wisconsin River.

The bald eagle was found at a farm in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where an accident had shattered her skull. Marge Gibson, executive director of the Raptor Education Group Inc., oversaw the bird’s rehabilitation during the last 14 months at her center in Antigo.

Gibson held the eagle, carrying her around the edge of the roped-off crowd, where front-row spectators could see the bird eye-to-eye. As the eagle watched the people intensely, Gibson said, “You think you’re eagle watching, and she’s people watching.”

One person in the crowd asked if the eagle was afraid. “No. Look at her – she’s not afraid,” Gibson said. She explained that an adult bald eagle’s only predators are humans, and the skilled hunters have few fears.

The eagle will likely stay in the area until late February, Gibson explained, when the birds will begin migrating north to their nesting territories. She said the eagle released Saturday will likely go back to the pine forests and lakes of northern Michigan. “We sure hope her mate hasn’t found another, or he’s going to be in big trouble,” she said. The comment earned many laughs from the crowd, but Gibson was quite serious – like other raptors, female bald eagles are up to one-third larger than the males and are often more aggressive in the partnership.

After giving scores of people a chance to see the endangered species and national symbol so closely, Gibson carefully climbed a stairway to the top of two stacked picnic tables and stood facing the river. She stretched the eagle’s wings one at a time, held the bird up, and gave her a gentle boost. The bald eagle flew from her arms, flapped across the river, and perched in a large tree on the far bank.

“It is always impressive to see,” said Tim Severson, a Cottage Grove resident who had come for Eagle Watching Days in the past. Severson said watching the bald eagle release triggered a lot of emotions, “especially at this time in our nation’s history.”

Jeff Vichow was attending the event for the first time after recently moving to the area. He did not consider himself an environmentalist “any more than anyone else,” but commented, “It’s good to see that there are people working on these kinds of things.”

After sending the eagle from her arms to the arms of the bare trees, Gibson said, “It is the most incredible feeling.”

She has helped nurse hundreds of bald eagles back to health, along with other birds of prey.

“Each one is so different and so amazing,” she said.

While a combination of factors, brought nearly 300 eagles to the area this year, the mix of weather over the weekend changed the climate for business owners hoping for a boost.

Many speculated the icy roads and overcast weather on Saturday morning may have kept some people away.

Sunday followed with bitter cold temperatures.

Jim Leystra, the owner of Leystra’s Venture Restaurant in Sauk City said his business felt the weather. “I will say that the weather had a major downing effect. Had it not been eagle weekend it would have been much quieter,” he said. “Sunday it bounced back I didn’t get to see if there were a lot of people in town, but we did see our share of new faces so it was a definite plus.”

Todd Baker, the owner of the Eagle Inn Restaurant in Prairie du Sac, said business was steady throughout the weekend. “We had a nice weekend. It wasn’t the blow-us-out-of-the-water, sensational weekend we’ve had in the past, but it was very steady,” he said.

Baker said the morning started off slow. “By lunchtime we were full. It was busy but we weren’t overly busy,” he said. “It was a nice weekend.”

Leslie McFarlane, the executive director of the Sauk Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce, estimated the attendance was a little lower than last year. She said retail stores in Prairie du Sac reported good business. She said the same didn’t hold true in Sauk City.

Bob Lochner, the owner of River’s Edge Mall, hadn’t looked at the figures but felt business was down from last year. “It’s a great even but we had some bad weather,” he said. “It’s clear to me that it draws in people but I wouldn’t want to compare this year’s numbers to last year.”

Almost 900 people attend the Birds of Prey shows on Saturday and Sunday. Roherty said about 335 people took advantage of the bus tours. Countless spectators watched the eagle releases.

McFarlane, whose office took almost 200 calls a day in the week leading up to the events, said weather can change people’s itineraries.

“I think with the weather people want to get where they are going and then get home and not stop,” she said.

But all things considered, McFarlane said Bald Eagle Watching Days went well.

“Marge doesn’t release many mature eagles down here and it was nice to see her release one so everyone could see its white head, because that is what people think of,” she said.