Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS — Some Utahns think of winter as the time of year when tourists flock to the state for skiing and the air quality is poor. However, it’s also a great time for birdwatching.
Saturday is the annual Utah Bald Eagle Day and the Division of Wildlife Resources is hosting several different events to give the public an opportunity to see the majestic birds throughout the state. The events are free and the public is asked to dress warm, wear waterproof boots and bring binoculars or a camera if you want photos.
Here are the five viewing locations for seeing bald eagles on Saturday:
Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area (Compton's Knoll)
Location: 10 miles northwest of Corinne
Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Directions: Take Exit 365 off of I-15 and travel west on state Route 83 through Corinne. Stay on state Route 83 until you get to 6800 West (Iowa String). Travel north to 6800 North and then travel west on 6800 North until you reach the Salt Creek WMA/Compton's Knoll Watchable Wildlife site.
Fountain Green State Fish Hatchery
Location: East of Nephi
Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Directions: If you're coming from north of Nephi, you can reach the hatchery by taking I-15 and exiting the freeway at the second Nephi exit (Exit 225). After exiting the freeway, turn east on state Route 132 and travel about 10 miles. About 1 mile before the city of Fountain Green, a Bald Eagle Day sign will point you to an access road that leads to the hatchery.
Free tours of the hatchery will also be offered during the event. Spotting scopes will also be set up at a viewing location about 1 mile from the hatchery where eagles often gather in a large tree and will be available for public use.
Split Mountain/Green River
Location: North of Jensen and below the Dinosaur Quarry in Dinosaur National Monument
Hours: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Directions: To reach the site, drive north from U.S. Highway 40 in Jensen to the Dinosaur Quarry on state Route 149.
In past years, visitors have seen bald and golden eagles hunting and feeding, as well as prairie falcons, hawks, mule deer, river otters, pheasants, turkeys, sandhill cranes, porcupines, mergansers, Canada geese and other wildlife, the Division of Wildlife Resources said.
Depending on when you attend, you can also see a live bird of prey up close. For part of the day, at least one hawk will be on display at the staging area. Melissa Wardel, a local falconer, usually brings her hawk to the staging area around mid-morning.
Rush Lake Ranch
Location: Located on the Minersville Highway (SR-130) about 12 miles north of Cedar City.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
See geese
To see other species of birds, birdwatchers can also attend the Delta Snow Goose Festival on Feb. 24-25. The event will be held at the Gunnison Bend reservoir, just west of Delta and will be free to the public.
As many as 20,000 geese — mostly snow geese — have been at the reservoir during past festivals, creating quite a sight for participants. Except for the black tips on their wings, snow geese are pure white.
If you arrive in Delta early in the morning, you can watch the geese feeding in fields that surround the reservoir, DWR said. Between 9-10:30 a.m., the geese take off and fly back to the reservoir. After landing on the reservoir, the geese usually spend the next few hours there. Sometime between 4- 6 p.m., they take off again and fly back to the fields.
Participants are encouraged to dress warm and bring a spotting scope and camera.
