In just a few weeks, spectators will have the opportunity to see eagles up close and personal.
The event will start at 2 p.m. and run to dusk on Saturday, Jan. 24, at the Veteran’s Memorial on Ozark Street in Stella. The event is free of charge, and sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation and Stella Methodist Church.
“We want folks to come out and enjoy seeing the eagles,” said Kevin Badgley, Missouri Department of Conservation outreach specialist for the Joplin office. “The eagles have kind of gone through several plights throughout my lifetime. In the last 30 years or so, we got to where we would not see very many eagles at all here in Missouri and now we pretty much boast as one of the top five if not the No. 1 wintering spot for eagles in the continental United States. The eagles have definitely made a comeback here and so we want folks to get out there and enjoy them and realize their story and that it is a real success story of being virtually eliminated to now thousands of them back in the state.”
Spectators are encouraged to bring their binoculars or spotting scope, and dress for the weather.
They do not have to preregister.
“It is going to be self-guided. We will have a couple of stations set up where they can come and take a look at those eagles, but we will have maps showing where some spots where the eagles are roosting or holding up at,” Badgley said.
Badgley said spectators would see not only eagles, but also “anything that is flying through the sky.”
“We will help them identify them,” said Badgley.
For a number of years, the village of Stella and Southwest Missouri has seen an abundance of eagles.
“Typically, here in Southwest Missouri, we are blessed with a lot of water resources, a lot of man-made lakes and the main food source for winter eagles is fish,” said Badgley. “But also they pretty much take over as the scavengers. Turkey vultures leave because they go to warmer temperatures for the wintertime. The eagles come in and take over as the scavenger role.”
One area resident who has seen eagles for a number of years is Chuck Dalbom, former Triway Elementary principal.
“You can walk out of church Sunday night and look up and ‘Hey, there are eagles all over!’ ”
Dalbom said. “Of course all along Indian Creek, they roost along the creek and right south of Stella in the trees on Indian Creek. We have quite a few eagles, because I was sitting in the living room and two flew by (the other day).”
