The bald eagle isn't a bird many people link to Utah.
Yet, Utah happens to be a popular winter vacation stop for the bird because of the comparatively mild temperatures and the abundance of prey, such as rabbits or carp and ducks from the marshes along the Great Salt Lake.
In the spring, however, the estimated 1,300 eagles that winter here fly north to Canada and Alaska. So, the best time to view the giant birds is in the winter.
Which is why the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has scheduled its annual "Bald Eagle Day" on Feb. 2.
Viewing will take place at seven locations around the state between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. The exception is Gordon Creek, where viewing will run from 8 a.m. to noon.
The locations are:
Compton's Knoll at the Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area, located about 10 miles northwest of Corinne. To reach the area, take exit 368 off I-15 near Corinne. Travel eight miles west to about 11300 West. Head north on the gravel road to the north side of Salt Creek.
The North Marina of Willard Bay State Park, about 15 miles north of Ogden. To reach the marina, take exit 360 off I-15. DWR biologists will not be available at this location, so participants must bring their own binoculars and spotting scopes. The fee to enter the park is $7 per vehicle.
Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, located on the west side of Farmington. If headed north, take exit 325 off I-15 at Farmington, turn right on the frontage road and travel south to Glover Lane. Turn west on Glover Lane travel two miles to the entrance. If coming from the north, take exit 327, travel east until the road ends. Turn right and head south to State Street, then west on 650 West to Glover Lane.
Fountain Green State Fish Hatchery, east of Nephi, can be reached by taking exit 225 near Nephi, then following highway 132 east for about 10 miles. About one mile before the city of Fountain Green, a Bald Eagle Day sign will point to an access road that leads to the hatchery.
A site will be set up on the Green River north of Jensen. To reach the site, drive north out of Jensen on highway 149 toward the Dinosaur Quarry in Dinosaur National Monument. First stop should be at the staging area, a large pull-out just inside the monument boundary, where displays and spotting scopes will be set up. From the staging area, DWR biologists will direct viewers to other sites where visitors may get better views of the eagles and other wildlife of interest. In past years, visitors have seen bald and golden eagles feeding, as well as deer, river otters, pheasants, sandhill cranes, porcupines, turkeys, Canada geese and other waterfowl.
Gordon Creek, along Consumer's Road between Helper and Price. To reach the viewing site, take highway 6 to Consumer's Road, which is just north of the Carbon County Golf Course. Travel west on Consumer's Road for about nine miles to the Gordon Creek Wildlife Management Area. Fewer bald eagles are expected at the site this year, which may be due to unusually mild winter conditions in their summer range to the north.
Rush Lake Ranch, about 13 miles north of Cedar City, on the Minersville highway.
Spotting scopes will be available to help viewers spot eagles. There will also be officer to answer questions, said Bob Walters, watchable wildlife coordinator for the DWR.
Displays will also be set up at each location, with the exception of Willard Bay, and pamphlets and other materials about bald eagles will be available for a minimal fee.
Visitors should dress for frigid temperatures and breezy conditions.
The best time to view eagles, said Walters, is late mornings or early afternoons, when temperatures are warmer and the visibility is better.
During the late morning and early afternoon, viewers can expect to see eagles, though not as many as just before sundown, when eagles "go to roost" for the evening. The best time to see the greatest number of eagles at most of the sites is usually from 2 to 4 p.m., said Walters.
Walters started Bald Eagle Day in 1990 as a way of "amusing people's interest, whetting their appetite and making them aware of the wildlife around them," he said. Since then it has grown into Utah's most well attended, and one of its most enjoyed, wild life-viewing events of the year.
For more information call Walters at 538-4771, or call one of the DWR offices in Ogden, Springville, Vernal, Price or Cedar City.
E-mail: grass@desnews.com