Eagles return to Fox River for season
Beacon-News Staff January 23, 2013 5:16PM
Eagles nest in the trees on the Fox River south of Boulder Hill Pass on Wednesday, January 23, 2013. | Brian Powers~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: February 25, 2013 12:53PM
OSWEGO — The eagles are back in their wintertime home along the Fox River.
Eagles have been spotted during the winter in the Fox Valley for several years, and this week the first sightings were reported in the Oswego area, between the Montgomery dam and downtown Oswego.
The phenomenon of eagles choosing the Fox Valley as their winter home has been observed for the past few years, according to the Kane County Chapter of the Illinois Audubon Society.
Seeing eagles is considered good for the river, as well as the birds themselves. The society has said the presence of eagles means there are a lot of fish in the river, and they are easy to get to.
Eagles will take the path of least resistance to get food, and that often is by dams in the river, the Audubon Society said. Going over the dam stuns the fish, which makes them easy prey.
Eagles have been spotted in various areas along the river, from Oswego up to Elgin. A Dec. 31 posting on the Eagle Viewing Directory noted an eagle spotted by the Gail Borden Library in downtown Elgin.
Prime eagle sightings in Illinois usually are along the Mississippi River dams near the quad cities, or at Starved Rock State Park near the Illinois River. As the weather gets better in the spring, by late March, most of the eagles will start moving toward northern Wisconsin or Canada.
