By BRUCE SCHREINER, Associated Press Bruce Schreiner, Associated Press – Tue Jan 18, 1:54 pm ET
AURORA, Ky. – Each speck of white spotted along the distant shoreline stirred excitement on a cruise ship plying Kentucky Lake in a search of bald eagles — a popular wintertime spectator excursion in this recreational haven.
Each winter, the bald eagle population swells in the lakes region of southwestern Kentucky, where the majestic birds fatten up on fish and find sanctuary along meandering stretches of undisturbed shoreline. Those same qualities attract flocks of people to the region in warmer weather for fishing and boating.
The birds' telltale white tops offered the first sign that eagles were perched in trees near shore. Passengers aboard the CQ Princess, a 96-foot yacht, quickly turned their binoculars for close-up views. Other eagles were spotted soaring far overhead, their wingspans drawing admiration. Another eagle was floating in the far distance, dunking its head for a frigid bath. Many of the birds could easily be seen without the aid of binoculars.
"It's like watching a documentary," said Mary Greer, a retired state recreation supervisor and naturalist from nearby Kuttawa. "We've seen them sitting, bathing and flying."
Eagle-watching has become a staple each January and February along Kentucky Lake, drawing visitors to three nearby popular getaways offering lodging and restaurants — Kentucky Dam Village, Lake Barkley and Kenlake state resort parks.
The lake is a popular lure for visitors drawn to Land Between the Lakes, a national recreation area covering 170,000 acres in southwestern Kentucky and northern Tennessee. The inland peninsula sits between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.
Three-hour eagle-watching tours are offered aboard the yacht or on land in vans. The groups are led by state park naturalists and state fish and wildlife biologists. The spacious yacht is mostly enclosed, letting visitors relax in heated comfort while searching for eagles. But the more hardy can stand watch on outside decks.
The state park system also offers eagle-watching at Dale Hollow State Resort Park in south-central Kentucky, where visitors can gaze at the birds aboard an open barge and on foot during a short hike.
Animal-watching excursions have become popular draws for the Kentucky parks system. Elk-watching tours are offered in the fall and winter at Jenny Wiley, Buckhorn Lake and Pine Mountain state resort parks in eastern Kentucky.
Sandhill cranes are the star attractions during viewing excursions set for Jan. 21-22 and Feb. 18-19 at Barren River Lake State Resort Park in southern Kentucky.
Kentucky State Parks have offered eagle-watching weekends for decades, but the frequency of spotting the national symbol has changed dramatically through the years.
"Thirty years ago ... you would have been really lucky to see one eagle in the wintertime," said Mary Schmidt, a park naturalist and program supervisor at Lake Barkley state park. "And now we're seeing upwards of 20 just in a matter of two hours. So the population has just taken off."
About 40 to 50 eagles live year-round in the Land Between the Lakes area, but their numbers swell to 150 or more in winter when eagles migrate south from the Great Lakes and southern Canada, where their fishing grounds freeze, she said.
Schmidt serves as a tour guide, pointing out eagles and offering tutorials about the national symbol.
"Every trip is different," she said. "And the weather actually plays a big part, too. I've been on these boat tours where the back of these bays have been frozen over. We've seen eagles sitting on the ice, and that's really neat."
Registration is required for state parks' eagle-watch weekends, due to their popularity.
The parks and dates for this year's eagle-watching excursions are:
• Kentucky Dam Village — Jan. 21-23.
• Lake Barkley — Jan. 28-30.
• Dale Hollow — Feb. 4-5.
• Kenlake — Feb. 4-6.
Visitors to Lake Barkley park will depart for yacht excursions from Kenlake marina, a 15-minute drive.
The yacht, based in Louisville most of the year, hadn't even pulled away from the marina when the first eagle was spotted during a recent excursion for reporters and other guests.
A series of sightings had Clara Faye Downs of Paducah gazing intently through binoculars.
"It's my first time but I see how it could be addictive," she said.
Laura Schaumburg, also of Paducah, said the eagles looked "regal" perched in trees, but she was even more spellbound when the massive birds took flight.
"It's sort of majestic to see the wing span and see how powerful they are," she said.
The tour turned up other wildlife — a peregrine falcon, plenty of ducks and other waterfowl and even a coyote wandering along the shoreline. But the stars of the cruise were the eagles.
"It never stops to amaze me to see these wonderful birds," Schmidt said. "I still enjoy seeing them every time."
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If You Go...
KENTUCKY EAGLE WATCH WEEKENDS: Offered at four Kentucky state parks — Dale Hollow, Kentucky Dam Village, Lake Barkley and Kenlake;
http://www.parks.ky.gov or 800-325-2282 (Dale Hollow), 800-325-0146 (Kentucky Dam Village), 800-325-1708 (Lake Barkley) and 800-325-0143 (Kenlake). Ticket prices: adults and children $45 for boat tours; adults $20 for van tours, children (12-and-under) $10. Eagle-watch weekends: Kentucky Dam Village, Jan. 21-23; Lake Barkley, Jan. 28-30; Dale Hollow, Feb. 4-5; Kenlake, Feb. 4-6.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20...NpdG9yc2Zsb2M-
Visitors flock for close up views of bald eagles
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