Prairie du Sac Eagle Island Overlook

The Eagle Island Overlook provides an excellent opportunity to watch eagles soaring, perching, and fishing. The trees on the island offer eagles an ideal place to perch and forage. Use the available spotting scopes to see perched eagles more clearly. Numerous eagles often perch on the island trees simultaneously, occasionally taking wing to fish or move on. Eagles also perch on shoreline trees across the river, as well as flying up river over the Hwy. 60 bridge toward the dam, or down river. The Overlook has undergone an extensive remodeling in 2020 and access may be limited until spring, 2021. The parking lot is open at any time.

This observation point illustrates the four types of habitat that are important to wintering eagles. On the opposite shore are two bluffs, one directly across from the Overlook (Sugar Loaf) and the other to the north of Hwy. 60 just east of the bridge. Look for the roost located beneath the radio tower (Blackhawk) and to the east. Especially during the colder parts of the winter, Sugar Loaf and Blackhawk provide roosting areas for the nighttime communal gathering of the eagles. Sugar Loaf opens to the north, so if the wind is blowing from that direction, eagles prefer to fly into Blackhawk which opens to the south. If the wind is southerly, eagles avoid Blackhawk and roost in Sugar Loaf. Eagles usually start moving into the roosts from day-time foraging areas by mid-to-late afternoon.

The river corridor provides food as do agricultural areas located just over the bluff to the east. Carrion is found in these open areas and eagles are safe while on the ground in fields that are large enough to see predators approach from far enough away that they can take flight, a laborious process, in time. The undeveloped shoreline, and island here, allows eagles to fish while still conserving heat by remaining perched. Fish and carrion, safe foraging perches, and warmer roosts are all located in close proximity along the Lower Wisconsin River, even when wide fluctuations of weather occur. This combination of habitats allows eagles to concentrate in large numbers.