Use the spotting scope not only to examine perched eagles but also the hill located across the river from you. This hill is the terminal moraine, the place where glaciers stopped advancing and began their most recent retreat. Everything on your side of the river is now known as the ‘Driftless Area’ meaning that no glacial drift (deposits of rock and soil) can be found. Imagine a wall of ice facing you some 12,000 years ago. The sand beneath your feed is the outwash material that the glacier released as it melted.Eagles gather here not because of the sand but because of what the sand does. The shallow, constantly changing sandy channel of the Wisconsin River provides diverse and productive habitats for many species of fish, gizzard shad being one of the eagle’s favorites. The shad populations boom and bust along the Wisconsin River and when they boom, eagles eat well. But shad are small fish and you might easily miss an eagle eating one. Watch the fishing eagles carefully. When they swoop down and grab something from the water what their head. If they lower their head to their talons, then the caught a fish, or a piece of fish and the morsel is quickly swallowed all while the bird continues its flight back to a perch.

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The River Walk and spotting scope in Sauk City, located just a block north of the Hwy. 12 bridge off Water Street, offers a panoramic view of the river and the eagles’ flyway up and down the river.  Occasionally, they also can be spotted perched in trees across the river, but this is mainly the eagles’ interstate for movement between perching up and down river.  Ducks, geese, and gulls also like the sheltered shores of the river here.  The parking area here is open any time.

Sauk City River Walk And Spotting Scope

Introduction:
Eagles wintering along the Lower Wisconsin Riverway form the largest Bald Eagle winter population that resides entirely within Wisconsin. Although the Lower Wisconsin Riverway extends from the dam at Prairie du Sac to the junction of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers, eagles winter along the Lower Wisconsin River primarily from Prairie du Sac to Lone Rock, a distance of 32 river miles, and they also move extensively up and down this corridor. To improve your chances of seeing eagles, whether eagles are located mostly up or downriver, we have split the self-guided tour into an Upper Wisconsin River Wintering Eagle Watch Tour and a Lower Wisconsin River Wintering Eagle Watch Tour.” The tour is broken into two parts because, due to food availability, eagles sometimes concentrate mostly upriver and sometimes concentrate mostly downriver. Generally, eagles gather along the Lower Wisconsin River and adjoining agricultural lands in winter. This convocation of eagles is possible because the dam at Prairie du Sac keeps a significant portion of the Wisconsin River from freezing. Of equal importance, traditional communal roosts occur in bluffs located adjacent to the river and provide a safe place where eagles sleep at night. Undeveloped river shoreline allows for undisturbed feeding and agricultural lands provide open space where carrion can be found. All four of these habitat elements combined allow eagles to concentrate along the Lower Wisconsin from Lone Rock to Prairie du Sac during winter.  When there is abundant ice on the river and snow in the uplands, eagles concentrate in the Sauk Prairie area.  When the river is more ice-free or snow cover is limited, eagles spend more time along the 32-mile stretch of river rather than concentrating in any one place.  Where these birds tend to concentrate in any given wintry week helps you decide which tour to take.

Please see the Ferry Bluff Eagle Council Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FerryBluffEagleCouncil for recommendations on which tour to take based on where the most eagles are located at any given time during the winter. Suggested driving routes from one tour stop to the next are shown, but feel free to visit tour stops in any order. Both tour sections can be started from the Sauk Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce office. See the Chamber of Commerce tour stop for directions on how to get there. Typically, when ice is abundant on the river or snow is deep in agricultural areas, eagles can be found primarily in the upriver stretch from the Prairie du Sac Dam to the river area near Mazomanie. During warmer weather, when little ice is found on the river or snow in agricultural areas, few eagles use the upper stretch of river and concentrate along the river from Mazomanie to Lone Rock. Pay attention to the conditions around you to estimate where you should go to view the most eagles.  If the river is full of ice, visit the upriver sections. If the river is open, visit the downriver sections. At any time, enjoy your viewing of eagles and appreciate just how dynamic eagle distribution can be in winter! Note that you are outside in winter so please dress accordingly. 
 
Tour Part 1:
Welcome to the Upper Wisconsin River Wintering Eagle Watch Tour: https://theclio.com/tour/1721
If the river is full of ice, visit the upriver sections which remain open because of the dam at Prairie du Sac (Tour Part 1). If the river is open, visit the downriver sections (Tour Part 2). At any time, enjoy your viewing of eagles and appreciate just how dynamic eagle distribution can be in winter! Note that you are outside in winter so please dress accordingly.



The Sauk Prairie Chamber of Commerce is a good starting point for both tours because they can offer suggestions for you, they have relevant information and because they have an interesting display of a life-size eagle nest in their lobby! While on your tour, see if you can find eagle nests while in route. Several pairs nest along the Lower Wisconsin River and you can often see large, perennial nests in trees that will look just like the human-constructed nest in the Chamber lobby. To have your best chance of seeing these majestic birds along our Lower Wisconsin River, we suggest you take one of two possible tours, either up river or down river, the choice depending upon where eagles are mostly likely distributed. Our FBEC Facebook page (see links below) will provide current eagle distribution data in winter and you can use this to decide what route to take. Enjoy your tour! Directions from Out-of-Town to the Chamber of Commerce: <ul><li>From Madison via Hwy. 12: Heading northwest on Hwy. 12, go across the Wisconsin River bridge to the stop light immediately past the bridge.  After passing through the stop light on Hwy. 12, the Sauk Prairie Chamber of Commerce building is on your right, just across from the Kwik Trip.</li></ul> <ul><li>From Mazomanie and Southwest Wisconsin: On Hwy. 14 about one mile east of Mazomanie, turn north on Hwy. 78 and go 7 miles to the stop light at Hwy. 12. Turn left. After passing through the stop light just after the bridge crossing the Wisconsin River on Hwy. 12, the Sauk Prairie Chamber of Commerce building is on your right, just across from the Kwik Trip.</li></ul> <ul><li>From Baraboo and Wisconsin Dells via Hwy. 12: Heading south of the Baraboo Bluffs on Hwy. 12, enter Sauk City. Just before the stoplight that precedes the Hwy. 12 bridge that spans the Wisconsin River, the Sauk Prairie Chamber of Commerce building will be on your left, just across from the Kwik Trip.</li></ul> <ul><li>From Lodi and Interstate 90-94 via Hwy. 60: Go west 11.2 miles on Hwy. 60 from stop sign in downtown Lodi and across the Hwy. 60 bridge over the Wisconsin River at Prairie du Sac. At the 4-way stop sign, immediately after crossing the bridge, turn left and proceed south on Water Street (Hwy 78 and Hwy 60). Proceed 1.6 miles to stoplights at the intersection with Hwy 12. Turn right at stoplight and the Sauk Prairie Chamber of Commerce building will be on your right, just across from the Kwik Trip.</li></ul> <ul><li>From Merrimac and Interstates 90-94-39 via Hwy. 78:  Go west and then south on Hwy. 78 for 11.6 miles. At the stoplight (the junction of Hwy 78 and Hwy 12), turn right and the Sauk Prairie Chamber of Commerce building will be on your right, just across from the Kwik Trip.</li></ul>

The Eagle Watch Tour is composed of two sections, each section taking 1-3 hours to circumnavigate.  The Chamber of Commerce is the starting point for both sections.  You may choose to take the sections one-at-a-time or complete two sections in one day, depending on your availability and conditions.  Suggested driving routes from one tour stop to the next are shown, but feel free to visit tour stops in any order.  The Chamber office does have bathrooms available but only during normal business hours (M-F, 8 A.M. – 4 P.M.).  The lobby, where the nest and information is available, is open every day 8 A.M. – 8 P.M.  During COVID, facemasks and social distancing are required.  Please call 608-643-4168 or visit www.saukprairie.com for more information.

Sauk Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce

Use the spotting scope not only to examine perched eagles but also the hill located across the river from you. This hill is the terminal moraine, the place where glaciers stopped advancing and began their most recent retreat. Everything on your side of the river is now known as the ‘Driftless Area’ meaning that no glacial drift (deposits of rock and soil) can be found. Imagine a wall of ice facing you some 12,000 years ago. The sand beneath your feed is the outwash material that the glacier released as it melted. Eagles gather here not because of the sand but because of what the sand does. The shallow, constantly changing sandy channel of the Wisconsin River provides diverse and productive habitats for many species of fish, gizzard shad being one of the eagle’s favorites. The shad populations boom and bust along the Wisconsin River and when they boom, eagles eat well. But shad are small fish and you might easily miss an eagle eating one. Watch the fishing eagles carefully. When they swoop down and grab something from the water what their head. If they lower their head to their talons, then the caught a fish, or a piece of fish and the morsel is quickly swallowed all while the bird continues its flight back to a perch.

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.

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.

Prairie du Sac Eagle Island Overlook

The Tripp Heritage Museum is a vibrant starting point for exploring the heritage of people and the natural wonders of the Sauk Prairie Area. Numerous exhibits and events throughout the year highlight the authentic story of this riverside community nestled between the Wisconsin River and bluff-ringed prairie, located 30 minutes north of Madison, Wisconsin, and 20 minutes south of the Wisconsin Dells. The museum provides information about eagles that make it a great place for you to advance your eagle watch tour. The Tripp, named after its benefactor, J.S. Tripp, was originally constructed in 1912 as the Tripp Memorial Library. It served as home to the village offices and library for many decades and is now cared for by the Sauk Prairie Area Historical Society. The Society also manages two historic country churches: Our Lady of Loretto and Salem Ragatz Historic Church. Both churches are available for tours, weddings, and family gatherings.

Tripp Heritage Museum, a co-sponsor of Bald Eagle Watching Days, provides a fun and diverse opportunity for birdwatching of another kind.  Located a half block from Eagle Island Overlook, it is home to a bird collection of more than 300 mounted individuals.  The Tripp explores nature, culture, and heritage of Sauk Prairie, including an exhibit of a 7,000 year old bison skull found in the Wisconsin River just below the dam by a local boy.

The Tripp Heritage Museum is currently open for visits or research by appointment only. Please call 608-644-8444 or e-mail at spahs@frontier.com to schedule a time and learn about our COVID rules. 

Tripp Heritage Museum

At the VFW, commuting, soaring and perching eagles are prominent along this stretch of river. Eagles frequently perch in trees directly across the river from the Campground, as well as on trees on a point jutting into the river across and to the north (left) of the Campground about a quarter mile. Patient eagle watchers may well be rewarded with eagles flying either upriver or downriver here, or simply soaring around between the river and perching trees. Eagles often fly low and direct between nighttime roosts where the birds sleep in flocks and daytime foraging areas and this is a good place to observe that low-level, active flight. Look for commuting at first light or around sunset. Seeing an adult Bald Eagle flying along the middle of the river in the glowing front-lighting of the setting sun is an image you will not forget.

The VFW Campground rests on the shores of the Wisconsin River just off Water St., in Prairie du Sac, and almost a mile south of the dam. Its ample parking area allows eagle watchers to sit in their vehicles anywhere near the river shore. Views of the up river dam and the Hwy 12/60 bridge down river are excellent. The shoreline on the opposite shore is undeveloped so eagles can perch and actively forage while perching by watching for food to float by. Perching more conserves energy in winter. The parking lot is open at any time.

VFW Campground

The dam, with its open gates, keeps water down river ice-free, even in the coldest temperatures. Open water means good fishing—food—for eagles. Access to food is one key reason eagles gather along the Lower Wisconsin River. Concentrations of Bald Eagles feeding at the dam, however, do not occur all year long. Only when down river sites become frozen and off river sites become snow-covered do eagles gather at the dam. Still, it is easier for eagles to shift a few miles up-river during cold snaps than it is for individuals to migrate further south to places that still retain open water like Missouri. The dam thus serves as important habitat at an important time during the winter for Bald Eagles. In doing so, the dam allows eagles to concentrate along the Lower Wisconsin River in greater numbers than they would otherwise do. While at the dam, after eagles catch some food, they may carry their lunch back to a grove of trees just south of the parking lot and perch in the trees. Sometimes other, fishless eagles alight from their perches along the river as the successful eagle returns and the intruders try to snatch a free lunch. To avoid thievery (called kleptoparasitism in behavioral science), some eagles will consume the newly acquired prey/carrion while still in flight, before returning to their perch. Ownership of food is only guaranteed if it resides in the stomach!  Watch for eagles to move their beak to their talons a few wing strokes after capturing prey to observe this subtle behavior.  To reduce disturbance to eagles, people are strongly encouraged to stay in their vehicles. The more people stay in their cars, the better views observers will have. Besides, it is warmer in your car…

Located north of Prairie du Sac and off Hwy 78 on Dam Road, this 100-year-old hydro-electric dam serves as important Bald Eagle habitat in the Sauk Prairie area.  Alliant Energy provides a parking lot adjacent to the river, ideal for eagle watching as long as you stay in your vehicle.  From the parking lot, you can see eagles fly over the river, diving toward the water to obtain fish or perching in trees while waiting for the next piece of food to float by. 
 The parking lot is available any time.  

Alliant Energy Dam

Wollersheim Winery and Distillery is located on the opposite side of the bluff from where a communal, night-time Bald Eagle roost is located. Called Sugar Loaf, this roost is used traditionally by eagles to sleep at night in perhaps a slightly warmer micro-climate. The bluffs can certainly block cold winds. The roost is also vegetated by mature oak trees that offer open perches for big birds to easily alight in. It is also possible that gathered eagles can find out new feeding locations from other eagles using the roost. It is often possible to see eagles returning to their night roost in the later afternoon with full crops of food. If we humans can see such signs of foraging success, eagle-eyed compatriots can certainly do the same. Eagle use of this roost is most prevalent in cold conditions when eagle distribution has shifted up river. A significant portion of land that eagles use during winter along the Lower Wisconsin River is privately owned. Proper management is needed to maintain eagle habitat and it is difficult for land-owners to provide management without assistance. The local community of Sauk Prairie contributes funds that help manage eagle habitat and your visitation to the Sauk Prairie community can help businesses who then contribute to eagles – that is eco-tourism at its best! Specifically, in addition to managing their own property to benefit eagles, Wollersheim Winery and Distillery donates a portion of proceeds from their sale of Eagle Red Wine to eagle conservation each year. Make sure that you visit the winery itself to observe the excellent human winter habitat after you have checked out the good eagle habitat in the surrounding environs!

Wollersheim Winery and Distillery is located on the east side of the river, just across from the Eagle Island Overlook, and offers the opportunity to watch eagles soaring above Sugar Loaf Bluff or flying into Sugar Loaf Roost.  The roost is located just over the hill behind (east) of the winery.  Eagles can be seen soaring above the bluffs here, especially on colder days when the river has frozen down stream.  Parking is available in Wollersheim’s large parking lot off Hwy. 188, less than a mile south of Hwy.60, and viewing areas are a short walk up the hill behind the entry to the winery.  The business is open daily but check the website for exact open hours as they may change due to COVID.  The parking lot is only accessible when the business is open.

Upper Wisconsin Eagle Watch Tour

Sauk City River Walk And Spotting Scope

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Additional Information