Eagle Awareness Programs Slated for Winter Months in the Natural State
December 1999

By Kerry Kraus, Travel Writer
Department of Parks and Tourism

As colder weather arrives, so do some special visitors. Bald eagles, and other birds of prey are headed our way in search of food and warmer weather. Several state parks and communities have activities planned during the winter months to celebrate this annual arrival.

Lake Fort Smith State Park welcomes bald eagles as they head south during December, January and February. To honor these guests, the park has scheduled a special Eagle Watch Day on Saturday, January 15. There will be one-mile hikes at 8:30 a.m. and again at 2:30 p.m. to Wakefield Bluff. At 7 p.m. that evening an owl prowl will kick off at the Ozark Highlands Trail access. The park is located in Mountainburg one mile off U.S. 71 North. Call (501) 369-2469 for more information.

Petit Jean State Park near Morrilton will devote January 15 and 16 to bald eagles during the annual Eagle Awareness Days. The park will offer several activities including field trips to see wintering bald eagles along the Arkansas River at Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge. Also included are a live birds of prey program and a slide presentation featuring other Arkansas raptors. Field trip participants should gather at the Mather Lodge lobby before the designated departure times. From the lodge participants will caravan in cars to Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge which is about 15 miles away on Ark. 155. On Saturday, January 15, field trips will leave Mather Lodge at 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. On Sunday, January 16, the trips will begin at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The eagle spotting excursions last about one-and-a-half to two hours.

There is no cost to participate and no reservations are required. Those who want to start the bird watching weekend early can begin with a search for owls on Friday, January 14 during the park's Owl Prowl. 

For more detailed information, call Petit Jean State Park at 501-727-5441. To visit Petit Jean, take Exit 108 off I-40 at Morrilton and travel nine miles south on Ark. 9, then go 12 miles west on Ark. 154; or from Dardanelle, travel seven miles south on Ark. 7, then go 16 miles east on Ark. 154 to the park.

One of the oldest eagle celebrations is the 21st Annual Eagles Et Cetera, scheduled for January 28-30 at DeGray Lake Resort State Park at Bismarck. The event kicks off with a Friday evening owl prowl followed by a session on falcons led by Howard Davis, president of the Arkansas Hawking Association. 

Saturday begins with morning eagle tours on the lake and a bird walk. After lunch, there will be a "Traveling with Audubon" presentation followed by the "Feathers of Fortune" game. Afternoon brings more bird walks and eagle tours on the lake. At 6 p.m. there will be an owl prowl followed at 7:30 p.m. with the Little Rock Zoo's "Birds of Prey" demonstration.

More eagle tours and bird walks will be held Sunday as the weekend comes to a close. For more details, contact the park at (501) 865-2801. For room reservations, contact the lodge at 1-800-737-8355. To reach the park take Exit 78 off I-30 at Caddo Valley/Arkadelphia and go seven miles north on Scenic Hwy. 7. 

January 28-30 are the dates for the 7th Annual Eagle Watch Weekend on Beaver Lake. The Belle of the Ozarks will ply the waters of Beaver Lake watching for eagles while expert guides provide commentary. Hours of departure are 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. all three days. Different areas of the lake will be featured on each day's tours. All lake tours depart from Rocky Branch Marina, which is located 12 miles east of Rogers on Ark. 12. 

Saturday evening features a 7 p.m. presentation by Lynn Sciumbato of the Morning Star Rehabilitation Center on "Birds of Prey and Wildlife Rehabilitation." Live birds of prey will be in attendance during her talk.

Guides for the lake tours include Flip Putthoff, The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas; Dave Nolan, National Audubon Society; Alan Bland, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Lynn Sciumbato, Morning Star Rehabilitation Center; Ellen Neaville, Ozark Natural Science Center.

Pre-paid reservations are required as seating is limited. Admission is $12.80 for adults and $6.40 for ages 12 and under. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Morning Star Rehabilitation Center.

For more information or to make reservations, call 1-800-552-3803 or e-mail Mary Anne Viator at viator@ipa.net.

Other eagle programs scheduled include Eagle Awareness, January 7-9 at Bull Shoals State Park near Lakeview; Birdwatching at Millwood, January 1-31 at Millwood State Park at Ashdown; and Arkansas Wildlife Weekend, February 4-6 at Mountain Harbor Resort on Lake Ouachita at Mount Ida. For additional information on state park events, contact Arkansas State Parks Program Services at (501) 682-2187.

This release, along with others by the Department of Parks & Tourism, is available electronically through the Arkansas Press Association Bulletin Board: apa@lr.cleaf.com (in-state only) and the Department’s Web site: www.arkansas.com under media information.