Eagles (and Eagle Days) Return
to Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks

Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. – The popular Eagle Days program and its namesake birds are making their annual return to the Lake of the Ozarks. The event will be held 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 6, and 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 7, at historic Willmore Lodge on Highway 54 just northeast of Bagnell Dam in Lake Ozark.  The free program is sponsored by the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Runge Nature Center.
   
In addition to viewing live eagles in the wild, visitors to Eagle Days will get an up-close look at live eagles and other birds of prey from the World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis. Naturalists will be on hand to answer questions. Interactive exhibits and videos will explain fascinating facts about eagles and high-power scopes will be available for eagle viewing.  Other eagle observation sites will be set up at the Missouri Department of Conservation river access above and below Bagnell Dam.
   
If the weather permits, on Saturday the paddle wheeler Tom Sawyer will offer 30-minute Eagle Watch Cruises at $4 per person.  During each excursion a Missouri Department of Conservation naturalist will be onboard to point out eagles indulging in their favorite daytime activity – perching in large sycamore trees along the water’s edge.  Tickets can be purchased at the Tom Sawyer prior to departure.  Visitors are urged to bring binoculars and cameras and to dress for the weather.
   
“The purpose of Eagle Days is two-fold,” says Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Trisha Creach.  “First, the event gives residents and visitors to the Lake area the opportunity to interact with live bald eagles in close proximity. Also, the program helps raise awareness of the bald eagle, our national symbol, and that helps keep them safe and flourishing.”
   
Eagle Days has become one of the highlights of winter at the Lake of the Ozarks.  The first live-eagle program held in 1999 attracted 651 participants.  Last year the event drew more than 4,700 visitors, setting a new record.  “So much depends on the weather,” says Kathy Cavender, manager of the Runge Nature Center in Jefferson City.  “In fact, the worse the weather is for people, the better it is for eagles. Last year we had nice weather so a lot of people came out on both Eagle Days.”  She adds, for the upcoming event, some of the exhibits will move to heated tents outside Willmore Lodge to alleviate the crowding indoors.
   
Only Alaska and Washington have more bald eagles than Missouri.  The birds move south from the Great Lakes and Canada along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers between late December and early February and they stay until mid-March. Today more than 2,800 eagles annually migrate to Missouri, including more than 100 that congregate at the Lake of the Ozarks to spend the winter and hunt for fish.
  
 “People who come to Eagle Days leave with a deeper concern about what happens to these magnificent birds and to the environment in general,” says Creach.  “Eagle Days also provides a great way for families to escape the winter doldrums and enjoy some winter-style fun at the Lake of the Ozarks.”
   
Eagle Days is just one of the many entertaining and educational events regularly scheduled at Central Missouri’s scenic Lake of the Ozarks.  For details about 2007 Eagle Days contact the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce at 800-451-4117 or visit www.lakeareachamber.com.  For information on other Lake-area events, as well as attractions, shopping, lodging, dining and more, contact the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau at 800-FUN-LAKE or visit www.funlake.com.

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