No eagles

I live near the Vermillion river and there is a place on this river that stays open all winter and is visible from the road.In past years there has always been at least one eagle,usually more,perched in the trees above this open water.This year,there are none.It has also been a very poor winter for fishing the Vermillion…at least that’s been my experience.My thinking is that these two observations are related.Does anybody have any thoughts on this?

There is an article posted today in the Millwaukee Journal that is reporting a disease affecting eagles. See link below:

Disease afflicting bald eagles baffles experts

TROUTMAN Don’t worry we have your eagles down here in central Indiana.They are being well fed off our hot water discharge ditch that feeds into the Wabash River.Please let them stay a little longer ,they love the aboundance of carp that hang out in the ditch .I think everyone will agree eagles look better with a big carp in their talons over a walleye.Thanks for sharing ,the birds are beautiful,I will send them back soon .

Boy we have them here too, in numbers. I had three behind my house last week. I counted 40 in one spot, without trying hard or slowing the boat down a few weeks ago. The commercial fishermen throw the bigheads and silvers up on the bank and the eagles flock to them. The bigheads and silvers are good for the eagles, at least.

thanks for sharing that article… its scary in that birds are great indicators of the health of an ecosystem.. In fact Ive used them as a barometer for how healthy it was to eat fish from the river…. afterall eagles eat them everyday… and they eat some of the worst kinds… so this is a scary indicator something may be amiss….

Since the cold snap started several weeks ago, even the smallest swift streams around my place are completely/mostly frozen over. However 2 bald eagles have been hanging around all winter. As far north as I am(mid WI), I have found this interesting. I was actually thinking that perhaps the harshness of the winter was providing them food via greater mortality among other animals.
The good news about whatever is affecting those eagles further south in this state, is that so far it has remainded contained in a small area, even though its been around ~10 years.

With my time spent in Wabasha on the river.When eagle watchers can’t find eagles they are usually in back waters pearched low feeding on dying shad. They will spend less time pearching until this food source is gone.