Monday February 3 - National Eagle Centre at Wabasha

After a good breakfast we left Debbie's to travel to Connie and Joe's place and we went via the National Eagle Centre at Wabasha. It was again a sunny though cold start to the day and we took the scenic route to Wabasha. Although it is still white everywhere, it is very pretty with the sun shining on the snow and with many of the trees covered in frost! 

We passed through much flat, agricultural land for the first part of the journey but as we approached the Mississippi, we drove through rolling hills and then alongside the river in the valley. The river was completely frozen over for many miles along our route. 

 We arrived a the centre just in time for the 11 am programme. We went in to the bird area first to see the four bald eagles and one golden eagle (Donald). All of the are injured in one way or another mostly due to being hit by a vehicle or falling from their nest and are unable to fly. The oldest bird, a female called Harriet, is 33 years old and is now suffering from arthritis and balance issues. 



We learned many useful facts about raptors and the eagles in particular and at the end one of the eagles, Was'aka, was brought in to have his daily feed. He did not eat as enthusiastically as per usual, maybe due to the fur on his food but he did have a bath after his meal!!

The other two eagles are Angel and Columbia. Every morning they are taken outside for some fresh air and, in the summer, they are even taken to a spot to swim in the river. They are tethered for all these activities. These birds are now used in outreach programmes.

The centre is on the banks of the Mississippi River and has been situated at a spot where bald eagles  tend to congregate due to the river not being frozen at this part. It is very well set out with some excellent features and information. 

They also run weekend events where people are taken out, for example, to see the eagles in the wild. The bridge allows people to cross from Minnesnowta (as it is now called!) to Wisconsin!

We followed another scenic route climbing out of the valley and then dropping into another valley to Rochester and I finally re-met Ganache, Sizzle and Suzzie (was Faelena). I also met Ebony who is almost a split of Big Al but Willow, a muted calico, remained hidden.