March Winter Happenings – Get a glimpse of a Bald Eagle!

March is a perfect time to get a glimpse of the magnificent Bald Eagle as it rides the ice feeding for fish from the majestic Hudson River. Get your binoculars and visit Milton-on-the Hudson Landing (dock) located along the Hudson River in Marlborough NY!

You can add to your experience by visiting a winery or distillery, enjoy fine dining, entertainment or grab a take out lunch and dessert from our restaurants, deli’s, bakeries, pizzeria’s and diners.  Dine in your car or sit outside in a lawn chair.   Either way,  have we got a view for you!” To learn more visit meetmeinmarlborough.com. #SUPPORTMMIMBUSINESSES

https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/9382.html

“Measuring 30 to 36 inches high and with a wingspan that extends from six to seven feet, “Eagles are definitely conspicuous – even more so in the winter when the large cottonwoods and sycamores they perch in are leafless,” said Kingston-based naturalist Mark DeDea, president of the John Burroughs Natural History Society and caretaker of the Forsyth Nature Center.

As the temperatures drop and the river freezes, “They’ll start to concentrate in the areas of open water, like the channel in the river kept open by the Coast Guard cutter,” said naturalist Steve Chorvas, who volunteers for stewardship and land management of the Esopus Creek Conservancy in Saugerties. “It’s common to see eagles sitting on the ice floes as the tide goes out, riding them down the river, looking for food.”

Not only do the birds tend to cluster, but there are more of them. Joining the dozen-or-so eagles that nest in this area are eagles migrating from the north and west, as the inland waterways of the Catskills and Adirondacks freeze over. “Bald eagles commonly migrate and winter in loose family units, often with juveniles of varying ages. In the non-breeding season, they are more tolerant of being in proximity to other eagles,” said DeDea.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officials note that during the winter, bald eagles roost in forest stands near open water. They rest and perch in tall trees and are most active between 7 and 9 a.m. and 4 and 5 p.m. They should be viewed from a distance. Disturbing or killing an eagle or interfering with its nest or eggs is a federal offense, with a penalty of up to a $20,000 fine and/or a year in jail.

Aerial Photo’s 1 & 2 courtesy of MMiM Volunteer Harrison Conn.

4th Photo – Milton on the Hudson River Dock