Winter Bald Eagle Watching in the Quad Cities

Winter Adventures to the Quad Cities Treat to Bald Eagle Viewing

Bald eagles winter along the Mississippi River in the Quad Cities making the destination perfect for a winter nature adventure. This past weekend, we visited the Quad Cities for the first time in the winter and were immediately enthralled by the bald eagles majestically flying through the air in a variety of locations along the mighty Mississippi.

In most recent years, more and more bald eagles have been staying the entire year here in northern Illinois. However, nothing compares to observing the hundreds of bald eagles that migrate to the Quad Cities in winter. We relished a remarkable winter day of bald eagle watching in Illinois and Iowa along the Mississippi River.

Majestic bald eagles fill the skies in the Quad Cities in the winter.

Our friends over at Quad Cities have put together a fantastic list of vantage points for scouting for bald eagles. We choose to explore points in Moline and Rock Island, Illinois as well as Davenport, Iowa. But, there really is a plethora to explore:

• Lock & Dam 15, Schwiebert Riverfront Park, 17th St. & 1st Ave., Rock Island, Illinois
• Lock & Dam 15, 101 W. 2nd St., Davenport, Iowa
• Lock & Dam 14, 25549 182nd St., Pleasant Valley, Iowa
• Sylvan Island, 101 1st Avenue, Moline, Illinois
• Hyatt Place & Hyatt House (River Room on the 9th Floor) 111 Bend Blvd., East Moline, Illinois
• Illiniwek Forest Preserve, 836 State Ave., Hampton, Illinois
• Hampton Heritage Center, 251 S. State Ave., Hampton, Illinois
• Sunset Park, 18th Ave. & Sunset Ln., Rock Island, Illinois
• Credit Island Park, 2200 W River Dr., Davenport, Iowa
• Wapsi River Environmental Education Center, 31555 52nd Ave, Dixon, Iowa

We headed to our favorite, Sylvan Island, for our first vantage point. We did not have to look very hard to find eagles. They were soaring above and relaxing in the trees all around. We also saw a whole bunch of excited ducks flying in, too. We packed a picnic lunch and ate in the car while bird watching. We were entirely amazed!

Bald Eagle perched in a tree on Sylvan Island in Moline, Illinois.

Tip: Familiarize yourself with the plumage of bald eagles in various stages. You will see mature bald eagles as well as juveniles.

Bald eagles dot the trees near Rock Island Arsenal.

Next, we headed over to Schwiebert Riverfront Park in Rock Island. From the park, you can view a portion of the Rock Island Arsenal property that is tree covered. Oh my, the trees were FULL of bald eagles! Bald eagles dazzled us as they flew over the river with Davenport in the background.

Bald eagle soaring with Davenport, Iowa in the background.

After a fruitful bald eagle adventure at Schwiebert Riverfront Park, we headed to Sunset Park in Rock Island. We spotted a bunch of ice fishers as we made our way to the river. We did see a pair of eagles perched along the river. During our pause at Sunset Park, one left the tree and soared over the river for a spell.

Don't forget to stop for food! Check out my Tasty Quad Cities Discoveries!!

Ice fishing in the Quad Cities.

We headed across the river to Davenport to check out the area by Lock & Dam 15. This was quite the spot on the day of our visit as a cluster of photographers were gathered. A number of bald eagles and gulls circled around looking for fish. Seeing so many eagles and gulls swirling about the locks really captured us in a moment. Breathtaking!

Bald eagle soaring by the locks in Davenport, Iowa.

Before heading home, we popped by Sylvan Island again. Sylvan Island has become quite a favorite of ours over the past year and we were curious if we would have luck with spotting eagles again. Sure enough, we did! Bald eagles were yet again flying around the island. Such a perfect cap to our day!

Tips for Bald Eagle Viewing:

• We have a lot of luck by locks and dams. 
• Scout in the trees along the river.
• Bring birding binoculars.
• Do not scare the eagles. Keep noise low and don't move too fast.
• Dress properly for the weather.
• Keep hydrated. People often forget how dehydrated you can get during the winter.
• Prepare to wait a little to see some bald eagles.
• Keep the list of spots with you. You can move from spot to the spot fairly easily to see the eagles.
• Having visited the region in all seasons, you can see bald eagles all year round. However, winter allows you to see them in great numbers and is quite a different experience than seeing one or two.

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.