This last weekend was bald eagle days at Smithville Lake. We went to the visitor center on DD and the ranger there told us that it was too warm to see any eagles. He circled several locations on a map of the lake and said that those were the viewing stations where they planned on taking people but there were no eagles so they didn't bother. One of the sights looked like it was at our cove, and he said you had to walk through a hay field to get to the viewing station. I asked if it was at Heartland Cove and he said yes. It sounded like they had spotters at each location to watch for the eagles. I was wondering if anybody was trying to enjoy a rare warm day at the cove and had eagle watchers tromping around. We did not go there ourselves.
Might be fun to haver our own Eagle Day - some weekend. Just a time for Cover regulars to gather and with the help of some informed folks who know the bird life of the lake spend an hour or two quietly observing the wildlife. Good activity for friends or family members who have no interest in the Cove as a nude venue but might like to visit the place also.
Raydean - are you fairly familiar with the egale population on the Lake? And any birdwatching carries the same proviso - it's random and chance - no way to know where or when a particular species might appear although experience can tild the odds in favor of the best opportunity. Morning, evening, daytime, cold, hot? I don't know the ideal conditions. From your comments it sounds like the warm winter days aren't the best for the eagles but there are other species around.
Anybody else have interest in the birds of Heartland Cove - maybe a Saturday or Sunday gathering with lunch before or after somewhere in Smithville?