Got my binoculars out this morning and drove to Newburyport to attend their annual eagle festival. There were several places inside and outside the city where activities were being held. I went to visit the new headquarters of the Parker River Wildlife Refuge on Rolfe's Lane in Newbury. I sat for an hour with young couples and their kids on benches in a small room off the main lobby to listen to a talk by an expert on birds. He brought with him some papier mache birds' heads that he had made and put on a great show, increasing our knowledge of the lives of birds and making us laugh while doing so.
I left the building with a map of spots in the local area where bald eagles had been seen. When I got to Spring Street in Newburyport I found a small crowd standing on the snow-covered bank of the river gazing through their binoculars at the sky and at the upper branches of trees along the far banks of the river. Looking through my binoculars I saw one eagle perched on a tree limb that jutted out over the water and another soaring above the highway bridge that crossed the Merrimac. Seeing those beautiful birds made my day. As I drove home I realized how fortunate I was to have a chance see bald eagles almost in my backyard. I will definitely be going back again soon!
