[mou] Eagle Spot event

[Jim Williams]

Posted at the request of Kelly Larson, by Jim Williams, Wayzata. If a reply
is sent, please reply to Kelly.
------

Kelly Larson
Feathered Friend Wild Bird Store
651-267-1001
Bob Musil,
Executive Director Red Wing VCB
651-385-5934, 800-498-3444
bmusil@redwing.org


Red Wing=B9s 2004 Eagle Spot Festival Set for February 28-29
Eagle Spot Weekends Run Through March 20
=20
Red Wing=B9s 2nd annual Eagle Spot Festival will be held February 28-29, and
will feature city-wide celebrations, live birds of prey presentations,
wildlife photography seminars, guest speakers, book signings and more. The
action starts at 8 am each morning with open range viewing of Eagles in the
Wild at Colvill Park. Hundreds of eagles have been known to gather in the
cottonwood trees that line the river and this winter=B9s cold weather has
resulted in fantastic eagle viewing conditions.

Visitors can enjoy a hot cup of shade grown coffee or hot chocolate, warm u=
p
near the bonfire and toast a few marshmallows. Members of the Environmental
Learning Center will offer Smore set-ups and hot dogs complete with roastin=
g
sticks. Experienced volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about
Bald Eagles.

Wildlife photographers Dale Bohlke, Gary Krogman, and Hope Rutledge will
give wildlife photography tips at Colvill Park from 10 am to noon on
Saturday and Sunday, and will answer questions about equipment, techniques
and digiscoping. "Beautiful Things With Wings: A Photographers Eye on
Nature", a multimedia event will be presented Saturday afternoon. The
remarkable digital wildlife photography of Gary Krogman and Hope Rutledge i=
s
set to music and features birds, butterflies, and dragonflies. Meet the
artist as they answer questions and share their wildlife experiences.

The University of Minnesota Raptor Center will be at Riverfront Center with
a live eagle, great-horned owl and red tail hawk from 11 am to 1 pm. This i=
s
a great opportunity to see and learn about some of our native birds of prey=
.

The Wild Bird Lady of Red Wing, Kelly Larson, will be at Riverfront Center
on Saturday presenting a seminar on Bird Feeding through Seasonal
Transitions. On Sunday the program "True Blue Survivor" will provide an
introduction to attracting Eastern Bluebirds. Bluebird houses can be
assembled and purchased.

The Red Wing Environmental Learning Center demonstrates Winter Survival
Skills at Levee Park Saturday afternoon. Topics include winter camping,
snowshoeing, emergency shelters, and cold water rescue. An evening of famil=
y
entertainment at the Sheldon Theatre will wrap up Saturday=B9s activities.
On Sunday, the St. James Hotel will offer Brunch with Binoculars in the
rooftop Summit Room from 11 am to 2 pm. Enjoy a spectacular buffet and zoom
in on the vistas of bluffs and soaring eagles with a pair of binoculars,
compliments of the St. James.

Prominent birding expert and wildlife author Carrol Henderson will sign his
books "Wild About Birds and "The Travelers Guide to Birding in Minnesota" i=
n
Clara=B9s Gifts & Coffee shop on Sunday, a delightful new shop located off th=
e
Main Street entrance. Nancy Overcott, Minnesota birder and naturalist, will
sign her book, "At Home in the Big Woods" on Saturday.

The grand finale of the weekend will be a Live Eagle Presentation courtesy
of the National Eagle Center. Meet one of the live bald eagles who resides
at the center, and learn about the history, ecology and recovery of our
national symbol of freedom. The Live Eagle Presentation will take place in
the St. James Hotel courtyard from 1-2 pm and visitors can get their pictur=
e
taken with the eagle from 2:30 =AD 3:30 pm.

Many Red Wing area properties will be offering special "Roost with the
Eagles" rates for visitors wishing to overnight. For more information on
lodging options or on the "Eagle Spot Festival" event call the Red Wing
Visitor and Convention Bureau at 651-385-5934 or 1-800-498-3444 or visit
www.redwing.org.

Brunch with Binoculars at the St. James Hotel is offered each Sunday from
11-2 through eagle-spotting season. The Red Wing Visitors and Convention
Bureau will also host a series of Eagle Spot weekends in Colvill Park
through March 21. From 1-3 pm visitors to the park will have access to
spotting scopes and binoculars, and will be able to learn more about the
habits and behaviors of Bald Eagles from trained volunteers from the Red
Wing Environmental Learning Center Instructor Naturalist Program and
Feathered Friend Wild Bird Store. The Eagle Spot headquarters visitor=B9s
center will also be open weekends from 1-3 pm and will dispense brochures,
maps and literature.

Red Wing=B9s picturesque location on the bluffs of the Mississippi makes it
the ideal eagle watching location, with many perfect vantage points located
both indoors and out. Colvill Park is highly regarded as a premier location
for viewing and photographing eagles in a natural environment and during
peak activity it is not uncommon to see over one hundred eagles resting in
the trees or soaring above the river bluffs.

Organizers hope that Eagle Spot will help visitors understand the
relationships between wildlife and habitat and will inspire appreciation an=
d
future conservation for area wildlife. Information on Bald Eagle behavior
and recovery as well as river ecology and management will be key components
of the program.