This may be the best winter yet for seeing bald eagles soaring high over Beaver Lake or roosting in shoreline trees, as if posing for a picture.
Nature lovers hopping aboard one of the Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area eagle-watch cruises haven’t been disappointed this year. Nearly every trip produces close looks at bald eagles, maybe more this winter than ever.
Maybe it’s because of the nasty winter up north. The more ice and snow there is in northern states, the more bald eagles come to Beaver Lake and all of Northwest Arkansas where most of our water stays liquid. Or maybe it’s because the number of bald eagles has climbed enough that there are simply more of them.
For whatever reason, this is the year to see them if you’ve put off taking a Hobbs eagle cruise.
Your faithful outdoors reporter is privileged to be one of the park volunteers who serve as guides on these 90-minute trips on Beaver Lake to see eagles. I can testify that eagles are putting on one heck of a show this winter.
January is the best month to see them. That’s when the number of bald eagles on the lake peak.
The inaugural cruise this eagle season was Nov. 1. Tom Miller of Bentonville and I were the tag-team volunteers that first trip, with Tom driving the boat and both of us doing our best to show our passengers some eagles. This early in the season, we hoped to see just one.
That first trip set the tone for the season. We saw 10 bald eagles that trip when we hoped for only one. Not only that, they put on a fabulous show with one eagle soaring low over the park’s 20-passenger pontoon boat. Eagles roosting in trees let us drift within close camera range. Our passengers got some great photos.
Hobbs eagle cruises will set sail until the end of February. There’s a seat on the boat waiting for you. Call the park at 479-789-5000 to register. Trips leave Saturdays and Sundays from Rocky Branch Marina at 3 p.m., weather permitting. If it’s too windy or roads are slick, the trip is cancelled.
At $10 a ticket, less for youngsters, an eagle cruise is a major bargain. You get a nice boat trip on a beautiful lake. Chances are good you’ll see bald eagles and other wildlife. The camaraderie among the passengers and crew is fun and you may learn more about Beaver Lake. Cruise volunteers know the lake and its wildlife well. They let passengers know why Beaver Lake is here, why bald eagles are here and how to spot them during the cruise.
Binoculars are provided and blankets are on board to fend off the chill. That doesn’t mean passengers shouldn’t bundle up. A good tip is to dress for temperatures 20 degrees colder than it is on land. It’s always chillier and breezier on the water.
Flip Putthoff can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWAFlip