PERRY, Kan.—The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Perry Lake has rescheduled its 3rd Annual Perry Lake Eagles Day for Saturday, Dec. 28, at the Perry American Legion at 410 Perry Place, Perry, Kan., beginning at noon.
It was originally scheduled for Dec. 22, however officials decided to reschedule the event due to weather conditions.
“This is your opportunity to learn more about our national bird and see them up close,” said Bunnie Watkins, natural resource manager at the lake. “It's also a great opportunity to bring visiting family members to a free event about our natural wonders.”
A presentation on Eagles Nesting in Kansas will begin the day from noon to 1 p.m. Presentations will continue with a live bald eagle and other raptors from the Prairie Park Nature Center in Lawrence. The program will conclude with a park ranger-led field trip to see bald eagles at beautiful Perry Lake beginning at 2 p.m. The day’s presentations are free and open to all ages.
Bald eagles are found only in North America. At one time it is believed there were as many as 50,000 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states when the bird was adopted as our national symbol in 1782, but habitat destruction, contamination of their food source and illegal shooting caused a significant reduction in the bald eagle population. By 1963, their numbers had decreased to about 2,000 with only 417 nesting pairs. Protection efforts over the years have made an incredible improvement in bald eagle numbers. In 2013 there were more than 10,000 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the lower 48 states.
Historically bald eagles probably nested along rivers in Kansas but no records were ever kept. In 1989 the first successful bald eagle nest in Kansas was documented at Clinton Lake near Lawrence. When one of these young from that first Clinton Lake nest matured, he brought his mate to Perry Lake in 1994 and began nesting in the area every year afterwards. Throughout the years, Perry Lake has had four active nests that have produced 74 eaglets. Statewide there have been 77 known nesting territories since 1989 with 801 eaglets fledged.
For more information on this exciting program, call the Perry Lake Office with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at (785) 597-5144.
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Release no. PA-2013-81