Have you spotted a certain majestic bird in Guthrie County?

Bald eagles have started to become more visible in the county as there were active nests in the spring and summer months, according to Guthrie County Conservation Director Joe Hanner. He says some bald eagles reside in Iowa through March depending on their migratory pattern. Hanner shares where bird watchers can grab their binoculars and find some raptors, “Generally in and around river corridors or water bodies, but they can be farther away, it just varies. But great spots to look for eagles, you can see them randomly throughout the county, but at Lenon Mill Park on the southwest edge of Panora, upstream from there to the Lake Panorama dam and Highway 44 crossing are pretty common spots to see an eagle. Now whether you see them there every time you go that’s a different story, but it’s not uncommon to see eagles at those locations.”

Other nesting Iowa raptors that stick around during the winter are Red-tailed Hawks and Cooper’s Hawks, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Raptors that breed elsewhere and can only be found in Iowa during the winter include: the Golden Eagle, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, and Northern Saw-whet Owl. For more information on these birds of prey visit here.