20th Consecutive Eagle Viewing Season

Set To Open At Shepaug Dam

Bundle up in warm clothes, grab the binoculars, and fill the Thermos with hot coffee because it’s time to head out River Road again to view bald eagles now congregating at the Shepaug Dam on the Housatonic River.

Before going, however, prospective eagle watchers will need to make reservations for a specific day and time between December 26 and March 17, when the eagles will leave Southern Connecticut and migrate north to their summer breeding grounds in Canada and Nova Scotia.

Reservations are being accepted now for Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, except New Year’s Day. Admission is free, and reservations for individuals and groups can be made Tuesdays through Fridays from 9 am to 3 pm (excluding holidays) by calling toll-free 800-368-8954.

In order to serve as many visitors as possible, only one reservation is permitted per family per viewing season.

 Northeast Generation Services (NGS), a unit of the Northeast Utilities System (NU), operates an eagle observation post on the eastern bluff of the Housatonic River in Southbury, adjacent to the Shepaug Dam and just across the river from Albert’s Hill Road in Sandy Hook.

Since the water just below the hydroelectric dam does not freeze over, fish are readily available to the eagles. Using their strong talons, the birds are skilled at diving and plucking fish out of the churning waters released from the turbines.

Observers may see the eagles soaring, diving for fish, perching in the tall trees along the banks of the river, or practicing their aerial acrobatics. An average of nine eagles may be seen at a time, though during some winters there have been numbers as high as 30 or more.

Access by the public is strictly controlled to ensure the welfare of the eagles and to provide a quality educational experience for the public. Naturalists from the Nature Conservancy, Audubon Society volunteers, and NU staffers will be on hand to answer visitors’ questions about eagles and other birds that may be seen at the site.

Mr Smolen is available for further information about the eagles at 860-355-6564. Since it opened in 1985, more than 100,000 people have visited the Shepaug Dam Eagle Observation Area.