Spot eagles close to home in Ohio or in Tennessee, New York, Louisiana, Virginia

A pair of bald eagles and their young one is shown on the live “nest-cam” at Dollywood.
Courtesy of Dollywood

American Eagle Day has been proclaimed for June 20 by governors in 49 states.

It is an effort by the Tennessee-based American Eagle Foundation to designate a day to pick up trash that has accumulated in various ecosystems and continues to threaten the survival of bald eagles.

It also celebrates the return to the skies of the national symbol.

Eagles have returned to both Eastlake and Avon, but they also can be seen at many summer vacation destinations, including those within easy driving distance.

The American Eagle Foundation, based at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, operates the Eagle Mountain Sanctuary at the theme park. It is home to bald eagles that have been rescued and nursed back to health from injuries that prevent them from returning to the wild. Their 1.5 million-cubic-foot natural outdoor aviary closely mimics the eagles’ natural habitat so they’re able to find lifetime mates and raise their young without risk.

The foundation also operates the Wings of America theater, where birds of prey do free-flight demonstrations as part of the park’s goal of educating its guests about these majestic creatures.

Dollywood’s live “nest-cams” give a real-time look at what the eagles are up to at dweaglecams.org.

Dollywood, near Gatlinburg and just an eight-hour drive from Cleveland, makes a great destination for a long weekend. The sanctuary and theater are in a hollow, making them both a cool refuge from summer’s heat in between theme park rides and fun.

Even closer is Cooperstown, New York, a 6.5-hour drive from Cleveland and best known as the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. It’s also in the midst of hundreds of bald eagles that nest in the forests near rivers and lakes.

The easiest eagle spotting of all is perhaps from a rocking chair on the verandah of the legendary Otesaga Resort Hotel, looking out over Otsego Lake. As the morning fog rolls across the lake, out of the corner of your eye you may spot a bald eagle flying right over the water’s surface.

The local Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society, which had to cancel its annual tour of area eagle sites, has released its map of those locations so motorists can guide themselves. Find it at doas.us/self-guided-eagle-trip.

It’s full of great details such as a pull-off near the top of a deep gorge with a view of where water is released from a dam in the valley below.

“This is a very popular place for eagles to feed on dead and injured fish that come out of the dam,” the guide says. “They can be seen soaring, diving into the gorge, perched on both sides of the gorge and across the valley.”

Heading to Winchester, Virginia, from Cleveland is about a five-hour drive without stopping. Eagles can be spotted throughout the Northern Shenandoah Valley. A pair of them nests in the gardens at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, which they treat almost as if it’s their own B&B, fishing from the property’s trout-stocked pond. A leisurely stroll through the gardens there, especially in the morning, will reward with sights of eagles. While you’re there, check out the museum’s “Norman Rockwell’s America” exhibit that’s running through August.

October through December is the best time to visit coastal Louisiana, which is about 1,000 miles from Cleveland and best visited by a flight and rental car. Temperatures then are in the mid-60s and low 70s, unlike the steamy summer when wildlife lays low.

You’ll get closer to eagles when you tour the swamps by boat — and even a noisy airboat doesn’t disturb the wildlife, which also includes alligators. They’re accustomed to the din and know there is no threat to them.

On a boat tour in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou it’s easy to capture images of bald eagles fishing.
Courtesy of Michael Glaspell

Bald eagles once were nearly extinct in this state, but now there is an abundance of them. More than 300 nests have been counted in Terrebonne Parish, and Cajun Man’s Swamp Tours offers an Eagle Expo tour that takes you right by bald eagle nests. Alligators are also guaranteed. In nearby Jefferson Parish, an exhilarating airboat tour is your best bet, and eagles have been known to swoop down when Airboat Adventures tours pass by.

In Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, eagles can be spotted in the trees around Lake Boeuf and Lac Des Allemands, as well as along the Lockport Elevated Wetlands Boardwalk. In Lafourche Parish, the Jean Lafitte Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center is offering a bird-watching boat tour that gives participants the opportunity to spot eagles and their nests, as well as plenty of other species.

Check out this area’s eagle pairs in Eastlake and Avon Lake with respective visits to bit.ly/eastlake-eagle-cam and bit.ly/avonlake-eagle-cam.