By one count there were 44 bald eagles visible Wednesday on the Kaw River in the heart of Lawrence.

But if you’re keen on observing the majestic birds drawn once again to what has become a favorite winter feeding spot, you might want to act soon.

Wildlife officials in the next few days will block access to the outdoor promenade at the Riverfront Plaza, an easy, up-close vantage point accessible without leaving pavement.

“The intent is to limit the disturbances to the bald eagles in the vicinity,” said Robert Smith, a project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regional office in Kansas City, Kan. Plans call for closing the promenade from Jan. 1 to March 31.

The eagles feed on fish in the Kansas River and roost in the nearby cottonwood trees.

The Corps’ authority to close the promenade, Smith said, was part of the process for allowing construction of the plaza in the late 1980s.

Though the promenade will be closed, the public still may view the eagles from either inside the plaza or the Marriott Springhill Suites. They also can be observed from the bridge or elsewhere along the river.

Following geese

This time of year, the birds also frequent Clinton Lake.

“I’ve counted 21 of them out here,” said the marina’s manager, Lee Kennedy. “Right now, I can see seven of them, but that’s just in one tree.”

On the Kaw and at the lake, the eagles – dark brown bodies, all-white heads, fierce yellow eyes, beaks and talons, and seven-foot wingspans – are feeding on lame waterfowl or fish.

“What happens is some of the shad die off and either float to the top or end up on the shore, and they’ll feed on them,” Kennedy said. “Or you can see them fly over a flock of geese or ducks – the ones that don’t fly off are the cripples or the wounded ones. Those are the ones they’re after.”

Most – but not all – of the bald eagles in and around Lawrence are thought to be from sites farther north.

• Link to EagleCam
• Animal lovers flock to Eagle Day at fairgrounds (01-24-05)
• More about the Eagles on the Kaw

“Their movements are tightly tied to the movements of the snow geese – where the snow geese go, the bald eagles follow,” said Bruce “Nature” Wolhuter, a former naturalist at Clinton Lake State Park.

Last year, three pairs of bald eagles built nests at Clinton Lake. All six birds remain in the area.

“We have some golden eagles out here, too,” Kennedy said.

Though there isn’t an exact count, bald eagles also have nested in cottonwood trees along the Kansas River in recent years.

“They love cottonwood trees,” Wolhuter said.

Currently, bald eagles are considered a threatened species.

They were added to the nation’s list of endangered species in the 1960s after the effects of unregulated pesticide use cut their numbers to about 400 breeding pairs in the lower 48 states. Today, there are more than 4,800 breeding pairs in the lower 48 states.

The eagles’ status was changed from endangered to threatened, a less-serious designation, in 1995. More than 100,000 pair live in Alaska and Canada.

In Lawrence, the eagles are the subject of Jayhawk Audubon Society’s annual Eagle Day festivities. Next year’s event is set for Jan. 22 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds.

“There will be a lot of good family entertainment,” said Ed Shaw, coordinator of Eagle Day 2006.

The event will not include trips to see the eagles on the river.

“Federal law says you’re really not supposed to approach them,” Shaw said. “And much of the (shoreline) will be blocked off, so we’re going to have two ranger-led field trips out at Clinton Lake that will give people good long looks at bald eagles.”

That’s a good idea, Wolhuter said. “The bridge is fine, but it can get mighty cold out there,” he said. “You can go to the marina, sit in your heated car and, with your binoculars, see just as many eagles.”