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Bald eagle program draws bird lovers to St. Charles

With a wingspan of more than six feet, bald eagles can be hard to miss. Yet few people realize that these magnificent creatures live among us on the Fox River.

A large crowd of avian enthusiasts gathered to hear St. Charles Park District naturalist Pam Otto give an information-packed presentation about the bald eagles that live among us at the "Eagles in Our Midst" nature program Saturday at Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles.

It was part of the "Learn from the Experts" program series, in which experts in a field offer in-depth information and learning opportunities about local ecology.

Otto said the last time they had a program about eagles was six years ago, and they thought it was about time to have it again due to increasing interest in the birds.

Eagles are 30-36 inches from head to tail, weigh 9-15 pounds and can live 25-30 years in the wild.

The program featured images captured by Ron Dickenson, a Batavia photographer who has been chronicling the area's pair of "Mooseheart eagles" since 2008. He shared several stories about the birds, including humorous ones where he said the pair acted much like any other husband and wife, which drew laughter from the crowd.

Larry Rakunas of St. Charles lives on the Fox River and says he sees them fly up and down the river and in the trees frequently.

"They are fabulous - beautiful to watch," he said.

For more information or to view the full roster of forest preserve district winter nature programs, visit kaneforest.com.

  Photographer Ron Dickenson of Batavia talks about photographing the well-known bald eagle pair who live at Mooseheart in Batavia during the "Eagles in Our Midst" nature program in St. Charles Saturday. Dickenson started documenting the birds about seven years ago. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Photos of the Batavia bald eagles pair by Batavia photographer Ron Dickenson are on display while visitors listen to the "Eagles in Our Midst" nature program presentation by naturalist Pam Otto in St. Charles Saturday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Debra Norton of St. Charles looks at the photo collages of the Batavia bald eagles who reside at Mooseheart in Batavia at the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles Saturday. The photos are by Ron Dickenson of Batavia. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
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