Local wildlife groups team up for ‘In Search of Eagles’ on Feb. 7 along the Fox River Valley

Winter is one of the best times to observe bald eagles in the wild as they congregate to feed near open waters. “In Search of Eagles,” an outdoor event. will be held at four sites in the Fox River Valley on Saturday, Feb. 7.

It will be 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. in Illinois at the McHenry Dam, the Algonquin Dam and the Fox River Shores Forest Preserve in Carpentersville on the Fox River.

In Wisconsin, the event will be held at the Williams Bay boat launch on Geneva Lake.

Attendees are asked to dress for the weather and bring their own binoculars if they have a pair, but binoculars are not needed to enjoy seeing birds in the wild.

Detailed maps to all four locations can be found at hackmatacknwr.org/in-search-of-eagles-2026/.

There will be spotting scopes and binoculars available for loan at each location, along with a guided “Whose Nest Is It?” activity for children. This is a free for all-ages event.

Representatives from Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, Friends of Moraine Hills State Park, Geneva Lake Conservancy, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Lakeland Audubon Society and McHenry County Audubon will help attendees look for eagles and identify other birds using the river and the lake.

This is the 13th year of In Search of Eagles, which is also supported by the McHenry County Conservation District and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

No registration is required. If you have any concerns on Saturday morning about the weather, call the Friends of Hackmatack phone line at (262) 448-3558 where there will be a message regarding the status of the event.