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Clarksville, Missouri, eagle watching

We stopped by Clarksville, Missouri, for a quick visit on our way to our campsite. We did not have much time for adventuring since the drive was long and we had gotten a late start on December 29, 2024. We did not see any Eagles, but checked out the waterfront and got an initial familiarization with the city.

We got up early and headed back the next day on December 30, 2024, to explore more as I was hopeful of seeing Eagles out early in the morning catching fish at the lock and dam. I had read that the fish are dazed when they come through the lock and dam, slowing them down, and that the Eagles tend to hang out at locks and dams to catch the slow and dazed fish. Lock & Dam No. 24 is at Clarksville. We saw many Eagles across on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River up in the trees, and some occasionally flying by quickly, but they were almost too far to photograph and video them. It was still fun though. There were a many white Glaucous Gulls (sea gulls that are inland) flying around and we enjoyed them too.

We left Clarksville that morning and headed north for a short trip up Highway 79, and then stopped a third time when we were heading south again down Highway 79 to explore and then head home. It was on the third visit that we found an Eagle up close on this Missouri side of the Mississippi River and I had a fantastic moment with the Eagle, just me and my camera.

This is our first visit to Clarksville and we walked around the riverfront and became familiar with the place.

We returned early the next morning and it was difficult to find the viewing area for Lock & Dam No. 24, first because of the construction and finding the road that led down to the parking area which was across railroad tracks that looked like there was nothing on the other side of, and second because there was a not trespassing sign. We eventually figured out (or so we assumed) that one parking area was public outside the fence and one parking area was private on the inside of the fence for workers, but we could walk across the private parking area to read the viewing platform.

You can see some Glaucous Gulls in the background of this photo. There are two other dams on Highway 79 where Eagles can be found, No. 22 and No. 25.

There were benches and telescopes for the public on the viewing platform.

Here is a Glaucous Gull flying. I was practicing with my camera to try to focus on them while they were flying, although they were a bit too far even with my distance lens. I could see much more with my distance lens than I could with the naked eye.

We eventually realized the Eagles were hanging out in the trees all the way across the river. This is a view of them with my distance lens. We could not really see them with the naked eye. That is how far away they were.

Here you see Eagles in the tree and Glaucous Gulls flying over the water.

This is a better view of the Eagles and how many there are.

Again, trying to learn to capture the Glaucous Gulls while they were moving, but it also gave a close up of some of the equipment at the lock and dam.

More Eagles in the trees.

We found some restrooms below the platform and found this handy map of exploring the Great Rivers.

This is a close up of were we were and the places where we wanted to visit on this trip. We went north to Louisiana, Missouri next.

This show more of the areas we went to above Clarksville and down Highway 79.

We stopped by the train station because we had to sing (see & listen to video above) "Take the last train to Clarksville, And I'll meet you at the station, You can be here by 4:30, 'Cause I've made your reservation," a song we both had heard from 1966 by The Monkees. What a classic song.

After we visited Louisiana, Missouri, and other places up north, we returned south and I had a fabulous encounter with an Eagle close up, just me and my camera.

All of my photos seem the same, but they are slightly different. I kept taking a few steps forward to test the bird to see if he would let me get closer, or fly away, as I was videoing and photographing.

Also downtown is another newer viewing platform and from there we saw this Red Shouldered Hawk. It is a beautiful bird! I was glad to get a photo of it. Apparently a Red Shouldered Hawk is similar to a Coopers Hawk.