In my humble opinion, Saturdays are for sleeping in, having too many drinks at brunch, and taking extended naps after brunch that result in the loss of a good portion of the day. But on this cold Saturday morning in February, I decided to drag my ass out of bed after 30 minutes of hitting snooze on my alarm. The sun was just beginning to make its presence known, turning the black void of night into the subtle blue glow of dawn. I layered myself up in flannel and hoodies, threw on my parka and was out the door with my camera bag and tripod.
The destination on this frigid morning was the area surrounding Grafton, IL and Pere Marquette State Park. I had heard for years that bald eagles migrate to this area each winter to nest along the Mississippi River, but had never seen it for myself.
After picking up a friend, we hit the road for Alton, IL with the hopes of catching the sunrise from the Cora Island Unit. Thanks to my natural talent for hitting snooze, we missed the sunrise by about 15 minutes but were rewarded with early morning sunlight dancing amongst the mangled pieces of ice along the river.
Ice at sunrise on the Mississippi River. Canon T3i, Sigma 10-20mm f4.5
Here we also found a few remnants of washed up debris from the January floods, and a daunting view of the Clark Bridge from below. The sheer size of modern infrastructure is still baffling to me. The Clark Bridge is an absolute behemoth, especially when you are standing directly below the southern approach. It's also quite beautifully lit at night, but that doesn't really apply here.
Alton, IL marks the beginning of a great stretch of road that runs west along the Mississippi River. It runs north up the length of the state, but the bit we are concerned with ends 22 miles west of Alton in Pere Marquette State Park. Take the scenic drive once you enter the park, it's well worth it, but I would highly suggest making the drive in the winter. Between January and early March the leaves have fallen from the trees and you can see for miles. Once spring arrives, the leaves grow back and cover the hills in front of the overlooks, covering the beautiful vistas. Braving the cold is well worth the view.
Once you enter the park, the road climbs along the hills for a few miles with pull-offs and overlooks every half mile or so. Each one is a great place to get out of the car and sit in nature for a while. Bring a scarf and many many layers of warmth if you plan to take this journey in the winter as we did.
It was here that I witnessed one of my favorite things.
Natural silence.
I knew the bald eagles were a sheer numbers game. Roughly 2,500 of them nest in this area each year, so I was bound to see at least one. But silence is a rare thing, and I make sure to always be aware of it and take it all in.
The wind died down, the trees stood still, and the sparrows jumping through the barren bushes disappeared for a few moments.
And there was silence. A void of sound only Mother Nature can offer.
Then there was a goose. About 4 miles away. Making his dumb goose noises and ruining what was otherwise a very cold but very enjoyable moment.
Sparrow in the bushes. Canon T3i, Canon 70-300 f5.6
An unexpected cardinal. Canon T3i, Canon 70-300 f5.6
After 2 hours of sitting and waiting in the cold, we had nothing to show for it except numb toes and a few sightings of cardinals and sparrows. We decided to cut our loses and drove back down the scenic road to the riverfront south of the park. Here, a bald eagle came out of nowhere and dive bombed us. No joke. He had gulls as wingmen and a murderous look in his eye.
Land gulls. Because it's not the sea.
River gulls?
Abandoned pump house along the shore of the Mississippi. Canon T3i, Canon 18-55 f3.5
We drove back east towards Alton along IL 100, and here Mother Nature finally smiled upon us with 6 bald eagles hovering over the cliffs along the road. We could see the cars in front of us pull off onto the shoulder every half mile or so, five or six at a time. Each time we would stop along the shoulder as well and look up. We were all looking for the same thing.
Bald Eagle over IL 100. Canon T3i, Canon 75-300 f5.6
Golden Eagle over IL 100. Canon T3i, Canon 75-300 f5.6
About 10 miles east of Grafton, we stopped seeing eagles, and traffic resumed its normal flow alongside the limestone cliffs of the mighty Mississippi. Massive chunks of ice rolled down the river, glistening in the mid-day sun as we returned to Alton, and eventually St. Louis.
We all need an occasional break from the hustle and bustle of the big city. It's comforting to know that if you are willing to wake up early and brave the cold of winter in the Midwest, all of this can be yours for less than half a tank of gas.