EagleFest to offer tours, educational events |
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By KARI KRAMER | East Texas Edition |
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Feb. 2, 2006 - East Texans will soon have the chance to celebrate one of America’s symbols at EagleFest 2006, in Rains County. The event, which has been held for the last 10 years, will take place at the Rains County Fairgrounds in Emory, Feb. 11 and 12. The event celebrates the Bald Eagle and includes several concerts, artistic performances, and tours. Marianne Eubanks is the volunteer chairman of the event and said attendees will have a lot to look forward to this year. �The field trips are the most enjoyable part of the festival,� she said. �The excitement of catching a glimpse of a Bald Eagle is chilling to most (people).� The field trips are guided tours that take attendees to sites where they can see the Bald Eagles that nest along the banks of Lake Fork and Lake Tawakoni. Bus tours are given, departing each day of the festival at one-hour intervals, beginning at 7:30 a.m., and cost $5 per person. In addition, Eubanks is hoping that despite the low water levels, small barges will be able to take visitors on water tours ($15 per person). �The water is the best place to see the eagles, but the busses are affordable for everyone,� said Eubanks. �A carefully laid route is planned for the busses to take in order to give visitors a chance to see an eagle and other birds like rare loons.� Eubanks said at the 2005 event, only one group reported not seeing an eagle, so while the chances of seeing an eagle on the tour are good, there are no guarantees. �Eagles just do as they please,� she said. �We just try very hard to give every (tour) a chance to find one.� Eubanks suggested potential tourists dress appropriately. She said wearing layers is a good idea and recommended bringing a pair of binoculars and a camera. The festival is held each year after Texas Parks and Wildlife Department conducts an eagle count in the area. During the 2005 count, 35 Bald Eagles were unofficially counted. The 2006 count has been completed, but an official count has not been released. Eubanks said preliminary numbers indicated there were 51 Bald Eagles spotted, but she added the number would most likely be less because some birds may have been counted twice. Wintering Bald Eagles make several parts of Texas their home away from home. In addition, breeding populations prefer to nest high in trees along waterways. According to TPWD, Bald Eagles nest in Texas from October to July. The nests, usually six feet in width are used year after year, and each year the female will add more material to the nest, making it larger through the years. According to information released for Eagle Fest, the largest recorded nest measured 20 feet deep and 10 feet wide and weighed two tons. Most egg-laying is done in December and both parents incubate the eggs. The group of eggs is called a clutch. Most clutches contain two eggs. Four to six years after hatching, Bald Eagles reach maturity. According to TPWD, males are usually three feet long and weigh between seven and 10 pounds and can have wingspans of seven feet. Females Bald Eagles are larger than their male counterparts and can weigh 14 pounds with a wingspan of eight feet. During EagleFest, visitors can expect to see both adolescent and mature Bald Eagles in addition to other rare birds that make the lakes their home. Eubanks said more than 260 different birds can be found in the area in addition to the Bald Eagle. Eubanks said she hopes the opportunity to see so many birds will spark an interest with tourists. �I hope they catch the bird-watching flu,� she said.� For those who opt out of the tours, the festival still provides an educational opportunity. Several speakers from Texas Cooperative Extension, TPWD, and bird rescue groups will be in attendance to share their expertise. More information about the festival, tours, performances and presentations can be found at www.eaglefest.org. |
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