See bats, ospreys and bald eagles at DWR wildlife viewing events

See bats, ospreys and bald eagles at DWR wildlife viewing events

(Division of Wildlife Resources)


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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah has a wide variety of wildlife, and the Division of Wildlife Resources is hosting three events in July to give the public an opportunity to see ospreys, bats and bald eagles.

Ospreys

Ospreys are unique birds of prey that primarily eat fish, according to a DWR news release. Flaming Gorge has the largest breeding osprey colony in Utah and is home to one of the largest osprey populations in the interior Western U.S.

“Osprey return to Flaming Gorge every year to breed and raise their young,” DWR regional conservation outreach manager Ron Stewart said in the news release. “A breeding pair will build on the same nest year after year, so a nest that’s 10 feet tall is a fairly common sight at the Gorge. We’ll aim spotting scopes at a couple of the nests so you can see the females and their young.”

Stewart said the birds are most active and visible in the morning hours. At past events, visitors have seen ospreys catch a fish in the reservoir and have also witnessed a male bring a fish back to the nest for the chicks, he said.

The osprey viewing event will be held July 11 from 9 a.m. to noon on the Dam Peninsula at Flaming Gorge Dam. For more information, call the DWR’s Northeastern Region office at 435-781-9453.

Bats

While people are often wary of bats, DWR officials are inviting the public to get up close and personal with as many as five different species at their event. The free event will be limited to 25 people and preregistration is required to attend.

The bat viewing will be held July 18 from 8:30 p.m. to after midnight, but DWR regional conservation outreach manager Brent Stettler said people are free to leave earlier. Pets and young children will not be allowed at the event due to the sensitive nature of the bats.

To register and reserve a spot for the event, call DWR at 435-613-3707.

Bald eagles

DWR officials held their annual bald eagle viewing event on Valentine’s Day, but if you missed that one, two more are being held July 16 and July 18. The free events will take place on the southeastern shore of the Great Salt Lake, a popular site for viewing bald eagles.

Bald eagles first nested at this manmade northern Utah site in 1996, according to the news release. Since then, eagles have raised a total of 39 eaglets at the site.

“The bald eagles that have nested at the site have been really productive,” DWR watchable wildlife coordinator Bob Walters said in the news release. “Habitat within the greater Great Salt Lake area is important to these eagles and many other species of wildlife.”

Walters said the public may see a 10-week-old baby eaglet learning to fly during the wildlife viewing event.

Reservations are required to attend the event. To reserve a spot, call Walters at 801-209-5326.

In addition to the site where the July field trips will occur, DWR biologists know of at least 16 other active bald eagle nest sites in Utah.

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UtahOutdoors
Faith Heaton Jolley

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