Library Happenings

Henning School

Not including Alaska, Wisconsin and Minnesota are home to the biggest population of bald eagles in the United States.   

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources the Red Wing and Wabasha areas, which sit near the Mississippi River, is where you can find hundreds of bald eagles that overwinter there. Because the Chippewa River flows into the Mississippi, open water is available through winter.  In early November, the eagles begin to gather.  

The best viewing for these majestic birds is December through March. In the early mornings and evenings, juvenile eagles along with unmated adult eagles are seen gliding over and searching for fish that they can dive for. Throughout the day, eagles can be seen perching in tall trees along the river’s edge.  

If a nest is successful, eagles will often return to that nest year after year. These nests can be as large as 6-8 feet across and gain strength each year as the eagles continue to add structure to them.  

An eagle’s habitat ideally consists of tall trees that surround a body of water. This could include lakes, lagoons, rivers, dams, and even coastal estuaries.  

Our featured book this week is “Eagle in the Sky” written by Ryan Jacobson and David Hemenway. This interactive book has the reader experience choices that eagles make,  and asks you to do movements that eagles do  all while learning about the eagle’s life cycle. 

Ryan Jacobson is a Minnesota based award winning author. His bio states that he has written more than 60 books, from picture books for kindergarteners to spooky books for high school students. We have purchased several of Ryan Jacobson’s books through the Minnesota Historical Society grant. 

”This project has been financed in part with funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society.”