Communal Roosting

Story and Photo by Alice Schenk

I had heard about a tree in southern Idaho that attracts dozens of bald eagles during winter and my husband Wayne and I finally drove over from Rupert to visit in March 2011. When we parked our vehicle in the lot of a restaurant in Gooding County, just north of Box Canyon State Park, it was almost sunset. We were surrounded by farmland. For awhile, we sat awe-struck, listening to the eagles chirp and chatter to one another as they flew around and descended.

This large cottonwood tree to which the eagles have been flocking for years stands along a country road near Wendell, close to a bar and grill. It’s always good to spot a bald eagle soaring across the sky but to see dozens descend at dusk upon this specific tree is captivating. Depending on the day and time, eighty or more eagles might be there.