Albino Eagle?

Every year the Corp of Engineers on Beaver Lake have an eagle count in the month of January when the magnificent birds return to the area to spend the winter. They migrate here to escape the bitter winters and frozen waters of the Great Lakes. This year a Leucestic Bald Eagle was spotted for the first time by Park rangers Alan Bland and George Ann Tabor. Hobbs State Park sponsors Eagle Watching Tours on pontoons each weekend through February, giving the public an up close view. We are so lucky that these magnificent birds have decided that Beaver Lake is a great place to raise their young!

The Leucestic Eagle looks like a snowy Owl from a distance, but with binoculars you can see the eagle's white head and snowy tail feathers. The wings and body are speckled with charcoal. The anomaly is rare said Karen Rowe, a wildlife biologist with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. "Years ago we had a report of an albino eagle in Northwest Arkansas, but the photos were unclear."

A total of 134 eagles were counted on Beaver Lake, down from last years 200. Rangers do the survey in mid January each year as part of the national eagle census. Bald Eagles are no longer on the endangered list, counting will assure that we can stay on top of any drop in numbers.
Good places to see them on Beaver Lake are Van Winkle Hollow cove near Rocky Branch and Indian Creek cove near Lost Bridge...all just up the lake from GrannyMountain!

How great is that?!!!

*Photos by Flip Puttoff http://www.nwaonline.com/photos/2010/jan/18/45681/