I was boating on 9/11/11 on the Fox River, south of Morraine State Park, about a mile north of Rt 176, and spotted a bald eagle perched on a dead tree overlooking the river. Other boaters saw it and photographed it. I have never seen a bald eagle in this area before. Are there populations of bald eagles living in the Fox watershed in northern IL or was it a rare sighting?

Migrating bald eagles usually arrive in September and the numbers are typically greatest in October and November. They are looking for large bodies of open water. Some bald eagles are year-round residents of Illinois, but the population is largest in winter. Most of them over-winter along the Mississippi River.