Bald eagles migrating back to Minnesota as waters open up

Bald eagles are migrating back to Minnesota, and the Department of Natural Resources says they may be seen in large numbers across parts of the state over the next few weeks.

Lisa Gelvin-Innvaer, a DNR regional nongame wildlife specialist, says eagles typically come through the area in mid-to-late March, as waters begin to open up and the snow melts.

Researchers estimated in 2005 that Minnesota had more than 1,300 active nests, and the DNR says that number has likely increased since.

Gelvin-Innvaer says eagle migration hotspots are a bit of a moving target, so it's hard to say where they are right now. But she says the biggest migrations tend to be along the Minnesota River corridor, the north shore of Lake Superior, and around Lake Pepin in southeastern Minnesota.