The open water along the Mississippi River — usually by dams and major tributaries — makes southeastern Minnesota a winter hot spot for watching eagles. Both year-round and migratory birds gather there to hunt for fish and small mammals and hang out along the shores and bluffs.

If you're lucky, you might see a pair seeming to collide mid-air, locking their talons together and tumbling down in what can look like a death spiral until they separate at the last minute to avoid crashing into the water.

That's part of the courtship for the lifelong mates. It can begin as early as December and can last into early March. It puts a whole new spin on the phrases, "I'm falling for you" and "trust fall."

Ed Hahn, National Eagle Center's director of advancement and marketing communications, witnessed the aerial cartwheeling recently near Winona and says a few early eagles are starting to nest.

February and March are considered peak months for seeing what officially became the national bird in December, thanks to efforts led by the Eagle Center in Wabasha. Tree branches remain bare for greater visibility, and northern eagles that migrate south are still congregated.

The center, which sits along the Mississippi River in Wabasha, counts winter eagles weekly at a dozen sites stretching roughly 100 miles between Hastings and Dresbach. February's weekly eagle counts have been 132, 169 and 108 through Feb. 21.

This March 4, 2019, image from video provided by Earth Conservation Corps Eagle Cam, shows Bald Eagles Liberty and Justice on their nest in Washington.

Those numbers are lower than usual, Hahn said, but it has meant this winter's eagles are more spread out geographically. That has made it easier to see them in other areas, such as South St. Paul's Kaposia Park.

North of Red Wing, Prairie Island near Dam No. 3 has been a popular spot with 65 eagles counted on Feb. 14 while Read's Landing had 29 on Feb. 21.

Some eagle pairs that stay along the Mississippi have been adding to existing nests or working on new ones, while a few are already nesting on eggs. You can watch an eagle's nest with two eggs on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' live cam. The angle isn't as clear as usual because the eagles switched nest locations, but they're visible until branches leaf out.

Eagle festival coming

The National Eagle Center's Soar with the Eagles festival will run March 22-23 with programs that include behind-the-scenes tours of the avian care facility for resident eagles and a red-tailed hawk, along with booths and activities hosted by other wildlife and birding groups in Minnesota (nationaleaglecenter.org).

Lisa Meyers McClintick has freelanced for the Minnesota Star Tribune since 2001 and volunteers as a Minnesota Master Naturalist.