‘In Company of Eagles’ 
by ELIZABE Th GepOGgaNn 
When days grow shorter and the hint of frost is ever in t 
air, a fading season always reminds us of the beauties whi 
a changing time brings. And beauties there are—not only 
the hillsides and up and down the valleys, but in the sk 
above us—be they the unbelievable blue of autumn or wi 
with the gray clouds of winter’s coming. 
Here in our beautiful Illinois River valley, the colorf 
little northland birds pass through on their mysterious fligl 
and pause long enough to rest and glance at us, but t 
graceful and majestic predators come to stay—to be o 
winter guests. 
We marvel at the beauty and the stamina of the haw! 
but how fortunate we are in this fair valley to play h« 
to that bird of birds—our great American Bald Eagle. Wi 
the advent of eagles each year, my mind goes back to an u 
forgettable experience of a few years ago: 
It was on an afternoon before Christmas in the eat 
sixties, a cold, bright day, with the temperature down wh 
it should be on such a day at this time of the year. The ear 
was covered with a deep blanket of snow, so the setting w 
perfect for what turned out to be high adventure. 
‘There were three of us, all members of the Audub 
Section of the Peoria Academy of Science and the I[llin« 
Audubon Society. We were eager with anticipation, becat 
we were on our way to a spot where we knew, if we we 
lucky, we could see eagles. An exciting word! A magi 
bird! 
It did not take us too long to reach our destination. Aft 
parking the car in a safe place at the side of the road, 1 
climbed a fence and traversed a long field, shielded on bo 
sides by tree-covered slopes. Rounding a gentle curve in t 
uneven terrain, we entered a cup-like valley surrounded | 
wooded hills. We were completely out of sight of the hig 
way, and seemingly in a spot so remote that we could ha 
just stepped back into the past century. 
Here we saw our first eagle. He was a royal immature « 
the point of a dead tree directly opposite us on the other si 
of the clearing. He stood straight with that certain digni 
which only a wild creature possesses. He saw us .... 
little escapes the wondrous keen eyes of the eagle ..b 
he lingered awhile before he spread his great wings in flig 
over the hill beyond our view. 
For no apparent reason, we separated and were in t 
open area when our next eagle came in over the trees abo 
us. He was an adult, gorgeous in his mature plumage. Fro 
the opposite direction in came a second adult, and followi 
