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Farmington • Melissa and Greg Livingston spent Saturday morning looking at the sky in amazement.
"My interest went from here and it peaked," said Melissa Livingston, 24.
Bald eagles lounged on ice patches at the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area while northern harriers hunting mice and voles floated over a field of cattails. The recent Brigham Young University graduates joined several dozen Salt Lake Valley residents in a bald eagle field trip through the wetlands this weekend.
It was the bald eagles that really fired up Melissa, and Greg kept a list on his smartphone of all the birds they saw — and posted their findings on Facebook.
"It's a symbol of our nation," she said. "You never get to see them."
Organized by HawkWatch International, Saturday's event drew everyone from 6-year-olds to retirees who peered into long scopes to see the iconic birds at rest. Farmington Bay is known as a destination for the birds that often spend several months there during the winter after flying south from Canada or Alaska.
"There's a lot of carp that's readily accessible to them and the bay gets large ice blocks in it so the birds will sit on the ice and fish," said Nikki Wayment, HawkWatch community manager, noting the birds are also found in other parts of the state.
Some regular participants on the bird outing observed there were fewer bald eagles so far this year, which may be related to the delayed arrival of cold temperatures.
HawkWatch, a conservation group, regularly organizes these kinds of events to educate the community.
"Today our goal is enthusiasm," said Shawn Hawks, a research biologist.
But appreciating the birds, as well as other raptors, also means understanding the need to protect open spaces.
"Preserve open areas before it's too late, so our grandchildren can come out and enjoy nature like we do," said John Witmer, a board member.
Maria Baldwin was one of the participants who had brought a camera hoping to capture some nature. Visiting a place like Farmington Bay is an escape, she said.
"It takes you out of the day-to-day mundane things of life and kind of reminds you there's this world of nature to experience," the Murray resident said.
For the young Livingstons, this might be the beginning of a lifetime affair — judging from their enthusiasm. For Greg, it was all about the winged action.
"I like the ones flying around and swooping," he said.
Want to know more about HawkWatch?
O Go to http://www.hawkwatch.org to learn more about raptors and upcoming events.