Eagle, loon tours kick off Saturday

Beginning Saturday and continuing through March 4, the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) will conduct its annual eagle and loon tours in conjunction with Tenkiller State Park. The free bus tours take place each Saturday, weather permitting.

Leann Bunn, a naturalist at Tenkiller State Park, will serve as tour guide and share her knowledge of SNWR history and bald eagle restoration.

Each of the eagle tours at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge requires registration.

“ These tours have been going on for 23 years,” says Chad Ford, outdoor recreation planner at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. “We’ll have a good time, [and] fingers crossed, we’ll see a lot of eagles on all of those days. So come out and join us.”

On the day of the eagle tour, participants will meet at 9 a.m. at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge headquarters, 107993 S. 4520 Road, Vian. Participants should come prepared for any weather conditions with appropriate clothing, water and a snack. Officials recommend bringing your camera, binoculars and spotting scopes. The tour will last until 12:30 p.m. Call 918-773-5251 for information.

The loon watches begin at 2 p.m. at Tenkiller State Park. The tour to spot the beautiful birds that spend their winter on the lake and are compelling to watch departs from Driftwood Nature Center. Participants should dress appropriately — the group will be near the lake and it can get breezy. To reserve your spot, call Driftwood Nature Center at 918-489-5025 ext. 6.

Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1970 as an overlay project on Robert S. Kerr Reservoir to provide sanctuary and breeding ground habitat for migratory waterfowl and other wildlife species, and food and cover for resident wildlife, such as white-tailed deer, bobcat and beaver. It contains 20,800 acres on the western edge of the reservoir in Sequoyah, Haskell and Muskogee counties.