It wasn't a record, but a lot of bald eagles are spending the winter in and near the Quad Cities.
Wildlife biologist Kelly McKay participated last month in the annual Mid-Winter Bald Eagle Count. And he counted 1,500 eagles along the Mississippi River, from Clinton to Keithsburg - most were adults but about one-third were young.
His count of 1,500 was way below last year when he saw nearly 5,000, but that was due to last winter's extreme cold and snow in the midwest. The prior four years came in below this year's total.
Each year, the Mid-Winter Count is held in January across the lower 48 states, with results tabulated by the Army Corps of Engineers.
