Winter Eagle Tours are Back for 2023!

Bald eagle and turtle using a log as a rest stop at Land Between the Lakes. Photo by Mel Cunningham. Woodlands Nature Station naturalists will serve as guides to upcoming bald eagle viewing lake cruises and van tours in January and February 2023. Friends of Land Between the Lakes are excited to announce that the Woodlands Nature Station will host bald eagle viewing cruises and van tours for the public in January and February 2023! Eagle Viewing Cruises: Kentucky Lake eagle viewing cruises will be hosted on the CQ Princess, a 96-foot, double-decker luxury yacht, on January 14, 15, &…
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Osprey Family Finds a New Home

Osprey Family Finds a New Home

When Daniel Hagan of Boy Scout Troop #422 constructed and put up a nesting platform for osprey in Land Between The Lakes for his Eagle Scout Project in the spring of 2011, he had high hopes. He hoped that a pair of these magnificent fish-eating hawks would adopt his platform and use it as a safe place to build their nest and raise their young. He hoped that his platform would give visitors to Land Between The Lakes great views of nesting osprey, since he installed it in an easily viewable area near the Woodlands Nature Station. One year went…
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Wildlife Refuges

Wildlife Refuges

Submitted by Brian Truskey, Communications Apprentice at Land Between The Lakes At Land Between The Lakes our visitors can enjoy a variety of activities. Some of our most popular include off-highway vehicle riding, swimming, canoeing, camping, biking, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, environmental education, and of course, wildlife viewing, and birding. We manage and protect wildlife habitat in order to ensure that our visitors will be able to see wildlife in years to come. What are Wildlife Refuges? Wildlife refuges consist of land and water areas where wildlife can go to rest, winter, and feed – free from human intrusion. Land…
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Peregrine Falcons Return to Land Between The Lakes

Peregrine Falcons Return to Land Between The Lakes

Submitted by John Pollpeter Soaring above the iron works of the Eggner’s Ferry Bridge, peregrine falcons survey their winter kingdom.  Each winter, these once rare birds return to Land Between The Lakes following migrating waterfowl. Also known as “duck hawks,” these crow-sized falcons are the fastest animal on Earth; diving at 240 mph.  These “speed demons” use high perches such as cliffs, bridges, or buildings to launch a successful hunt.  Peregrines tend to focus on hunting birds and often catch their prey on the wing. The Eggner’s Ferry Bridge, as well as the other bridges near Land Between The Lakes,…
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Rare bird spotted at Long Creek Refuge

Rare bird spotted at Long Creek Refuge

Rare sighting of a Roseated Spoonbill  By John Pollpeter, Lead Naturalist at Woodlands Nature Station Birders got an extra treat this August as a Roseated Spoonbill, an unusual wading bird from Florida and the Gulf Coast, decided to visit Land Between the Lakes. The bird stayed around for about two weeks. The spoonbill foraged at the Long Creek Refuge at the corner of Highway US68/KY80 and Energy Lake Road near Barkley Bridge. This man-made wetland refuge is one of the most popular birding spots in Land Between The Lakes. Roseated spoonbills have visited Land Between the Lakes before along Honker…
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Bird is the Word

Bird is the Word

On Saturday, May 10, we will devote a whole day for you to learn about some of the 250 species of birds at Land Between The Lakes. Our Woodlands Nature Watch Area provides some of the best birding in the South. Conveniently located in the crossroads of many different habitats and part of the Mississippi flyway, Land Between The Lakes attracts quite a diversity of birds. We are located between the eastern forests and the western prairies, as well as the northern dwelling birds mixing with the southern species. This combination makes the beginning of May the peak for spotting…
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