Watch for eagles soaring and gulls bobbing on this hike along the Susquehanna River as it tumbles out from the Conowingo Dam at Fisherman’s Park. This spot is one of the top spots in the US for eagle viewing and their numbers grow to the hundreds in the winter months. Eagles dot the trees and cruise over the rapids, watching for shad, herring, and eels to bob up to the water’s surface, stunned by the dam’s turbines. Birds migrate here from Canada and New York to take advantage of the easy feeding opportunities and the tail race that remains unfrozen all winter due to the water’s turbulence. Several eagle nests are located in the park and on the island near the center of the river.
We will be on the lookout for some of the more uncommon species lesser black-backed gull and Iceland gull, as well as overwintering cormorants, various waterfowl, woodpeckers, winter wren, and peregrine falcon. We will begin our trip with plenty of time to watch from the dam overview areas. We will continue down the Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway Trail for about a mile, out and back, depending on our time. The trail follows the river along a rail bed, an abandoned line that allowed the Susquehanna Power Company to transport heavy equipment to the dam from the B&O Railroad in Havre de Grace during its construction. The trail is wide and flat.
Eagles and waterfowl are the main attraction here, but the Conowingo Dam is impressive to view as well. Conowingo is listed as Maryland’s largest renewable energy source since its operation began in 1928. Owned and operated by Constellation Energy, the dam has 11 turbines, which can produce up to 572 megawatts of electricity, enough power to supply 165,000 homes under normal operating conditions.