WHENEVER LORI McKean tells someone what she does with her free time on winter weekends, they find it hard to believe. "Come out and see for yourself," she usually tells people.

And when they do, they still find it hard to believe. McKean is president of The Eagle Institute, a nonprofit organization based in Barryville, N.Y., just outside Port Jervis, that is dedicated to the protection of bald eagles and other birds of prey in the Delaware River Valley. She helps train and organize a troop of volunteers stationed throughout the area to help bird watchers view bald eagles.

"After 12 years of doing this, it still amazes me to see the bald eagles," McKean said. "How many people thought they would ever see a bald eagle in its natural habitat without going to Alaska or someplace like that, and here we are 90 minutes from midtown Manhattan."

Last winter, during a 10-week "viewing season" from January to March, more than 3,500 people traveled to the border between New York and Pennsylvania to see the patriotic symbol that was once on the verge of extinction. Watchers are more often than not surprised that their sightings are not limited to vague glimpses, but include visions of the birds soaring, eating and perching on tree limbs. It's stunning to realize how many cars drive past the bald eagles without noticing them because the travelers don't know where to look.

Which is what the Eagle Institute is all about: Teaching people where to look.

The Eagle Institute, founded four years ago, grew out of a grassroots effort of people like McKean and others who wanted to help protect and monitor the growing numbers of eagles who were migrating to their area every winter, and were concerned about the increasing number of people who were coming to see them. Now, every winter, volunteers staff popular eagle-viewing locations to help visitors find the eagles and to provide information for the eagle watcher. Equipped with binoculars and telescopes, the volunteers also monitor the eagle population, looking for wing tags, leg bands and other identifying markings. Signs and interpretive displays also help educate the eagle watcher.

In addition to the on-site volunteers, The Eagle Institute provides guided habitat field trips and promotes "Eagle Etiquette," so eagle watchers will know how to view eagles in the safest and least intrusive way. It acts as a clearinghouse for the thousands of people seeking information on eagles in this region.

"It's gotten a lot better over the last few years," McKean said. "We've gotten our act together; the volunteers who come back every year are more skilled and know what they are doing. And there are a lot more eagles around, too."

Twenty-five years ago New York State was home to only one pair of nesting bald eagles, but through aggressive reintroduction programs, habitat protection and other management actions, that number now stands at close to 50. Almost a quarter of those nesting pairs live along the Delaware River, and more and more resident pairs stay year round. McKean said there were already a good number of sightings in mid-November, even though the prime time for sightings is from mid- December to March.

Bald eagles mate for life and use the same nest year after year. The nests are quite large, growing to six feet in diameter and 10 to 12 feet in depth. Eagles lay one to three eggs in March or April, and incubation is 35 days. Both the male and the female tend to the young and the eaglets remain in the nest for three months.

Any disturbance during the critical breeding season from March through August can be detrimental to the eagles' survival, so the location of the breeding areas is kept confidential. The Eagle Institute does not run any public programs from April through August, and it discourages people from looking for the eagles during that period.

But during the winter, viewing is encouraged. Volunteers are at popular observation stations from January through March and are trained to answer questions and offer advice for viewing. Maps of locations are available through the Eagle Institute or through the Sullivan County Visitors Association (800-882-CATS), and most of the spots are marked by roadside signs. It's important to have a map, because the area can be a bit rural and it is easy to get lost. It's also important to have knowledge of "Eagle Etiquette" so as not to interfere with the birds.

After that, it is just a matter of jumping in a car, heading to the area, and being prepared to see what you may not believe.
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