One of the unique wildlife photography opportunities in the Hudson Valley region are the Eagles that frequent the Hudson during their annual migration in January through March.
While along the Hudson river from as far south as Manhattan all the the way up the river there are several year round nesting pairs, the annual “spring migration” – really more like the dead of winter – is a unique opportunity to capture the eagles at varying levels of maturity and in various situations. Most notably are the eagles riding the ice flows to in search of fish.
North of about bear mountain, and especially following a cold snap like we’ve had in 2025, the ice flows can be numerous and in winters like this one the ice flows go all the way down to the Bronx and Jersey city on the west side of the river.
The Teatown sponsors Eagles Fest held annually at Croton Point Park (February 1st this year) and publishes their Map of Eagle spotting locations. For this article I cover five of the locations and viewing tips – the Bear Mountain Scenic Overlook Pointe, the Ansville Creek Paddle Sport Center, Riverfront Green Park in Peekskill, Iona Island, and Jones Point.
I wrote this article since while there is information available on where you might spot eagles, there is very little information on the best way to have a successful outing.
As a rule, you’ll want to arrive before sunrise or an hour or two before sunset. The wind is a factor at all of these locations so a hat, good gloves, a gaiter, and layered outerwear are a must. I also. I also suggest good warm boots not only to keep your feet warm but if there has been snow recently, you’ll need them, and a few packs of Hot Hands since your fingers get cold quickly when handling your gear.
A “sidebar” on gloves;
I added a link to Moose Peterson’s gear page on gloves. It’s the 2021 version and has since been updated but I have all three of these gloves and really like them. The updates focus on new versions of the same principle – light gloves for cool weather, heavier gloves but still nimble enough to manage camera controls in the cold, and heavy for the really cold times and only able to manage the shutter release and focus. I’m not a fan of the typical photography gloves with removable finger covers as I find once your fingers get cold it's difficult to manage the covers.
You’ll want a 400mm, 600mm or 800mm lens and since those tend to be too heavy to handhold for any length of time, a tripod and Gimbal or a monopod. If you’re shooting after about an hour after sunrise be sure to have a viewfinder hood since looking up into the sun to track one of these beauties is near impossible with the sun glaring in your eyes.
The ice flows move to different sides of the river depending on the wind and tides so you’ll want to be prepared to track the flows and adjust your location as necessary.
Starting with the Bear Mountain Scenic Overlook, the eagles tend to take advantage of the lift currents off the mountain so keep an eye skyward. They also come up the river from Ansville and Peekskill areas so keep an eye downriver too. Scan the shore of Iona Island below and across the river, the eagles will often perch there to rest, hunt or eat. Watch the ice flows for which side of the river they’re moving, depending on wind and tide they’ll favor one side or the other. From the high vantage point I was able to capture some good flight and arial tussle pictures.
Juvenile soaring high above the river
Give it about thirty minutes and if you don’t see any eagles, you can assume they’re at one of the other locations.
Next stop and nearest to the scenic overlook is the Annsville Creek Paddle Sports Center. You can only access the enter from the eastbound lane so if you’re coming from bear mountain side you can pull right in, if you’re coming from the route 9 side you’ll need to turn around at Camp Smith and enter from that direction. The entrance comes up quickly after Camp Smith so go slow and watch for it. From the parking lot, the walkway gives you shoreline access to to the full creek area via the Annsville Creek Walkway. The walkway is not shoveled or cleared in winter so be sure to have your boots on in case of snow cover.
From here you’ll have excellent access to the eagles in the creek, along with a number of other birds.
Next and a short drive down Rt 9 is the Peekskill Riverfront Green Park. Take the Hudson Street exit and it’ll take you across the train tracks and into the park. Parking is right along the water for easy access. Depending on the ice flows, the eagles may be right out in front riding the flows.
Next on the list is the other side of the river and the Jones Point and Iona Island sites. Go back up to the bridge and after crossing the river follow the signs toward Bear Mtn State Park. A short way past the park entrance on the right will be the Iona Island Access Road on the left. Keep in mind that Iona Island does not give you a shoreline access as much of the Island is restricted access, but here you are mostly looking to capture the eagles flying above as they circle the Island and the fishing grounds below.
Continuing down Rt 202 & 9W you’ll come to River Road, if you’re travelling south it’s a hard left that will take you right along the river. Keep in mind that these are private homes so be respectful of the area but if the ice flows are on this side you should have a good opportunity to capture some eagles. This area is best in the afternoon when the sun won’t be in front of you but I have captured eagles here every time I’ve gone.
Here is the link to my full set of Eagle images for 2025, I hope you enjoy them.
Please email me at richard@richardlusephotography.com if you have any questions or suggestions and thanks for visiting.
