Highway 101 runs down the length of the Annapolis Valley. Any of the exits for Wolfville through Kentville will get you into the area where Bald Eagles are plentiful in winter. The smaller country roads through Wolfville, Port Williams, and Canning are a pleasant drive and you’re likely to see other raptors on these scenic routes, particularly Red-Tailed Hawks. To get right to the heart of eagle watching territory, take Exit 12 and then watch for blue “eagle signs.” They’ll deliver you to Sheffield Mills, home of the annual Sheffield Mills Eagle Watch.

While you’re driving, keep an eye on tall trees at roadsides and wood edges, and don’t be surprised if you start seeing eagles—sometimes many in a single tree—and hawks resting long before you get to Sheffield Mills. On peak weekends (late January and early February) the Community Centre in Sheffield Mills offers exhibits relating to the Bald Eagles in the area, maps of good viewing locations, food, and entertainment.

TIPS:  The best time of day to see the eagles is mid- to late-morning.
Winter weather in the Annapolis Valley can be from mild with above-freezing temperatures through freezing rain to bitterly cold and windy. Check the weather forecast, dress accordingly and drive with care.
Don’t disturb the eagles! If you approach too closely they may fly off, wasting precious energy. It’s best to stay in your car and use binoculars.

Places

Wolfville is a prosperous historic town with many beautiful old houses dating back to the early 1900s, attractive even in midwinter. Main St. (Route 1) is lined through the downtown area by restaurants and shops, and there are a few small museums. The town is home to Acadia University and the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens, gardens planted entirely with native plants (closed in winter if paths are snow-covered).

You can visit the intriguing Robie Tufts Nature Centre in any weather: it’s a brick chimney surrounded by a hip roof that protects various informational exhibits maintained by the Blomidon Naturalist’s Society. The chimney is used by Chimney Swifts during the spring, summer and fall—in winter you can still enjoy the swifts through the information displayed at the center.

Travel east about three kilometers from Wolfville (Route 1) to the turnoff for Grand Pré. A left turn brings you into the town, and then to the Grand Pré National Historic Site, commemorating an Acadian settlement destroyed during the expulsion of the Acadians in 1755. The site is open year round and a good place for a short walk if the weather is fine. Continuing on, you’ll cross the Grand Pré marsh, a good site for raptors. Various paths and tracks through the marsh are popular longer walking routes in good weather.

Beyond the marsh, follow the signs to Evangeline Beach, an internationally important site for migratory birds. Early autumn is the best time to visit, when shorebirds are present in huge numbers, easily visible from the viewing platform. Even even in winter, however, you may find birds including sea ducks, sandpipers, gulls, and rarely loons, cormorants, and dovekies.

Places