Feeling patriotic? Now's the time to go bald eagle watching in Utah

Bald eagles, the noble and iconic symbol of freedom, are back in Utah during their annual migration season. 

"It’s always a thrill when you see them, maybe off in the distance, and you can get your camera out and film them," said photographer Scott Taylor. "I have a few that live in my neighborhood, and I can see them about anytime in the winter. I can go out and look at them."

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources says February is typically the best time to see bald eagles in Utah as they come through looking for food and escaping colder conditions further north.

"They’re really iconic and really identifiable because of that large white head," said DWR's Faith Heaton Jolley. "They are large, and they’ve got a pretty big wingspan up to 7 feet. Easily identifiable to see."

Now is prime time migration season for the national bird, and there are several places you can find them.

"We’ve kind of dubbed February as bald eagle month because it’s just probably the best time to see them in Utah," said Holley. "We do get a lot of bird watchers that come out and are excited and try to go to these key points."

The DWR put together a full list of the spots where they’ve been spotted in the past, including:

• Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area
• Weber River
• Green River
• Midview Reservoir
• Fountain Green State Fish Hatchery
• Wales Reservoir
• Sanpitch River
• Utah Lake
• Provo River Delta
• Huntington State Park
• Colorado River, north of Moab

"It’s a good opportunity to see them," added Jolley, "especially if you’ve not seen them in the wild before. Just a really fun opportunity to go see this national bird."

This story was originally published by Amy Nay with the Scripps News Group.