The hummingbird hovers, sparrow flutters, tern dives, duck flaps frenetically, but in the avian world the eagle soars majestically, barely moving its enormous wings while wheeling effortlessly through the heavens.

If the lion is king of the jungle then the bald eagle rules the sky, and barely 15 minutes into a 10-mile paddle on the icy Connecticut River the other day my son, Tom, cried, “There goes one!” just as an enormous bird sailed overhead.

Shortly before Tom, our friend Ian Frenkel and I launched our kayaks at the Essex town dock, I chatted with Bill Yule, educator/naturalist with the Connecticut River Museum next door, who has been observing the birds for years.

“It’s been a typical year for eagles,” Yule said, peering out at the river not far from a cluster of birdwatchers who trained their spotting scopes at Nott Island less than half a mile to the east, where a nesting pair roosted.

In winter dozens of eagles migrate from northern climes down the Connecticut River to the open waters of Long Island Sound to fish. This record-cold season has kept the Connecticut frozen over from January until a couple weeks ago, and soon the eagles will be flying back to New Hampshire, Vermont and Canada.

Relentlessly frigid conditions may have shortened this eagle-watching season, but the advantage of viewing them now instead of February is you get to see so many other birds.

“It’s prime time for ducks,” Yule said, pointing to a flock of Mallards on the wing. “This time of year they’re all converging: buffleheads, mergansers, grebes, wood ducks …”

As we paddled across to Nott Island we saw an abundance of ducks, along with gulls, swans and Canada geese that honked angrily before lumbering into the air.

When we reached the igloo-sized nest, where eagles have been nesting for at least five years, it appeared to be empty – the inhabitants must have been out fishing – but we weren’t disappointed for long.

After Tom spotted the first eagle of the day we steered north to the mouth of the Eightmile River and Hamburg Cove in Lyme, and soon eagles appeared every few minutes in trees and the sky.

Yule had told me as many as seven juvenile eagles have been lingering in this area, and at one point we saw five aloft, including two who dove at each other, talons extended. The young birds are just beginning to develop hunting skills and often practice their moves in this fashion, he explained.

Thick ice kept us from proceeding more than a few hundred yards into the cove, so we returned to the main river channel – stopping to watch a deer bounding across a field – and proceeded north past Joshua Creek to Selden Island, where half a dozen other eagles perched on trees.

“This is great!” I gushed, watching a pair take off simultaneously and zoom overhead. It was especially wonderful to be paddling again with Tom, visiting from Minnesota. We last paddled together six months ago on Lake Superior.

I also was mindful, though, that we were being propelled by a flooding tide and south wind. Eventually we would have to fight these forces while paddling back to Essex. Clouds thickened and the wind kicked up chop on the water, where ice floes floated past.

“What do you say, guys? Seen enough eagles for one day?” Hearing no dissent, I kicked down on the rudder control and steered toward the west bank.

An hour later, shivering, we scrambled ashore.

You don’t have to paddle a kayak to see eagles on the Connecticut River. This Friday and Saturday the Connecticut River Museum is offering cruises on a power boat through a partnership with Project Oceanology in Groton, the final tours of this shortened season. More information about the tours and other museum programs is available at www.ctrivermuseum.org.

Eagle-watching cruises also are offered by Connecticut River Expeditions in Haddam (http://www.ctriverexpeditions.org)

While most of the eagles will be gone in a few weeks, before long the river will be filled with osprey, great blue herons, egrets and other shore birds.

Unfortunately, it also will be packed with Jet Skis, cigarette boats and other noisy vessels – so get out there now while you have the chance.