COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — If you’re in Coeur d’Alene over the next few months, don’t forget to look up! You might just see America’s national bird flying overhead.
It’s officially eagle season at Lake Coeur d’Alene and the CDA Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has begun their weekly eagle count.
“They’re coming from the interior part of British Columbia and Alberta. They’re normally living and nesting along the lakes and rivers there, but as winter comes, those water bodies start to freeze, so they are pushed down into the United States to find food,” said Carrie Huge from CDA BLM.
Hugo covers seven stops along 12 miles of Lake Coeur d’Alene for her count.
As she moves from location to location, she uses binoculars to spot the birds perched in the trees or soaring over the lake. She said it’s looking like it’s going to be another great year for the eagles and their admirers.
“My first count of the year was more than twice what I normally get for week one of my count,” said Hugo.
She said the best time for viewing is between 2-3 p.m. when the eagles are catching their last fish of the day. They can often be seen scooping kokanee salmon out of the water.
On Tuesday, Huge counted 154 eagles (135 adults, 19 juveniles). She counted 172 eagles if you count the ones that were flying. She normally doesn’t count those, but due to the breeze there were several soaring in the sky. Around this same time last year, Hugo counted 181, so it’s looking like another great eagle season.
Beacon Hill, Higgins Point, and Wolf Lodge Bay are amongst some of the hot spots for viewing bald eagles.
If you want an up close and personal look, Lake Coeur d’Alene has launched it’s eagle cruises for the season.
For more information on the BLM eagle count and general viewing and safety tips, visit www.blm.gov. For information on eagle watching cruises in CDA, visit www.cdacruises.com.
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