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Bald eagle visits rising on Lake Coeur d'Alene

Staff reports
December 9, 2008

A bald eagle flies over Lake Coeur d'Alene near Higgens Point on Dec. 3, 2008. Birdwatchers and photographers gather along the lake's eastern arm this time of year to watch the eagles feed on spawned-out kokanee salmon. The birds migrate through the region on their way south each December. (JESSE TINSLEY THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)

The number of bald eagles congregating in the Wolf Lodge Bay area of Lake Coeur d'Alene has soared in the past week.

A weekly winter survey found 127 eagles in the bay on Monday, up from 88 last week and 59 the week after Thanksgiving, said Scott Robinson, U.S. Bureau of Land Management wildlife biologist.

Bald eagles from around the region are attracted by the kokanee that spawn in the bay from November through December.

A record 156 eagles were counted in December 2004. The highest counts usually occur the week before Christmas.

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