Boat to the birds

COEUR d'ALENE - Look for the crooked wing shape.

That's one way to identify an osprey flying in the distance, says Wayne Melquist, a retired Idaho Fish and Game wildlife specialist.

"We have one of the largest populations in the Western United States," Melquist said.

The raptor, also known as the sea hawk, takes center stage Saturday during the 11th annual Osprey Boat Cruise on Lake Coeur d'Alene.

Melquist, who has been involved in osprey research and surveying since the 1970s, will attempt to band some nestlings within view of those on the cruise.

The boat tour is sponsored by the Natural Resources Committee of the Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce. Melquist spoke to members of the committee during their meeting on Wednesday.

Melquist has tagged and tracked thousands of osprey nestlings through the years, and knows they're in the nests.

"I see young heads sticking up," he said.

Osprey return to the area each spring. For most, it is a homecoming to ancestral grounds.

"Males have a greater attachment to the area where they were hatched and raised," Melquist said. "Females spread out."

Some Idaho osprey have been relocated to other states to help reestablish colonies.

Melquist is participating in the sixth year of a project with South Dakota in which 90 birds have already been moved, and another 20 will be sent this year.

With the use of satellite transmitters, Melquist said they know some of the Idaho birds have relocated to the Gulf area, and are likely affected by the oil spill.

Other former Idaho osprey have been tracked in Florida and Cuba.

Because the osprey diet is 99 percent fish, their nests are always found near water, usually on the tops of dead trees, snags, cell towers, power lines and channel markers much like the pilings in Cougar Bay.

There used to be more nests on those pilings, but the birds have abandoned them and moved up to high power lines, Melquist said, often to build nests on artificial platforms placed atop the poles by the power companies.

He believes increased boat traffic has driven the birds higher.

Still, the average number of pairs in the area, about six to eight, hasn't changed in 35 years, he said.

Osprey mate for life and live a long time, often up to 25 years.

Melquist spoke of the osprey's unique "opposable toe."

The osprey has an outer toe that can be rotated forward or backward, enabling the bird to seize its prey with two toes pointing forward and two pointing backward.

During Saturday's boat tour, representatives from the Raptor Chapter, Idaho Fish and Game, and The Nature Conservancy will be on hand to talk about osprey.

Boarding for the two-hour cruise begins at 8:30 a.m.

Tickets are $15 for adults. It is free for kids 12 and younger.

Tickets and reservations are available through the chamber by calling Karen Wilmoth at 415-0105 or Karen@CdAChamber.com for details.