Bountiful beauty
An eagle snatches a spawning kokanee salmon from Lake Coeur d’Alene near Higgens Point on Sunday. The Bureau of Land Management counted a record 314 eagles on the east end of the lake on Thursday, surpassing the previous mark of 273 on Dec. 27, 2011. (BRIAN WALKER/Press)
BRIAN WALKER/Press An eagle clutches a kokanee salmon above Lake Coeur d’Alene near Higgens Point on Sunday. Wildlife biologists believe frozen Canadian lakes are the reason for the record eagle turnout on the lake this winter.
COEUR d'ALENE — Eagles have landed on the east end of Lake Coeur d'Alene in record numbers.
Carrie Hugo, wildlife biologist with the Bureau of Land Management, counted 314 of the majestic birds on Thursday morning.
The previous record was 273 on Dec. 27, 2011. The BLM began counting eagles around Wolf Lodge Bay in 1974.
With still nearly three weeks before the typical seasonal peak number, the record count could increase.
Hugo said she believes frozen lakes in Canada is the reason eagles have arrived in our neck of the woods in larger-than-normal numbers this early.
"About the only thing that eagles don't like is when the lakes start to freeze," Hugo said. "As soon as the shoreline starts to turn to ice, the eagles start to leave because that's generally where a lot of salmon are. The frozen lakes up north is the only plausible explanation for why they were pushed down here early."
Hugo said she could tell this was going to be a banner year for eagles because her first two counts in November.
"I could tell there was going to be a lot this year based on just driving 70 mph down the highway," she said.
Hugo said it appears there's plenty of spawning kokanee salmon in the lake to feast on and keep the birds around here awhile.
Eagle numbers generally start to dwindle in mid-January.
Viewing points include Higgens Point and the Mineral Ridge boat ramp or trailhead on Coeur d'Alene and in Bayview on Lake Pend Oreille.
The BLM spends about two and a half hours counting eagles in a 12-mile radius on Coeur d'Alene each week. Birds that are flying are not counted. The agency assumes the eagles that are double counted during the process and the ones that are missed are about a wash.
"It's not a precise number, but it gives us an idea of a trend," Hugo said of the weekly count.
Hugo said she's heard this winter may also be good for spotting a snowy owl on the ground or fences on the Rathdrum Prairie or the West Plains near Spokane and Davenport, Wash.
Occasionally, for reasons not fully understood, snowy owls come from the Arctic in a phenomenon known as an "irruption."
BLM and Idaho Fish and Game host a free annual Eagle Watch Week during the last week in December at Mineral Ridge. The public can use spotting scopes and learn about the lifestyles of eagles.