Eagle count still high

COEUR d’ALENE — The stream of traffic on Coeur d’Alene Lake Drive heading to and from Higgens Point was pretty much nonstop from dawn to dusk on Saturday.

That’s the pull of bald eagles, which have been hanging around Lake Coeur d’Alene in record numbers this year.

The Bureau of Land Management counted 347 eagles Tuesday, with 45 juveniles and 302 adults.

It counted a record 409 eagles on Dec. 20.

Numbers went down slightly the next week, to 370, on Dec. 27.

It’s much higher than last year, when BLM counted 227 eagles on Dec. 28. The count fell to 89 on Jan. 9.

Eagles watchers aren’t just going by land.

Lake Coeur d’Alene Cruises reported that its eagle cruises have been wildly popular this year.

“We typically only have around 50 on the lake this time of the year and we are still counting over 200,” wrote Kodie Woodhead, director of marketing for Hagadone Marine Group.

The eagle cruises ended Tuesday, but Scenic Hot Cocoa Cruises begin this month. Plans now are to route some of those to the Beauty Bay area — at least until the salmon smorgasbord dries up. 

The birds have been hanging around since arriving in early November, thanks to abundant spawning-then-dying kokanee and mild weather.

    Bald eagles survey their surroundings from tree branches in this recent photo taken near Higgens Point.

    A Lake Coeur d'Alene Cruises boat takes guests on an eagle cruise on Thursday.