Counting on Carrie Hugo

Carrie Hugo is what she calls an “extrovert biologist.” 

“A lot of biologists are biologists because they don’t like to be around people,” she said Monday.  

But Hugo does. Or at least, when she's talking about wildlife. And that’s a good thing for bald eagle lovers. 

For that past 15 years, Hugo has been the Bureau of Land Management's point person who heads out once a week, starting in mid-November, to tally bald eagles.

“I’m the counter,” she said to about 125 people who attended a presentation on eagles at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library Meeting Room. 

Hugo follows the same route, starting in the morning on Coeur d’Alene Lake Drive, with stops at the Silver Beach Marina, Bennett Bay, Booth Park, Beacon Point, Higgens Point, Blue Creek Bay, Wolf Lodge Bay, the Mineral Ridge boat launch and Beauty Bay. 

Last year, on Dec. 20, she counted a record 409 eagles. This year’s opening day count Nov. 13 was 79. The next week was washed out due to rain, and Tuesday’s count wasn’t available. 

The peak for the bald eagle population is typically around Dec. 20, which Hugo said is consistent with kokanee spawning. 

“As soon as the number of kokanee that are spawning goes down, then the number of eagles will go down as well,” she said. 

Hugo said some have questioned whether she isn’t double-counting eagles. She said she is. It’s unavoidable. 

It takes several hours to complete her count. In that time, the bald eagles have certainly moved. Those that were in Beauty Bay might have taken flight to Higgens Point. 

“I am without a doubt double-counting eagles," she said.

But Hugo said she also certainly misses some, and her count is to indicate a trend, not provide an exact number. 

“A trend that tells us how our eagle numbers are doing,” she said. 

Most years, the majority of eagles are gone by mid-January, but Hugo said there have been years they have departed even earlier to move south when there aren’t enough kokanee. She said they don’t want to use their energy fighting over fish. 

“They'll just move on,” she said. 

Hugo said people call her frequently wanting to know the latest count. Montana residents want to know if it’s a good time to drive to Coeur d’Alene to view eagles. 

“I don’t get away with not doing the count unless it’s really a dire circumstance,” she said, laughing.

Hugo also covered survival challenges facing bald eagles.

“It's not easy life for bald eagles,” Hugo said.  

The leading causes of eagle deaths are car collisions, electrocution, lead poisoning and gunshot wounds. 

"Who knew that people still shoot eagles? And yet, it’s a huge problem," she said. "Especially in southern Idaho. It's a chronic problem."

About 50% of bald eaglets die in the first year due to lead poisoning, exposure or starving when bigger siblings dominate the food supply from parents. Another 30% die before they reach adulthood. Just one in 10 survive to adulthood.

The eagle population fell to about 40 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states in the 1960s, but when it became clear DDT was the reason why, it was banned in the 1970s and bald eagles received protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Today, the U.S. bald eagle population is about 317,000. There are hundreds of breeding pairs in the Pacific Northwest.

“We fixed it and the results have been astounding," Hugo said.

The public has opportunities to look at the majestic birds around Lake Coeur d'Alene.

BLM has free eagle watch events with telescopes scheduled at the Mineral Ridge boat launch Dec. 18, 19 and 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  

The Coeur d’Alene Audubon Society has them scheduled Dec. 21, 28 and Jan. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Higgens Point 

Birds of Prey Northwest, a nonprofit bird sanctuary based in St. Maries, will give a live bald eagle presentation at 2 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Coeur d'Alene Eagles, 209 E. Sherman Ave. Tickets are $10.

A Coeur d'Alene Eagles eagle-watching cruise is scheduled 1 p.m. Dec. 13, departing from The Boardwalk Marina. Tickets are $27. 

Both events benefit Birds of Prey Northwest.

Tickets: eagles486.com/tickets

    Carrie Hugo chats with guests following her talk about bald eagles at the Coeur d'Alene Public Library Meeting Room on Monday.
  

    A bald eagle soars near Higgens Point in this recent photo.