Bald eagle gathering grows at Lake CdA

WILDLIFE WATCHING — Bald eagles are finally showing some interest in their traditional winter feast of spawning kokanee at Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Carrie Hugo, U.S. Bureau of Land Management wildlife biologist, counted 18 bald eagles today in the Wolf Lodge Bay area.  That’s up from four eagles counted last week during her weekly survey.

Today’s tally of 13 adults and five immature eagles is down considerably from last year at this time when Hugo counted 57.

In 2012 during this week, she counted 121 bald eagles — 84 adults and 37 immature.

The 2013 bald eagle count at Lake Coeur d’Alene peaked at 217 on Dec. 30.

For years, the eagles have provided a popular wildlife-viewing attraction as the birds are lured to the northeast corner of the lake from mid-November into January to feast on the spawning kokanee that stack up in the bay.

• A record 273 bald eagles was counted at Lake Coeur d’Alene on Dec. 29, 2011.

The next cold snap could send more eagles this way.