Surveying Bald Eagles

Watchable wildlife

Since the bald eagle was reclassified from endangered to threatened in the lower 48 states in 1995, less research is being done on the species.

The Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area is one of the few places left in the region where eagle trend data is still being collected.

The winter eagle survey, which has been conducted since 1985, indicates that bald eagles on Lake Roosevelt are still on the upswing.

In December, volunteers counted 284 eagles - mostly bald but some golden eagles were included.

In January, a record 301 eagles were counted, said Scott Hebner, the Park Service natural resource specialist at Fort Spokane.

This topped the previous high of 250 in 1993, even though the section from Grand Coulee Dam to the mouth of the Spokane River was not counted this year because of staff shortage.

The biggest concentrations tend to be between Hunters and Cedonia.

More than a hundred eagles were still along the lake last week.

“This was a great year for eagle concentrations, even though we didn’t expect it with the mild weather,” Hebner said.

Although Wolf Lodge Bay at Lake Coeur d’Alene gets a lot of publicity for its winter eagle viewing, another great spot is near Long Lake Dam on the Spokane River just off State Highway 231 north of Reardan. , DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo