Enraptured By Raptors Elementary School Students Cruise Lake To Spot Bald Eagles

Even Clark Lusk can’t measure up to a bald eagle.

Although Skyway Elementary School fifth-graders worship their teacher, they learned Thursday his wingspan is lacking.

When Lusk spread his long arms, he came up a couple inches short of an eagle’s 7-foot reach.

The children cheered at his effort.

Lusk’s students and two other classes of Skyway fifth-graders boarded the Mish-An-Nock on Thursday morning to scout Lake Coeur d’Alene for bald eagles.

Each winter the birds migrate from Canada to snack on kokanee salmon that spawn in the lake’s gravelly shorelines.

As the boat slowly motored toward Wolf Lodge Bay, wildlife education specialist Beth Paragamian gave the students a history of America’s two native eagle species: the golden and the bald.

The children shouted out answers to Paragamian’s questions.

The test was easy because the fifth-graders have been studying birds of prey for a month.

They knew the wingspan, that 59 eagle species exist in the world and that the birds can live up to 30 years.

The only question that stumped most of the 90 passengers was what year Congress made the bald eagle the national symbol.

Answer: 1782.

Paragamian used the fact to transition to the subject of this year’s turbulent presidential election.

“In fact, last night was a pretty historical moment,” Paragamian said, referring to George W. Bush becoming the president-elect five weeks after Election Day. “The eagle was there,” she said, noting that the eagle symbol graces the White House.

The students seemed more interested in sighting in their binoculars than hearing more election gibberish.

“Mr. Lusk looks wiggly,” said Joel Brazington, looking through the field glasses at the teacher.

Soon the students bundled up in snowpants and stocking caps and headed to the outside deck to look for eagles.

As the Mish-An-Nock approached Higgens Point, a swarm of birds hovered near the shore.

“I think those are crows,” parent Kris Johnson shouted, peering through binoculars. “What! Oh, there’s one. He’s up in the air.”

A boy from the top deck shrieked in excitement.

Just then an eagle swooped toward the icy water in pursuit of a fish.

The boatload of children giggled with joy.

“They’re perfect,” said Sally Nieborsky, 11. “We are so close.”

Further down the shore, Nieborsky was especially excited to spot an osprey’s nest, for that was the topic of her report for Mr. Lusk.

“Oh, wow,” she said.

Coeur d’Alene schools used to bus children to Wolf Lodge Bay to view the birds. Lusk decided stopping on the road was too unsafe, so he looked into Lake Coeur d’Alene Cruises.

Now schoolchildren from around the area board the boats each winter for eagle watches.

“You can see a lot more from the boat than a bus,” Lusk said.

Johnson agreed. As an annual family tradition, she would load her seven children into the car and drive around the lake to spot eagles.

“I’ve never seen so many,” she said while trying to snap pictures of the birds from the boat window.

Paragamian said she expects a high number of eagles to visit Lake Coeur d’Alene this winter. Already, 61 bald eagles have been counted.

In 1979, only 11 bald eagle nests were documented in North Idaho.

Although she’s given eagle tours for 10 years, Paragamian never tires of the sight.

“They really are majestic,” she said. “It’s quite an inspiring sight.”

This sidebar appeared with the story: LOOKING UP Experts on hand

The Bureau of Land Management is sponsoring eagle watches Dec. 26-Jan. 1 at the agency’s boat launch off Highway 97 near Wolf Lodge Bay.

Wildlife education specialist Beth Paragamian said wildlife officials will be available to answer questions and help people spot eagles from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.