Record 254 bald eagles sighted

A migrating mature bald eagle cruises above the cold water looking for prey during a stopover  at Lake Coeur d’Alene.

“I can hardly believe it myself, but the total today was 254, well over the record!” said Carrie Hugo, U.S. Bureau of Land Management wildlife biologist on Thursday after completing her weekly survey of bald eagles at Wolf Lodge Bay. In the more than two decades BLM has been surveying the annual eagle congregation, the previouis highest count was 156 eagles in December 2004. The 254 birds counted today compares with 104 at the same time last year, Hugo said. And it’s a huge leap from the 117 she counted just last week. Read more. Rich Landers/SR

Stories and photos like this remind me of what I miss, stuck indoors. My only experience of bald eagles this season has been through Landers’ blog and Brian Plonka’s photos. How about you? Have you witnessed the return of these magnificient birds?