WILDLIFE WATCHING -- The big start the annual bald eagle gathering got at Lake Coeur d'Alene last week -- reported in this detailed blog post -- took a big leap in the past seven days, according to the weekly count conducted today by Carrie Hugo, U.S. Bureau of Land Management wildlife biologist.
Hugo counted 88 adult bald eagles and 12 juveniles for a total of 100 eagles, up from 64 counted last week.
That compares with 76 eagles (63 adults and 13 juveniles) counted on Nov. 27, 2011.
The eagles return to the Wolf Lodge Bay area of the lake each year from November into January to feast on spawning kokanee.
Hugo said she found only one eagle on Higgens Point," but there were 14 along the road between Boothe Park and Higgens Point," she said, noting that 19 eagles were along Mineral Ridge and 32 across the Lake on the south shoreline. Beauty Bay and Beauty Creek had 21.
A record 273 bald eagles was counted at Lake Coeur d'Alene on Dec. 29, 2011.
