BLM set to host annual “Eagle Watch” event Dec. 27-31
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COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – The BLM is set to kick off the 26th annual Eagle Watch Week at recreation sites along the east end of Lake Coeur d’Alene beginning Dec. 27. The 5-day event is held in partnership with Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) and has become a must-do activity in northern Idaho. Eagle Watch is a terrific way for Americans to enjoy access to public lands, especially in the winter.
Beginning Dec. 27 through Dec. 31, staff will be on-site at BLM’s Mineral Ridge trailhead parking lot as well as the Mineral Ridge boat launch parking area to answer questions and provide information about bald eagles. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day - except for an early 2 p.m. closing on Dec. 31 - the public can also enjoy the use of high-powered spotting scopes, view mounted specimens and learn interesting details related to the lifestyles of our magnificent national symbol.
Bald eagles migrate each winter to Lake Coeur d’Alene to feast on the spawning kokanee salmon and this year is one of the most robust migrations the area has seen. BLM’s Coeur d’Alene Field Office Wildlife Biologist Carrie Hugo conducts weekly counts beginning in mid-November through January and has already counted a record number in one day - 372 bald eagles on Dec. 7! The weekly counts, along with other interesting facts regarding bald eagles can be found on the BLM’s website at: www.blm.gov/idaho/eaglewatch
If you plan to visit either of the Eagle Watch locations, please use the designated parking areas and not park on the shoulder of Hwy 97. Normal vehicle travel is not restricted on the highway, and both drivers and pedestrians should be respectful of traffic by not walking in the travel way or utilizing the shoulder to scout for eagles.
There are rare cases when severe weather does not permit setting up equipment or staffing the viewing sites, so the BLM has set up an “Eagle Watch Hotline” to provide a daily status update. Information is available by calling (208) 769-5048 after 9 a.m.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.