In taking a bit of a break from after the holidays, decorating and eating most of the left overs…. we, Golden Vision Photography, decided to spend one beautiful sunny winter afternoon soaring with the eagles at Higgins Point Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Our winter so far has been particularly warm, so spending some time by the lake with friends and family and camera in hand was ideal!

After photographing these spectacular eagles, we decided to research and provide our readers with more information for their visit to our extraordinary  lakeside. Enjoy!

Bald eagles pair for life. They remain aloof from other pairs in their northern nesting areas, raising their young and feeding on fish. Prey disappears as Canadian winters bring deep snows and sub-zero temperatures to eagle habitat. Each fall, the birds leave their nesting areas and migrate south to milder climates where they spend the winter. As they migrate, bald eagles become more social, often congregating at winter grounds.

Wolf Lodge Bay along Coeur d’Alene Lake in northern Idaho is one of many wintering grounds along the eagles’ annual migration route. Steep mountains covered with western larch, Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine and grand fir rise from the lakeshore. It provides ideal habitat for kokanee salmon – a primary winter food source for bald eagles. Wolf Lodge Bay harbors an abundant supply of these small, landlocked salmon.

During November, the land-locked kokanee salmon in Coeur d’Alene Lake begin to spawn along the shallow waters of the lake. After the fish spawn, they die and float to the surface of the water, creating an abundant food source for the migrating eagles, particularly in Wolf Lodge Bay. The eagles, lured by the spawning fish, are sustained by this plentiful supply of spawned-out kokanee.

Bald eagles begin arriving in the Coeur d’Alene area in late November with numbers increasing through mid- to late-December. The number of eagles fluctuates based on the number of dead and dying kokanee. By the first week in January the number of spawning salmon declines and most of the eagles have dispersed.  Only a few eagles remain in the area through portions of January and February as most have departed for more southerly destinations along their migration route before returning to their traditional nesting sites. Eagles do not nest at Wolf Lodge Bay but there are nesting sites in other parts of northern Idaho.  The number of eagles observed from year to year varies from 10 to 156, with an average of 54.

Bird watching at Wolf Lodge Bay has become increasingly popular over recent years and for good reasons. It’s a place where you can see our national bird in its natural environment, close enough to observe it soaring, hunting or perched on a tree. Eagles circle above the water or peer down from the rugged limb of a larch snag. Studies of their daily activities reveal the complexity and magnificence of bald eagles’ behavior and their role in the delicate balance of nature.

As mid-morning approaches, eagles begin to limit their feeding activity and settle on perches. They seem to prefer certain trees and even favorite limbs. The preferred perches are usually the taller trees with open branches close to the water. If weather conditions are inclement, the eagles are likely to spend the rest of the day perched on branches of their favorite conifers.

On windy days, eagles take advantage of turbulent air currents and soar high above the water. As wind speed increases, so do the soaring activities. During these times, eagles spend less time feeding and perching and more time flying. Eagles have been observed gliding in graceful, almost motionless flight for several hours at a time.

Kokanee salmon were introduced into Coeur d’Alene Lake in 1937, and bald eagles started inhabiting the area soon afterwards. These salmon mature in about three years and reach a length of about 11 inches. Their three-year life cycle ends in November as females lay eggs and males fertilize the eggs. After spawning, the fish die and float to the surface of the water, creating the abundant food source for the eagles.

Although most of the eagles’ fishing takes place during the early morning, some feeding may occur throughout the daylight hours. Dawn finds the eagles arriving at the fishing area from their communal night roost. As they arrive, they position themselves on perches in trees near the water’s edge. From these vantage points, they scan the water in search of dead or dying salmon.

Upon sighting their prey, the eagles glide from the perches, circle above the floating salmon, and in a descending spiral motion snatch the fish from the water. With the salmon firmly grasped in their talons, they return to nearby perches to feed.

Of utmost importance to the eagle’s future use of Wolf Lodge Bay is the continued, unaltered spawning of kokanee salmon along the shores of the bay. Without abundant spawned-out kokanee, the large concentration of eagles would not exist here. Also important is protection of the daytime perching areas.

The eagle habitat at Wolf Lodge Bay includes Bureau of Land Management (BLM), private, state and National Forest lands. Several years ago, the BLM developed a cooperative bald eagle habitat protection plan to ensure preservation of this winter sanctuary. The plan calls for maintenance of habitat and an ongoing monitoring effort focusing on the 332-acre BLM Bald Eagle Management Area along Wolf Lodge Bay and Beauty Bay.

No one really knows just how much disturbance would permanently drive the eagles away. Studies at Wolf Lodge Bay show that the eagles have some tolerance to humans, but the extent is unknown. Visitors need to limit their activities, such as walking along the road or approaching the eagles as they perch. Otherwise, they could cause these wild birds to fly away from the immediate area, and spoil the opportunity for other people to watch them.

Eagles have a beauty and grace fitting their status as our national emblem. As with most birds of prey, the female eagle is larger and heavier than the male. They weigh an average of 12 pounds with a maximum wingspan of seven feet and a body length of nearly three feet. Bald eagles are lighter than they appear. The bulk of an eagle is its feathers; its bones are hollow and much lighter than the bones of mammals.

Adult eagles are easily detected by their brilliant white heads and tail feathers and chocolate brown bodies and wings. They have black talons and yellow eyes, beaks and feet. The majority of the eagles at Wolf Lodge Bay are adults, but you may see several dark, mottled juvenile eagles. Immature eagles do not obtain their adult colors until they are about five years old.

In captivity, bald eagles have a life expectancy of up to 50 years. In their natural environment, the chance of bald eagles reaching such an age is slim because of environmental hazards and stresses. In the wild, almost 80 percent of young eagles die during their first year, and many of the remaining 20 percent die before reaching maturity. Bald eagle productivity is naturally low, as with most other long-lived species. Excessive mortality to these birds is much more serious than in species with higher rates of reproduction.

The eyes of eagles give them a hunting advantage. Eagles’ eyes are three to four times more powerful and sharper than human eyes and contain many times the number of color-sensitive cones. Their eyes are located on the side of the head, giving them a wide field of view. Although they have relatively poor night vision, during the day they can pinpoint their prey in vivid detail from great distances. At Wolf Lodge Bay their eyesight enables them to easily detect floating fish.