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FROM MOUNTAIN GOATS to eagles, there is an abundance of wildlife in, around and on Lake Pend Oreille. The most abundant big raptor is the osprey, the large fish-eating hawk that is common around the lake. Ospreys nest in the tops of snags or power poles. The most visible ospreys are the pair nesting at the south end of the Long Bridge in Sandpoint.
Eagles are less plentiful, but there are a handful of nests around the lake. The best areas to spot eagles are the Denton Slough and the Clark Fork River delta.
More than 200 other species of birds have been counted around the lake including tundra swans, Canada geese, many species of ducks and two species of loons. In addition to the Clark Fork delta and Denton Slough, the Pack River delta (10 miles east of Sandpoint by Highway 200) and the Sunnyside-Oden Bay areas are good places to see waterfowl.
Finally, don't miss the mountain goats that inhabit Bernard Peak near Bayview on the south end of the lake. About 60 of them make their home on the rocky cliffs at Bernard Point near Echo Bay. They can be viewed quite close by boat or from across the bay in Farragut State Park's Sunrise Day area, which has viewing scopes for the occasion. The goats were planted there 40 years ago, although old-timers say they made their home on the cliffs before the 1910 fire swept through the area.
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