A juvenile bald eagle on the west side of Fernan Lake was photographed Tuesday by a Coeur d'Alene resident who captured some avian excitement.

"I walked up the hill to go to the pond-like area off the main lake and, lo and behold, something white stood out at me, but I didn't give any more thought until I looked again and noticed it walking," Paul Webster told The Press. "I looked through my viewfinder on my camera and, sure enough, it was one of our resident juvenile bald eagles of Fernan. I counted seven eagles at Fernan once, when two mature and five juvenile eagles were chasing each other over a fish on a different day this year."

Webster photographed the juvenile dining on a rotten fish, just 25 yards away.

"I just sat down and watched it eat it while chasing off crows and magpies that were also wanting some of the fish," Webster said.

The majestic snow-capped birds of prey, mottled white and brown in their youth, are known to come through North Idaho in wintertime, when they feast on fish in Lake Coeur d'Alene and hang out in the pine trees at Higgens Point.

Janie Veltkamp, raptor biologist with the nonprofit Birds of Prey Northwest, said Friday, there are eagles that are winter visitors only, but North Idaho is home to resident bald eagles year 'round.

She said the eagle in Webster's photos appears to be about 2 years old.

"We have juveniles now that are hatched out," she said. "Some are a few weeks old, some are eight weeks old."

Bald eagles build big stick nests where they live high in the trees.

“They’re protected, and so are their nests, so you shouldn't be disturbing them," Veltkamp said. "You shouldn't be getting too close."

If an eagle, or any raptor, is found in distress on the ground, Birds of Pray Northwest can be reached to assist at 208-245-1367.