It is hard after 60 years of following bald
eagles and other raptors around the world to be awed by something so different,
so excessive that it is truly record setting, but the eagles of the
Harrison–Chehalis flats have done it again.
On our Sunday Dec. 4, 2011 boat tour up the Harrison River the scene had been
almost perfectly set. As we drove up to Kilby, I stopped at my regular
eagle counting points along Harrison Bay — just over 650 eagles already
along the beach and trees. But as we approached Kilby to get aboard
the Fraser River
Safari Tour boat I could already see several dozens of eagles soaring
and streaming in long lines — just taking advantage of the beautiful
sunny day — a day for eagles to soar and soar and soar.
Jo and Rob greeted the full tour with the normal emergency patter – where the
lift belts are, when a hot lunch would be served etc. – and then Jo passed the
mike to me — the honorary tour leader. And what an honor at any
time to drive up the Fraser or to start, as today at Kilby, on the Harrison
River for such a days outing. But today, like so many weekends,
seemed to set some incredible record. Today was going to be awesome just
due to the spectacular weather and my guess that there would be over 5000
eagles in the 3 mile length of the feeding grounds. Only a few people in
the world have ever seen 5000 eagles in one confined space so even with drizzle
this is incredibly wonderful. But today the sun was sparkling.
However, todays tour started with an initial “thought of a downer’!
As we came out from under the Highway 7 bridge and looked north into the great
alluvial fan of the Chehalis — where the gravel washed down the Chehalis
Valley and spread out across the valley of the Harrison River, creating the
best locations for thousands of spawning springs, coho and chum salmon –
I could see a couple of thousand eagles sitting on the gravel bars. My mind
goes to, “will we have more than the 4000 last week or set a new
record?” But, just in front of the eagles were two kayakers
paddling up the center of the flats. What a devastation — and
disturbance of these birds essential quiet time for feeding. Then, as I
feared the worse happened — the eagles began to rise and depart.
Damn. Not only were the eagles being driven off the feeding and loafing
areas — a very important need for these great birds – but we were
going to miss those shots looking west across the flats from the Harrison River
channel. (See Christophers shots from last week!)
We were following the deeper main channel of the Harrison River to the east and
it just seemed such an inconsiderate kayaker action to drive these birds off
the worlds greatest eagle feeding area. Eagles were flying everywhere. The
adjacent trees for three miles along the shore were ripe with bald heads. The
juveniles sitting in the trees are much harder to see. Then the unexpected
happened. Somewhere between one and two thousand eagles just suddenly
fused together in great swirling and circling flocks that themselves were
coming together and separating. This gyrating mass of eagles, the
gathering of 5 or 6 separate rising columns of air and eagles came together in
the largest flock of eagles I have ever seen airborne at one time. Our
incredibly productive Harrison–Chehalis River complex not only supports the
greatest annual gathering of bald eagles anywhere in North America but probably
has more large birds of prey gathered here than anywhere ever experienced in
the entire world.
So today, while we were still shy of the mid-December count of last winter (I
counted 7362 bald eagles in less than 2 of these same miles from the FRD tour
boat) the numbers are still building and this year the Harrison system has 50
times the number of available dying salmon. The feast could last for
another month. The weather will entirely determine whether the dead fish
carcasses slowly drift onto the adjacent gravel bars for the eagles or get
washed out, by more violent floods, to deeper waters where the carcasses are
not available to the eagles. However, in the deeper waters, as evidenced
by the numerous fish boats, the sturgeon are waiting to gobble up the decaying
carcasses. Nothing is wasted.
So the trip, and I am sure I can speak for all guests, was an incredible show
of eagles for experienced bird watchers or those just introduced to some of our
natural wonders. The action was so intense I did not undertake a count. I
prefer to do that early in the morning when the eagles are largely sitting on
the ground eating or in the adjacent trees where I can count them 1 or 2 at a
time. Counting upwards of 5000 is still exciting — and time
consuming! One or two thousand flying and gyrating eagles is not an easy
count — besides it was just awesome to watch.
If any of you have missed this local eagle phenomena (and that is aside from
those of you who keep coming!!) you should try and get out before the carcasses
and the eagles are gone. Our Foundation and Fraser River Safari Tours are
planning two more jointly sponsored incredible tours for this coming and the
following Saturday (Dec. 10 and 17th. 11AM at
Kilby — call Jo for reservation 604 826-7361). Make this
your Christmas Gift to be long remembered — to yoiurself or others. The
boat, featured in many of the photo collections by the guests on our
site, is fully weather proof and designed for viewing the eagles, swans,
seals etc.
Hope you get to see this incredible gathering of eagles
David hancock
A couple of pics of Nov 2011 tours
