EagleWatch was established in 1995 as part of the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Eagles of Brackendale project to help preserve the wintering bald eagles and their ecosystem in the Squamish Valley. The program is coordinated by the Squamish Environment Society (SES), with support from the Province of British Columbia, the District of Squamish, Brian Aikens Photography and WhenToHelp.
Monitoring Program
Volunteers are at Eagle Run dike for one hour each morning and afternoon every day during prime eagle season, from early November until early January. The volunteers’ main responsibility is to count and record the number of eagles and other wildlife sightings, as well as to record weather and any noteworthy events. Data gathered by the volunteers is posted as soon as possible on this website, to inform everyone about the current eagle population visiting Eagle Run.
Daily counts for November 2022 to January 2023.
Daily counts for November 2021 to January 2022.
Volunteer
Becoming an EagleWatch volunteer is a wonderful way to learn about bald eagles, meet interesting people and have fun! For more information about EagleWatch or to volunteer, please contact EagleWatch.
Outreach Program
EagleWatch maintains Facebook and Instagram sites with updates about eagle numbers and eagle facts as well as eagle photos provided by local photographers. Our EagleWatch Coordinator responds to all messages and queries from eagle lovers.
Eagle Run Eagle Viewing Site
Eagle Run dike is open for visitors year round. On weekends during EagleWatch season, depending on availability of volunteers, interpreters will be on the dike. Our interpreters will greet visitors and talk about the eagles and the ecosystem on which they depend. We hope to provide dark green EagleWatch vests for these volunteers.
Eagle Run is an accessible site: there is a ramp at the south end. There is a viewing shelter with interpretive panels which describe the eagle life cycle and information about the factors influencing the health of the eagle population. The shelter has picnic tables and there are toilet facilities provided by the District of Squamish. In the winter months, snow on the ramp is cleared by volunteers when possible but access to the site is more limited.
For information on guided eagle viewing options, please go to the Tourism Squamish site.
Eagle viewing sites map | EagleWatch brochure | More about bald eagles | EagleWatch Annual Reports
Eagle Watch Videos
Eagle Watch 2017 from Ed Dubois on Vimeo: all of the footage for Ed’s videos is taken at Eagle Run, an accessible site.
Watch Ed’s videos from: 2016 2015 2014
– – –
Banner Image courtesy of Ed Dubois: A group of adult eagles with one juvenile, at right, feeding on a salmon along the Squamish River at Eagle Run. Little is known about eagle family relationships and how long young stay in contact with their parents, but a photo with one juvenile feeding undisturbed with several adults facing away poses interesting questions.