Our official count record includes this very low-key description of the day: “Challenging counting, rain, fog, some snow in trees, rivers low, tide high, temperature ~ 3º.” Despite the challenges, our 57 intrepid volunteers came back with an outstanding count of 1397 eagles.
Today’s count was our highest since 2007, and exceeds the 40-year average of 1320 eagles.
As with most years, we were unable to completely cover the entire count area so we are confident the number could have been even higher if it had been a perfect count. This year, a washout prevented access to the northern area, which usually yields about 200 eagles. We did not count from rafts, so the Ashlu to Pilchuk area could not be completely counted. Also, there were many birds in flight. To help avoid duplication, we are very careful about counting birds in flight. Volunteers made note of many soaring birds that weren’t included in the official count.
Surprisingly, we were able to count more juveniles than we expected, given the foggy conditions. Volunteers reported that at about 11:00 am the rain stopped and the wind picked up. Suddenly, juvenile eagles became more visible in the trees as they spread their wings like so many umbrellas being dried.
Salmon returns were good in late fall. Even though the high rainfall in December washed many carcasses from the lower areas of the Squamish River out to sea, there has been food available in the spawning channels upriver. A seal was spotted today off Eagle Run, an indication that there was still some live salmon in the river.
Our organizers reported that the volunteers today were an enthusiastic, upbeat, and happy crew.
Christopher Di Corrado and Carl Halvorson, the Eagle Count organizers, have asked us to extend big thanks to:
- The Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw for granting us access to count on their ancestral territory.
- All the volunteers who return each year and the new ones who helped for the first time.
- Jess, Jon, Adrian, and the staff at the Brackendale Art Gallery, for making our traditional headquarters available once again.
Watch here for more photos to be added as they come in.
Photo above, courtesy of Tara Johnson: Brackendale Winter Eagle Count organizers Carl and Christopher practicing their soaring form at Brackendale Art Gallery headquarters. Too bad we don’t have video – there were whistling sounds as Carl’s expression indicates!