Over 2,000 eagle watchers visit
Bald Eagles congregate in the Spirit Trees, watched by soome 2,000 people who visited the Mission area for the annual eagle festival.
Email
Print
Letter to Editor
Share
Updated: November 26, 2009 4:47 PM
The wet weather didn’t dampen the spirits of eagle watchers over the weekend at the Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival.
“The weather wasn’t nearly as horrible as we thought it was going to be,” said Jo-Anne Chadwick, president of the FVBEF Society, who estimated more than 2,000 people attended the festival from Mission to Chilliwack.
The festival attracts wildlife watchers who don’t mind the grey weather and are prepared for a little bit of cold. In addition to many locals, there were people from Asia, California and Ontario who came out, said Chadwick.
While there were lots of people, the eagles were a bit shy this year.
Last week close to 1,000 eagles were spotted along the festival route, but with the rain and the rising water level, most of the salmon carcasses were submerged or washed away, forcing the majestic birds to find food elsewhere.
At one point, there were more than 225 birds spotted by Tapadera Estates, a popular eagle viewing site, but they were all on the other side of the estuary. Fortunately, spotting scopes were set up and many people also brought their own binoculars to watch the birds.
And those who hopped on a boat tour with Chadwick, who runs Fraser River Safari, got a closer look at them along the Harrison River as she took guests to areas they could not otherwise get to.
Officially, there were about 500 birds each day, but more are expected in the coming weeks as the water levels recede.
There could be 2,000 to 3,000, explained Chadwick. “This is just the beginning.”
The festival may have wrapped up, but work continues year round for the society which raises awareness about wildlife and the environment to make sure the area can be enjoyed by future generations.
For those that missed the Fraser River Safari boat tour over the weekend, two more trips are being planned for Nov. 29 and Dec. 5. Wildlife expert David Hancock will aboard and part proceeds of the trip will go to the Hancock Wildlife Foundation.
For more information about the tours, or to sign up call Fraser River Safari at 604-826-7361 or 1-866-348-6877.
