Eagles, grizzly bears, sea lions, killer whales and humpback whales are not the only thing we watch trying to catch salmon on our wildlife trips. Their are also sports fishermen and in this case commercial fishermen. This boat is the Ocean Predator which works for the Department of Fisheries doing “test sets” to determine if there are enough salmon in the area to have an “opening” for a commercial fish. We watched them do a quick count of the number and variety of salmon in this set. About seventy-five salmon means there will not be an opening for a while.
Bald Eagles
Bald Eagles are frequently sighted in our area. At times they can be seen in large numbers. This is usually where food supplies are high. For example this could be in areas with high concentrations of baitfish or along the rivers in the fall when the salmon are spawning. They are not migratory, but do move around with the food supply. As mentioned earlier when the salmon are spawning we often see many along the rivers, while there will be fewer along the coastline. With little need for camouflage their white head and tail feathers can be spotted easily. The female is slightly larger and her white head extends down a bit farther onto the body, but it is subtle. It takes these birds 4.5 – 5 years to acquire this unique plumage. As juveniles they are a brown colour. With exceptional eyesight and the ability to view 270 degrees they are understandably often seen in high perches and in trees near points and passageways.
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