Yes this is a “dead duck”, a common murre and we made sure we had a good photo. This was the proof of a murder and the guilty party was a transient killer whale. It was not a guess on my guest’s part as we saw a lone transient spend half an hour playing with and eventually killing four murres. I have seen this behaviour before but it was a small pod teaching their young the skill necessary to catch seals. Approach from beneath and throw it into the air but in this case it was an adult and not doing it for food.
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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