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Bald eagle count lowest since 1990
Shortage blamed on lack of salmon in area rivers, which provide birds with greatest source of nutrition

Catherine Rolfsen
Vancouver Sun

Monday, January 07, 2008

Bald eagles gather along the Squamish River, where they feed on dead or dying salmon. The eagle population continues to fall.
CREDIT: Ian Smith, Vancouver Sun
Bald eagles gather along the Squamish River, where they feed on dead or dying salmon. The eagle population continues to fall.

Bird lovers are concerned after a tally in one of the country's eagle hot spots on Sunday turned up about half the number of eagles spotted last year.

Snow, sleet and rain pelted about 60 volunteers at the 22nd annual Brackendale Bald Eagle Count who combed the area between the Elaho Valley northwest of Whistler and Shannon Falls.

But what really dampened spirits was the total number of the birds spotted in the region: 893, down from 1,757 last year and the lowest count since 1990.

Volunteer and biology student Anna Smith said there's a simple reason the numbers are so low in the area: They've got very little food this year.

The salmon in area rivers, which eagles depend on for food, are at a quarter of normal levels, Smith said.

It's normal for salmon stocks to fluctuate every four or five years, but Smith said there could be other factors explaining the shortages: Overfishing, sea lice infestations associated with fish farms, and a major spill of caustic soda in the Cheakamus River after a 2005 CN Rail freight-train derailment.

As she tabulated the day's data Sunday at the Brackendale Art Gallery, Smith directed visitors hoping to spot eagles to the local dump, where one volunteer said he had counted hundreds.

Smith said she was concerned that if eagles feed off garbage rather than their natural food source, they won't get the nutrients they need to survive the winter.

Smith said Sunday's numbers, which are counted by trained volunteers on foot and on rafts, are a fairly accurate representation of the actual population, since the birds counted twice cancel out those that are missed. The data collected goes to research and rehabilitation groups in Canada and Alaska, she added.

Simon Fraser University wildlife biologist Alton Harestad also said Sunday that a declining salmon run is likely the biggest factor in this year's low count.

But he stressed that just because there are fewer eagles in the Squamish corridor this year doesn't mean they haven't headed to other nearby locations where food is plentiful.

"Animals are fairly resilient," Harestad said. "They've evolved in a variable environment, especially an animal that is dependent on salmon. If you depend on salmon, you'd better be able to deal with the highs and the lows."

On the shores of the Squamish river, eagle enthusiasts remained optimistic as they peered through telescopes at the few birds.

"It's just an outstanding thing to see. It's a natural phenomenon," said Rosemary Hanna, who drove up from Vancouver Sunday to the eagle-watching station at the Brackendale dike.

Volunteers are at the dike every weekend from November to January to show off the region's world-famous eagle population, and often come out midweek for school groups.

Program coordinator Bruce Matthews said watching eagles is a sure-fire way to drive home the message of the interconnectedness of the ecosystem. "If I can have kids entranced and in love with eagles, it means they're in love with clean air and water," Matthews said. "The eagle is Mother Nature's PR."

crolfsen@png.canwest.com
© The Vancouver Sun 2008