The image of the bald eagle is as much a symbol of 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 as the Stawamus Chief, if not nearly as conspicuously grounded.
It soars across our minor hockey jerseys, inspires local artists and draws upwards of 7,000 visitors to Brackendale's Eagle Run Dike over December and January.
But unlike our sturdy monolith, the eagle is disappearing from our local landscape. The 24th annual Brackendale Winter Eagle Count discovered that this year's local eagle population is up from last year's poor showing of 755 birds but nowhere near historical tallies. While more than 60 dedicated counters spotted 956 eagles on Sunday (Jan. 3), the yearly average since 1986 works out to be closer to 1,700.
That makes an unprecedented three consecutive years the eagles have failed to break 1,000.
And although the eagles appear to be behaving a bit more elusive this year, with hundreds perching places accessible by raft rather than above the bustle of traditional viewing areas, the passion that the majestic raptors tear out of local residents and visitors alike is as poignant as the scent of dead salmon (yet more inviting, of course).
If it weren't for Christmas Bird Count organizers and Brackendale eagle count co-ordinators like Thor Froslev and Nyna Rytter, along with the volunteers that brave the wintry weather from the Elaho down to the Mamquam, we'd have no way of knowing just how serious the decline is.
Local rafters took on the chilly Ashlu, Pilchuk and Cheakamus, connecting the white and brown dots in the trees for more than five hours and calling it the best way to ring in the New Year.
Meanwhile, Eaglewatch co-ordinator Bruce Matthews continues to lead about 50 volunteers in an effort to help local residents and visitors better understand the majestic birds and their place in a fragile ecosystem.
Although the specific reasons for the eagle decline is arguable, it does point to an ecological shift occurring throughout the West Coast, which is hitting national headlines in the form of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's announcement of a judicial inquiry into the collapse of the Fraser River sockeye. It even encouraged federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea to stop in town briefly last month.
The formula is simple enough: decreasing salmon equals decreasing eagles. Last year's salmon return was horrible, this year is quite a bit better. But according to count volunteer Anna Smith, eagles have good memories.
"The eagles came here last year expecting a really big feast of salmon but there was hardly anything there for them. So many of the adult eagles will remember that from last year and either not come here at all, possibly going straight up to Alaska, or they will have tried different areas," she said.
Luckily, Eagle Festival organizers have good memories, too; memories of a time when nearly 4,000 bald eagles descended on 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 in 1994. That's why they consistently provide a strong line-up of educational speakers to help us understand the dangers facing eagles, from poaching to sea lice, so that we can react before we're left standing under vacant trees wondering what happened.
