By Gordon Patterson
A Monarch of the Skies ….
Under a cloudless blue sky, the afternoon fulfilled its promise of possibility for Christine and me. On a tiny, wind-swept, one-acre islet in the Broughton Archipelago, we encountered a remarkable ancient spruce tree. Bent and twisted by years of coastal winds, a thick, stunted trunk rose defiantly towards the sky. Its bleached and blistered bark was thickly matted with lichen. It was crowned by a mass of gnarled branches, heavy with cones and dense clusters of sharp-pointed, deep-green needles. The tree was typical of the many timeworn evergreens found on countless islands scattered along the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Yet this one possessed a distinctive companion: a bald eagle with which it shared a remarkable and intricately interdependent relationship. The tree afforded the eagle protection, a nesting site, and elevation above rich fishing grounds. In turn, the eagle returned vital nourishment to the soil through its droppings and the remnants of its meals, enriching the ground from which the tree drew its strength.
The Discovery of a Nesting Eagle Family
The tree stood in an alcove high on a rocky prominence, sheltering it from the harshest of tidal onslaughts; withstanding centuries of salt-laden rain and hammering windstorms. Its roots dug into nutrient-rich soil winding tightly around basalt and granite bedrock… finding their way deep into natural crevasses cementing the old guardian firmly in place. Above, root structures spread across the ledge in thick, interlocking strands grasping rock like an octopus tentacles.
An eagle nest… constructed of branches, sticks, grass, moss… was wedged into a sturdy crook of uppermost limbs. Camouflaged by moss & lichen the weathered nursery has provided multiple generations of eaglets a safe haven, year after year… Incredibly this afternoon two eaglets gazed back at us guarded by a parent…. the old spruce’s tenacity to thrive quintessential to the Bald Eagle’s survival in the Pacific Northwest’s harshest of marine environments.
North America’s Largest Raptor
Bald Eagles build the largest nest of any bird in the world! They typically range from about 1.2 metres to 1.7 meters across by 1.2 metres deep, weighing a few hundred kilos. However can be much much larger. Imagine! A breeding pair may return to the same nest for years, adding new sticks and so on, accumulating girth and mass to their nest.
Bald Eagles breed across much of Canada, reaching its highest concentrations here in coastal British Columbia. It winters in southern Canada and down into the United States. There are approximately 110,000 individuals in Canada, representing 55% of the global population! .
The Bald Eagle Described
The form and nature of eagles, meat eaters with large hooked beaks and long sharp talons, classify this great hunter as a raptor or bird of prey.
The bald eagle was named by a pioneer for the conspicuous white head of the adult bird.” In old English bald or balde was a word synonymous with white not hairless, hence the eagle was named for its white feathers.
First People called this magnificent raptor a “Fish Eagle” for its exceptional fishing skills… often seen as it swoops down from a high place to grasp a salmon, herring, or other fish near the water’s surface. A skill that figures prominently in their legends, art, and culture…. First Peoples attach attributes of power, intelligence, and vision to the bird; admiration for flying heavenly closest to God. The eagle symbolized respect, honour, strength, courage and wisdom… a sacred bird to many.
Where Bald Eagles Live
Bald Eagles are found all across Canada and North America, although in recent times Bald Eagles were once considered a species at risk in the continental US! Populations plummeted by pesticide use negatively affecting reproduction, and extensive slaughtering by ill informed hunters who considered this inspirational bird as angling and agricultural competitors.
Fortunately through international conservation initiatives and introduction of Canadian eaglets and breeding pairs into various states in 1983 populations have rebounded and now plentiful… In 2007 they were declared no longer “a species at risk”. Thousands of these thrilling birds live in the Pacific Northwest.
Bald Eagle Species
The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is actually a subspecies of Eurasia’s Sea Eagle, and prefers to home around water; rivers, lakes, and ocean environments with an ample supply of their main food…. fish. They will also prey on small animals and indeed scavenge on fish carcasses and other carrion. These raptors are at the top of their food chain, fearless and determined! Diving towards prey their yellow feet and sharp talons target towards their quarry. With amazing accuracy and equally incredible precision they can snatch fish or waterfowl from the water’s surface leaving only droplets behind…. The eagle’s powerful two metre wings are able to grasp and carry prey weighing as much as 3 -4 kgs or more.
From treetop perches their body appears to remain motionless as the head constantly moves… right, left, up, and down. They see the world with amazing binocular vision, capturing every detail of there domain with clarity and depth perception…. Targeting prey up to 3 kilometres away… Eyesight 20/5 thought to be 4-5 times better than humans 20/20 vision. It is also believed they have ocular control to increase eyesight magnification telescoping in quarry.
It is always thrilling to see one of these iconic birds living in total freedom, masters of the sky… whether sitting high in an evergreen tree, or gliding effortlessly upon thermals in their lofty domain… wings barely moving, performing bold, graceful turns effortlessly… inspiring awe as they scan below, intimately reading every nuance of the landscape.
North America’s Only Endemic Eagle
The Bald Eagle is the only eagle endemic to North America, and on average the largest of the two species that breed here; the Golden and Bald. A mature Bald Eagle, as denoted by its white head, has a wingspan of 2 to 2.5 metres, about 100 cm or more in length and weigh 6.5 kilograms or more. Female are generally larger than males. Both take turns incubating one to three eggs, and parenting fluffy babies called eaglets.
The Bald Eagle Changes Appearance as it Matures
Bald Eagles start out brown feathered, and gain their distinctive white head gradually, in about five years.
Over the course of successive moults a fledgling morphs, eyes changing colour to piercing pale yellow, yellow hooked beak, large brown body, white tails, and yellow taloned feet, and the distinctive white head. Changes that signal maturity in the bird creating the desire for a mate to spend a 30 year lifetime together, completing the Wild Kingdom’s circle of life.
To watch a bald eagle rise through the lofty heavens is to glimpse nature’s grand design unfolding in perfect harmony. Its broad wings glide effortlessly against the blue, above towering evergreens, above a rugged coastline, with a silent resilience that unites freedom, clarity, and grace within the grand design of all life. In those quiet moments in the presence of an eagle, our awe becomes gratitude. We both felt a kinship with the living world… grateful for the serenity and power of the natural world that makes Canada’s wildlife and wild habitats so extraordinary.
At the closing of the day Christine and I reflected on how fortunate we were… witnessing two symbols of natural dependency in the most authentic form… An ancient old spruce tree and Bald Eagle family as living expressions of balance, respect, cooperation, and dynamic equilibrium…. inviting us to cherish and emulate those qualities in our own lives. The day fostered a deeper connection with the world around us, renewing our appreciation for not only for what we experienced today, but also for what we have and the many other priceless gifts out there in nature waiting to be discovered.
Safe Travels
Gord Patterson
Photos © 2024 Christine Patterson