EAGLE WATCHING, HARRISON MILLS: DAY 3

Today turned out to be one of those highlights that I'll never, ever forget. I took a boat safari on the Harrison River to see the Bald Eagles that gather every fall to feed on the salmon carcasses that litter the waterway after spawning.

Eagles were everywhere: on beaches, gravel bars, and atop pilings. They roamed the log booms in Harrison Bay and the wetlands just east of Pretty Estate Resort. They filled the bare trees, soared in the sky, and bickered over one piece of salmon when there were dozens all around them. I heard them mew, whistle, cluck, and shriek, we got so close. I lost count after several hundred!

Earlier I had chipped the ice off my windshield before I drove to Kilby Historic Site where I met the boat from Fraser River Safari, the company leading the safari, and signed my waiver. The boat is ideal: large, with huge windows that open, and it's heated, which was a bonus. I was glad to be in my hiking boats as we crunched across the gravel and sand to reach the beach under the railway bridge where the boat was waiting.

Rob and Jo Anne Chadwick were a great team. Rob piloted the jet boat with skill and understanding of the many photographers aboard. Jo, his wife, did the commentary, and did it well. We learned about the river and its history, the local First Nations, the logging and fishing industries that began in the 1850s and still continue today. But she excelled with her knowledge of eagle habitat, migration south to feed, life cycle, and behaviours.

Fresh snow caked the mountain peaks and the sun highlighted them all morning.  The steel-grey river was higher than usual for December and was running fast, full of the pouring rain of the last few days. The light was not as bright as I hoped and photography was a huge challenge. To prevent camera shake and to stop the motion of the birds, I had to use a high ISO and a wide open aperture of f4.5, the widest I could get my long telephoto lens. Even then the fastest shutter speed was only 1/500th. Still it worked reasonably well, producing one decent shot in about seven, and one in ten that was great.

We saw the confluence of the Mighty Fraser and the Harrison River and then turned around and made our way up the Harrison as far as the rapids. Rob beached the boat on a gravelbar so we could see the remains of the salmon left by the eagles having eaten their fill. Gorged, would be a better word! They don't leave much behind for nature to decompose.

My three-day winter getaway deep in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia gave me a taste for the cycle of nature that has been occurring here from time immemorial, a touch of luxury at Rowena's Inn, and some gourmet food at the River's Edge. Highly recommended!

IMAGES: (c) Photos by Pharos 2012. All rights reserved

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EAGLE WATCHING, HARRISON MILLS: DAY 2

Awoke to the rain pelting down and a leaden sky, but soon the sky was lightening and a wind blowing. I knew the weather would improve. Twenty-four eagles sat in my tree and others were feeding by the river.

My breakfast was delivered at 9am in a picnic hamper. I laid the table and opened it up. A pitcher of OJ, Eggs Benny, a cranberry muffin, fresh fruit salad, and a pot of coffee set me up as I watched the eagles breakfast too. I piled on my clothes, grabbed my camera and set out. 

The wind was bitter cold and strong, but the rain had stopped. Mountain peaks covered in fresh snow peeked from the clouds. I quickly discovered eagles are shy. The instant they heard my shutter fire, they were up and away. The light was poor, so I reset my camera to ISO 800 and put it on shutter priority at 1/500th or more so I could get the aperture as wide as possible. It worked.

Met Betty-Anne, the owner of Pretty Estate Resort, who took me on a tour to see the eagles from the best vantage points. At the flats to the east of the property, we walked through the wetlands stepping over salmon carcasses and watching the birds standing in the shallows, occasionally ripping bits off them. They're noisy birds - all kinds of calls - and they fight over choice bits of rotting fish. Saw the tree with the webcam on an eagle nest about 135 feet up - on David Hancock's site and in the spring we may see the eggs hatch and the eaglets.

A heavy rain shower forced us inside Rowena's Inn where the most delectable  traditional afternoon tea awaited us in the elegant living room. I felt a bit like royalty but for my old cords and hiking boots. A hot drink was welcome as I was frozen. Yes, we savoured cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off; also ones filled with chicken curry and smoked salmon. There were fresh-baked scones with jam and clotted cream and tiny pastries of all kinds. Flying in the face of tradition we both drank a glass of wine with our tea (!) as I asked questions about the history of Rowena's and the estate. Betty-Anne generously talked about her idyllic childhood here and how their family property was converted into the resort in the 1990s so everyone could enjoy it as they had for nearly 75 years. 

The sun came out and I was given a golf cart so I could return for more photos of the eagles. It was all too brief and the cold wind had me hurrying back, the smell of wood smoke from the cottages in the cold air. 

I lit my log fire as soon as I had stripped off my parka and sweaters, and then discovered another cheese plate in the fridge. Now I'm writing this up as dusk falls, rain splatters against my window, and I'm cosy and warm.







Images: Photos by Pharos 2012. All rights reserved

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