Formidable Competitors

Each Spring we look forward to seeing the incredible displays put on by our Bald Eagle visitors, who come to hunt in the Bay near our home on Salt Spring Island. In early May this year, when I headed down to the beach one morning I heard a familiar sounding thwack in the branches of a tall fir as a heavy raptor leapt into the air, soon followed by an unmistakable voice—the chirping whistles of an eagle. I was excited, but wasn’t expecting to see more than a handful of eagles as we hadn’t seen any two days before. But as I walked down the steps to the beach, I could see eagles lining the shore, some perched high on their fir-tree thrones and some hunting for Midshipman fish in the mud flats. It was an awe-inspiring sight! And it was wonderful to see so many juvenile eagles, like the pair in my photo, hunting with the adults. My image is one in a series I took of a chase between two young eagles which started high above me until this pair dove down into the branches of a tree about 10 m from where I was standing. After thrashing about a bit, they suddenly emerged, almost touching the rocky shore with their wingtips before the chase continued again up in the air. What an exhilarating moment to have witnessed! Two days later, I sat on the beach, just enjoying the cool breeze and watching the sun play on the water after I’d decided to put my camera down. But when I got up to stretch a bit, there, lying at my feet was a beautiful feather left by a young eagle. And I realized I’d been sitting right near the spot where I’d seen those two magnificent competitors. What a gift for which I am truly thankful!