The Beacon Eagles

For many guests to the Beacon, the 4 bald eagles nesting nearby (a pair on each side) are the capper to their trip.

For city natives or those who left rural life at childhood's end to seek their fortunes and careers far from the wilderness, a return to a quieter and more natural way of life West Coast style is a refreshing change of pace. At no time is the difference between the bustle of urban life and the rustic charm of a seaside community more apparent than when the eagles are nearby.

The thrill begins in early spring when the lifelong pairs return to their nests to welcome baby eagles in April. Though the eaglets are not visible at this time, the parents are often viewed astonishingly close to the Beacon as they hunt to feed their growing young.

By July the babies are visible to guests and the doubledecker busloads of tourists occasionally stopping to look from Marine Avenue below. The immature eagles begin practicing their flying skills around the last week of July, warming up for their departure in mid-August.

Many bald eagles are sighted around the general area of the Upper Sunshine Coast in the fall as the salmon return to spawn, and birdwatching is one of the most popular autumn wilderness activities.

  

Bald Eagle, (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

While staying on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Powell River, I was looking for a bed and breakfast for the evening. I came upon Beacon B&B and Spa where I decided to bed down for the night. This turned out to be a wonderful stay as well and there is nothing but great things to say about it.

Roger told me about Hank's habit of feeding the pairs of bald eagles that were nesting nearby, every morning around 9:30 am, right across the highway, where they live on the coastal shore of this beautiful place.
This was not something I was going to miss.
I was excited about this prospect all night, and made sure that everything was charged and ready to go for this outing.

Well, the next morning, standing on the edge of a cliff and the highway, I watched as the eagles began circling, in anticipation of the meal to follow.

Hank has made arrangements with the local fish market, to take any scraps and slightly-not-so-fresh pieces of fish to feed these birds with, which he puts in his freezer for each day's breakfast.

There were some territorial issues, that two of the eagles had, and for a few minutes, tension ran high as to whether or not they would come to blows right above our heads.

Hank descended the steep cliff with his bucket of scraps in hand, and immediately caught the attention of all the birds.

Each time he would toss a piece of fish, or fish cake onto the rocky shoreline, a magnificent eagle would swoop down, clasp it in its claws and fly gracefully over the water, off to a distant waiting partner, in a nest perched on the highest branch of a tall fir tree.

I cannot recall how many times this took place that morning, however, I will never forget the feeling of being able to share in the experience.

Since I know that Roger and Hank (and their wives) will be reading this, and watching for the photos that I took, I would like to express my thanks for their kindness, warmth and hospitality.