My pal Lynda and I arrived just a few minutes before the production was about to start. With no reserved seating, all the best seats were taken and we found ourselves moving to the very back. As we settled in, our focus quickly became one of sightlines and sound. Would we be able to see everything from here? Would the sound system be sharply crisp or sadly muddy? Time would tell.
As the clock ticked slowly past the start time, those around us got a bit restless and vocal.
“Where are they? They were supposed to start at 10:00.”
It was 10:03.
My attention was suddenly distracted by a plaintive gasp.
“I don’t believe it. My camera batteries are dead!”
Poor Lynda. She’d been so looking forward to taking some fabulous photos. At least I had my binoculars. She could share those with me and I’d go on sole camera detail.
At 10:10 we had action. A young woman materialized up front. Smiling, she picked up a mike and announced clearly “Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the wonder of the Eagles!”
As Lynda and I shared relieved glances over the sound quality, the group cheered and settled back into their seats; all in high anticipation of a good show.
Within seconds, the boat roared to life. I took a good look at our captain. He was young, healthy, and to my eyes, the spitting image of Bradley Cooper.
Things were indeed looking up.
Bradley did a final check of his controls as Joanna, our guide, launched into a quick safety spiel, not unlike that given on an aircraft prior to takeoff.
“Your seatbelts are located along the side walls under the windows, there are three emergency exits located here, here, and here with an additional one located at the rear of the boat. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the exit nearest you.”
It was opening day of the 18th annual two day Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival. This festival takes place every third weekend in November in Harrison Mills, a community located about an hour and a half east of Vancouver. It is timed to kick off the “Season of Eagles.” For a short period of time, the bald eagles gather together in this one area. It is the largest gathering of its kind in North America. The raptors are drawn here by the millions of spawning salmon that travel up the Fraser River to tributaries such as the Harrison River.
Our one hour commentated boat tour took us up and back along the Harrison River. Dave Hancock, our guide, was a veritable font of all things eagle. He did his best to answer our questions and point out clumps of eagles that might be hard to spot for the uninitiated. For the most part, we had no problem spotting the raptors on our own. They were everywhere along the banks of the river. High up in trees, staring majestically from leafless branches in clumps of fours and fives, standing on the sandy shore, tearing into the bodies of limp, lifeless salmon, soaring high above us on the invisible air currents, and once or twice, standing sentry all alone on the tip of a pylon poking out of the water. We must have seen well over two hundred during that magical hour.
Dave assured us the numbers would only increase as more salmon flooded the river in the weeks to come. His record count to date? Just over 7,300. In one day last year. Apparently, on the rarest of years the numbers can soar to 10,000.
He revealed that he counts the old-fashioned way. On his fingers with binoculars in hand. “One, two, three… 4,001, 4002…”
Bradley was the perfect captain. He’d spin the boat around at all the best eagle spots, ensuring everyone got a chance to see. All around us, people were snapping photos. It soon became obvious why our seats were left vacant.
Our window was the only one that didn’t open. However, I did manage to slide open the back one and get a few dropless photos by leaning out over the stern.
You might be wondering about my camera. Yes, it was the coveted iPhone 4s
I know, not many could get better shots than that right?
Well, surprisingly there was actually one chap on board who had a slightly better camera.
I suspect he got one or two superior shots.
Note to self: next year arrive earlier and bring a better camera.
In the meantime, I can always while away an hour or six thrilling to the live eagle action on one of Dave Hancock’s many LIVE Eagle cams. It doesn’t get much better than that.
There you have it. A brief outline of our day with the Eagles. Have you ever experienced such majesty? If you’d care to share, I’d love to hear.
19 Responses
Oh what a wonderful experience, and highlighted by your as-always delightful storytelling. I’d say you’re a masterful iPhone 4s wielder. I’ve never seen a gathering of eagles of like that, but my brother has a home on an Illinois river that is a migratory path and so I’ve been lucky to see an occasional majestic sighting. Thrilling.
It was a wonderful experience. Truly stunning. Your brother is lucky to live there and see that on a regular basis. Hope you get to see more too!
How magnificent! The closest I’ve come to this type of majesty was when our family took a whale watching tour off the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts the day before a big storm was due to roll in. Apparently the conditions were perfect and the whales put on quite a show. Everywhere we turned we saw another and another and another, breaching as we all snapped pictures. The captain of the ship said he wished he had taken a video because it would have become his newest promotional material.
Mo you were so lucky. So lucky. We did the very same off the coast of BC and saw … zip, nothing, not a fin, not a tail, nothing. You were so blessed.
Wow. What an incredible experience. Seriously amazing. I’m chuckling about your camera comments and the photo you took on your iPhone (my go-to camera as well as I usually forget to bring the better one). And yeah I’ll bet that guy got some great shots but experiencing it in person is always better.
Experiencing it in person is always better. My friend who forgot her camera saw several more fish leaping out of the water than I did. So true.
Such an amazing experience and being led by Bradley Cooper’s body double is the icing on the cake! 😉 The pictures are gorgeous! :)-Ashley
He was easy on the eyes I must say.
What a wonderful experience Kelly, and an expertly spun story ! We have majestic views of eagles from the deck of our cabin on Vancouver Island, especially in the spring. They perch in the trees and seem like they are putting on a show ! You won’t believe this, but I have known of Dave Hancock since I was a child. He and his wife Lyn ran a wildlife refuge just out of Victoria. Lyn ( I believe they are not together anymore), was my absolutely amazing grade 5 teacher ! The year I was in her class she brought a gibbon to school, and he spent the year in our class. She wrote a book called An Ape Came Out of My Hatbox about the experience, and she published poems that her class had written in it ! It is my one and only published literary effort, and I might add, not nearly as wonderful as your written words !
You are so lucky Jane to be able to see the eagles from your deck. Amazing. And even more amazing – being taught by Dave’s wife. Or ex (!). You spent grade 5 with a gibbon? Who does that? So fortunate. And of course, I had no idea you were published. Love to read that poem one day. Thank you so much for filling me in on all of this. I appreciate it so very much.
well, I believe I’d go on a cricket watching tour if Bradley Cooper was the guide. *drool*
You know the photos from my post today? All taken with an iphone 4s! They rock!
another awesome post with wonderful storytelling, Kelly! Loved it!
A fellow iPhone 4s aficionado? No! Ok – I’m booking us on the first cricket watching tour available. I’ll keep you posted.
Honestly I was talking to a lady who was grumbling about the high price of tickets to an Eagles concert next year and I come home and read this!! You make me laugh out loud!! A great story – wish I could’ve been there!
Yes, you got it! Thank you. My mom was a tad puzzled however once I explained to her why there was a photo of two chaps singing she connected the dots. Got me thinking others might think me completely batty. Phewf.
I loved your tree shot. We can say one thing about the iPhone camera – it is definitely handy!! Mine is pretty much always with me!
Me too! It’s great for the close up subjects. That’s very kind of you to like the tree shot. I thought it wasn’t too bad.
Kelly,
We have an eagle nest about a 1/4 mile away from where I live. Each year I receive the honored pleasure of seeing those majestic creatures and then their babies fly over me surveying the land for anything that moves for them to eat. I really cannot tell you how unbelievable they are when they get so close. They stand at least 2 ft., and sometimes more, high in the fields. I am so very grateful to Mother Nature and all of her beauty.
Glad you had a good time.
You are so lucky to see that on a routine basis Kelli. Wow. I love that they return to the nest year after year. They are truly majestic creatures as you say.