One of the joys of living where I live is that I can walk to the Cowinchan River in a few minutes. It is not that I often take the time to walk along the dike, but it is nice to know that it is there. The dike acts as a pathway for a number of local residents including some First Nation individuals who live just east of me and are walking to town and others who are walking their dogs. During the warm months, there are frequently a few individuals camping out in spots carved out of the dense undergrowth. In the spring the river rushes by, high enough for debris to get caught in the branches of the cottonwoods that line the banks. By late summer the water is so low that in some areas I could walk across it and not get my knees wet. On the other side of the river, there is a large park with a few spots that have been shaped by generations of families (and dog owners) into swimming areas.
During the late fall, the river becomes a very noisy place. Overhead, there are flocks of Canada geese heading south, all making that strange honking noise. One can imagine them shouting out to each other - arguing if they are reading the map correctly or wondering when they are going to stop for something to eat. Then as the salmon head upstream to spawn, the gulls start to fly overhead waiting for them to die. There are times when gulls' raucous calls are so loud that they drown out all other noises. I do my best to ignore their calls and wait until I hear the short, high pitched call of the eagle. I am always a bit surprised at how high and almost thin-sounding is the eagle's call. One would think that such a big bird, with all of the attention it gets - that it would have a more impressive, perhaps even awesome call.
Last week as soon as I heard the eagles' call I grabbed my camera and headed for the river. Eagles are certainly majestic and worth watching but their eating tastes and habit are not so inspiring. In fact, if one observes them during this time of year it is clear that they are opportunistic in their choice of food. They are scavengers.
The river was alive with birds. There were some wood ducks resting in small bays getting ready (I assume) for the trek south, some small water birds that I did not recognize although looking through my books, they might have been either the Common Goldeneye or perhaps some Bufflehead, hundreds of gulls flying through the air or wading on the rocky banks occasionally nibbling on a salmon carcass and the eagles perched in trees - occasionally going for a short flight, landing near a salmon, nibbling a bit and then going back to their roost. They all looked just a little bit lazy, like a family after a Thanksgiving turkey. There was lots more to eat - there were at least 15-20 dead salmon that I could see - but no one was hungry except for those who could not resist just one more nibble. Interesting - none of the birds paid any attention to or were cautious around the eagles. Everyone knew what was on the menu and it wasn't anything alive.
I am lucky to be able to see it all.
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