The Eagles Perched here

Photo Courtesy: Len & Jackie O'Hara

If you drive around the Island, you'll often notice eagles perched high in the trees along the shoreline or perhaps circling above the ferry as you approach the Island. You may have been lucky enough to have seen an eagle nest, they are truly impressive with the large branches so high up in the trees. If you haven't seen an eagles nest and your near Gabriola, you could go for a drive down South road where you'll see a sign, just before Shaw Rd which has "eagles nest"with an arrow pointing across the road to the eagle nest in the tree. As part of the Islands Trust mandate is to preserve and protect eco-systems, you'll find that they address protecting the habitat for the eagles in our bylaws .

Perched above Gabriola Island

If you drive around Gabriola, it's quite likely that you will spot some of the wildlife here without even leaving the car. Gabriola has a large population of deer, something to watch out for when you're driving and it's common to spot an Eagle or two around as well. If you go down South Road towards Silva Bay from the Village, you will see a large white sign with "Eagle Nest" in red writing just before Shaw Road. Across the road you will see a large tree and near the top is an Eagle Nest. It's amazing to look at the nest and see the large branches. Hornby Island has a web cam in one of the eagle nests, it's worth checking out anytime but especially during nesting season (January - August). Eagle Nests and Perch trees are usually found within 1km of the shoreline, if you see one contact the Ministry of Environment and have it designated as a "Wildlife Tree". If you'd like to learn more about Eagles you might like the information on the GROWLS website and you may also want to take a look at the Wild life tree atlas.

The Call of the Bald Eagles…

It’s always such a welcome to arrive home at the end of the day, especially to hear the eagles calling. We are so fortunate to share where we live with several bald eagles, and it’s not an uncommon sight to see them diving towards the waters with their amazing 6 to 8 foot wingspan, poised to catch a salmon.

No matter how many times you’ve see a bald eagle, it is an absolutely amazing experience to see these majestic birds in their natural setting. There are many good areas to see the eagles on Gabriola, Drumbeg Park, is one of the areas where the combination of the old growth forests which provides trees for the eagles to perch in, the open fields & oceans for them to feed - is an amazing setting to experience the spirit of the birds in their natural setting.

I always know I'm close to home when I hear the amazing sounds of the bald eagles!