There are so many bald eagles here that at first glance you wonder if they can possibly be real. They’re all over the place, mostly perched on the bare cottonwoods hugging the banks of the Squamish river or down at the river's edge eating salmon. 
The setting, an hour north of Vancouver near Whistler, is beyond spectacular:  Tantalus mountains, salmon-filled rivers, forests.  But that’s not what brings birders and other nature lovers from all over the world to Brackendale between November and February.  It’s the eagles.  And what brings the eagles are the six species of salmon that return annually to the Squamish, Cheakamus and Mamquam rivers to spawn and die.  In that felicitous way nature has of not wasting anything, the salmon become a feast for bald eagles from as far south as Arizona and as far north as Alaska.  

The Eagle Census

Every year, volunteers sign up to count Brackendale’s eagles.  The record is 3,769 from the 1994 count. “This year's count came in at 1,709, but if you include eagles that eluded watchers, the total would be closer to 3,000,” says Thor Froslev, owner of the Brackendale Art Gallery and otherwise known as the Birdman of Brackendale.
 Rain or shine, snow or sleet, come count day (usually the first Sunday in January), about 60 volunteer counters meet at the gallery. The count commences at 9 am and most people are back by 3 pm. 
Each team has a head counter and two helpers, and the 20 or so teams cover an area that stretches 40 km along the rivers and about 1 km wide. Three rafting companies, two canoes and a kayak are also dispatched to places inaccessible by foot.
One area higher up, along the Elaho and Ashlu Rivers, might take a little longer. ”Last year we counted 280 eagles, the highest count ever in this northern part,” says Frosley, “because there are new (salmon) spawning grounds there.  Plus we had so much rain down here that caused the rivers to swell but the northern part wasn’t quite as wet and torrential.” This makes the salmon easy pickings for the eagles.
“The biggest challenge for the counters is weather,” says Carol Ann Berkley, a volunteer counter and past President of the Brackendale Eagle Reserve Society. If it’s snowing, the birds hide deeper in the trees for protection. “We count not only mature birds with their white heads and tails, but the immature eagles that are mottled and perfectly camouflaged.” Indeed it takes a trained eye to spot these birds, especially when they aren’t moving. 
Snow is a hindrance and so is a lot of rain; snow hides the dead fish and rain-swelled rivers wash them away so the eagles look elsewhere for food.
Weather’s a challenge, but never a deterrent. “It could be raining sideways but the counters arrive smiling,” says Frosley, “and when they come back, they’re grinning ear to ear.”
Three dozen eagles in one tree is not uncommon. “When you spend a little time and see how they behave, how they fly with tail, head and talons swaying and moving with the wind,  and see how they land, it is an awesome sight,” Frosley says. “And you might see four eagles around one salmon squabbling and fighting, but we never see any blood.  You feel really humble; it soothes the soul.”

It’s all about eagles.

But the fish are key. ”In the beginning of January, 300,000 salmon come up here to spawn and die, winter food for the eagles,” says Frosley.  Each eagle eats more than half a kilo of fish a day, and even this early in the season the shore is littered with carcasses.
“The best eating is the eye,” says Victor Elderton, “like an hors d'ouevre before the main course which is the intestines, pulled out through a small puncture made by their sharp beaks.”
Now and then a mature eagle takes flight, (oohs and aahs all round, like a National Geographic moment) often followed by a juvenile.  With wingspans up to two metres and considerably heftier than their parents, the youngsters are a formidable sight. 
And they mainly stay close to the roost. In fact, all the eagles tend to cluster, up to 10 or 12 birds per branch, perhaps for security, as they are usually sleeping off the fish feast. In the morning the eagles are more active, feeding from the water or taking a bath, and they move up into the trees about mid-morning.

If you go.

Drive about 60 km north from Vancouver on Highway 99, The Sea-To-Sky Highway. Exit at Mamquam Road five km past Squamish and head north on Government Road.
The main Eagle Viewing facility is on the municipal dike, across from the Easter Seal Camp on Government Road. There is an information kiosk on the dyke and Eagle Watch is a program whereby volunteers bring their telescopes to the eagle viewing site on weekends. ”It’s a wonderful community effort, “says Carol Ann Berkley. “They set up their equipment so that tourists spot eagles across the river.” The eagle viewing site has an outdoor pavilion and education centre.
For hot lunches, coffee and goodies, find the Eagles Coffee Grounds at one end of the dyke, and two blocks further up is the Eagle Run Coffee Company. Warm up with hot chocolate 'to go' from either coffee shop.
The public can meet weekends and holidays at the Brackendale Art Gallery at 9.30 a.m. and tour the area. Trained volunteers are on hand to guide you to the eagles and the tour takes approximately 1.5 hours. Thor Frosley will also guide you to the best places if you phone ahead.
Or take in a leisurely horseback trip at the Sea to Sky Stables and stay overnight in one of their “chuck wagons”. A two-hour ride snakes along the banks of the Squamish and Cheakamus and cuts back into fir and cottonwood forest. A horseback tour is a great opportunity for photos: the eagles are accustomed to the horses and you can get as close as 5 or 6 metres to the eagles. Or bundle up and sip hot chocolate on a horse-drawn sleigh ride. As well, the hospitable owners have a heated viewing area where you can also spot eagles.
 “We are currently building a three storey tower and the bottom floor is devoted to an eagle aid station,” says Frosley. “We have up to a dozen eagles a year that need to be looked after and we are prepared, with the help of a local veterinarian, to give first aid to injured birds; early treatment gives them a better chance to survive.”
The eagle festival runs November 15th through February 15th and every eagle season winds down with The Brackendale Winter Eagle Festival Count, a tradition for the past 22 years. The eagles won’t be back in Brackendale until November, but it’s a good idea to book early.  Right now’s not a bad idea.   

For more information and an eagle viewing map, phone the Squamish Visitor Information Centre: Tel: 604-815-4994 or (Toll Free): 1-866-333-2010
Or visit their website: www.squamishchamber.com
For more information on the Winter Eagle festival and eagle count, phone Thor Frosley at the  Brackendale Art Gallery at 604-898-3333, 604); 41950 Government Rd. www.brackendaleArtGallery.com
To find out more about the Sea to Sky Stables, phone Mike or Rick at 604- 898-3934;Toll Free 1 866 898-3934.www.seatoskystables.com