STANLEY PARK NOTEBOOK
/Candace Campo of Talaysay Tours.
by Jacqui Birchall
DISCOVER THE PARK THROUGH INDIGENOUS EYES
Talaysay Tours offers authentic Aboriginal cultural experiences in Stanley Park. I have taken both of their tours, “Talking Trees” and “Spoken Treasures” and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Owner Candace Campo from the Sechelt and Squamish First Nations, her co-owner husband Larry, and their associates guide participants through the trees and plants and the Indigenous history of Stanley Park. In addition, to learning about the park’s Indigenous history, participants also gain an understanding of how First Nations used the plants and trees and, of course, all about the totems.
For more information check their webpage here. Also, the Stanley Park Ecology Society is offering Talaysay’s tours on a webinar. Check out the SPES Facebook page here for more information. Not to be missed!
An immature eagle, before the white feathers grow in. (Jeffrey Ross Photo)
FLY LIKE AN EAGLE
(click on any photo to enlarge)
Coastal BC has the largest population of bald eagles in Canada. Alaska boasts not only the largest US eagle population, but Alaskan eagles are the biggest! The third-largest eagle population in the US is found in Florida. This writer has visions of plump, elderly eagles sipping mojitos on warm Floridian beaches!
“Bald” refers to their white heads, an archaic term that originated with white hair and then came to mean bald in the human sense. Eagles have such amazing eyesight that if we had it, we could see ants crawling on teh ground from the top of an eight-story building. Eagles also have a wider field of vision because of the location of their eyes.
Females are 25 percent larger than males, with the average female weighing 5.5 kgs, and the average male 4 kgs. This extra weight helps them to rear their young.
Bald eagles’ wingspan is 1.8 to 2.8 metres and the tips of their wings have feathers with slots so they can ride the thermals and save energy. The primary feathers used for flight are about the length of a human forearm and the longest feathers are found at their wingtips.
A slightly older eagle, with white feathers starting to show. (Jeffrey Ross Photo)
Eagles can live up to 50 years although around 25 is normal in the wild. They are at the top of the food chain so they have few enemies. They eat other birds, fish, small animals, dead animals, and other carrion. They are opportunistic feeders, often stealing from other birds, such as ospreys and hawks. Eagles can be observed chasing seagulls and various ducks on Lost Lagoon.
If during nesting season you hear a bird racket high in the sky between Denman Street and Stanley Park, look way, way up to see the crows and seagulls in an unusual partnership dive-bombing a seemingly uncaring, slowly flying eagle. The seagulls and crows are protecting their young, and although the eagle has the ability to grab one of the irate attackers, I have never seen it happen.
The eagles can fly between 30 and 65 kms per hour and dive at 160 kms per hour. Their feet are huge and their talons have a powerful grip at 250 psi. Their feet have a velcro-like surface and they can carry weight equal to their body weight, although they are more likely to carry half their weight.
A fully mature Bald Eagle. (Anthony Reynolds Photo)
In their courtship, eagles practice death spirals. They grip talons and plummet spiralling towards the ground, pulling away at the last moment. They like to feed at landfills and, of course, on salmon. Hundreds of eagles can be spotted in Squamish when the salmon are spawning.
Eagles’ nests are the largest in North America, around two meters wide and one meter deep, some much larger. They can weigh as much as a Volkswagon Beatle, up to two metric tonnes. The eagles mate for life and will return to the same nest each year unless it becomes uninhabitable. Nest repair starts in February and it is estimated there are up to six occupied eagles’ nests in Stanley Park this year.
Fully fledged and matured, and off to explore its world. (Jo-anne Macdougall Photo)
The eagles lay one to three eggs in February and the mother incubates the eggs for about a month. Eagle chicks are the fastest-growing baby birds, climbing from four ounces to twelve pounds in three months. The birds stay with their parents for six to eight weeks and young eagles do not mate until they are about five years old. During this time, they slowly move from all brown to brown with a white head and then black with a white head. I frequently see an immature eagle on the seawall near Second Beach. These photos show the eagle’s maturation from all brown, to brown with a white head, to the handsome black and white bird we know so well.
Eagles can swim a little by flapping their wings. This battle between a giant octopus and a mature eagle on Vancouver Island gained worldwide attention.
The call of the eagle is very pretty and not commensurate with its size. If you don’t know the eagle call here it is. Knowing the call will help you spot the eagles.
And a terrific article showing the maturation of the bald eagle can be found here.
A big thank you to members of The Birds of BC Facebook group who shared these wonderful photos!
Mike is one of the many Stanley Park fans who spend time cleaning up after others. Thanks Mike!
SPRING CLEANING - ALL YEAR ‘ROUND
I have met some amazing people on my twice-daily park walks and I especially admire those members of the public who clean the park.
One day deep on Lovers Walk, I ran into Mike picking up garbage in the forest and on another day, I met Rita, the dog walker, who picks up cans and bottles, returns them and donates the money to Northern Lights Wildlife Society. I also want to congratulate the man I met at the Two Spirits tree carving, who told me that he and his partner make it their business to keep that area clean.
Also a big thumbs up to the two wonderful SPES volunteers who dig up invasive plants around and in Lost Lagoon every month of the year.
One of the huge wind storms this past winter filled English Bay with logs, many of which came ashore on Second and Third Beaches. By mid-March, the park employees had cleaned them up, dividing them into two piles, one for mulching and one for sawmills.
Return of the swallow nesting boxes is another sure sign of spring.
CLOSING NOTES
The swallow boxes are up again in the lagoon.
Walking in the trails, one can hear many calls at this time of the year. I especially enjoy the various calls of the very busy Douglas Squirrel. They are a very vocal breed and now the park is filled with their many calls. You can listen to their calls here.
The heronry by the tennis courts is rocking and there is much to observe there. Don’t look up with your mouth open! Observe the white patterned sidewalks!
Our coyotes have been getting bad press lately. On a more cheerful note, from CBC Calgary, here is a coyote playing with a beaver.
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