There含羞草研究社檚 some excitement in the bald eagle-watching community, with the arrival of the first eggs of the season in a White Rock nest.

Located on a private portion of the White Rock bluff overlooking Boundary Bay, only about 100 feet from the back porch of a private home, the nest is captured on three cameras and featured on a 24/7 livestream.

The first egg was laid on March 17; the second followed three days later, on March 20.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e at the busiest time of the year with eagles 含羞草研究社� they含羞草研究社檙e all in the middle of laying eggs, or just finished, or just about to start,含羞草研究社� said local biologist David Hancock, founder of the , whose website features several live eagle nest cameras.

Eagles usually lay one to three eggs, which take around 37 days to hatch, Hancock said.

While the White Rock nest is the first to feature eggs, there are at least two other eagle pairs that followers are watching closely, as both appear to be preparing their nests for breeding 含羞草研究社� one in South Surrey near 0 Avenue and 172 Street, and one in Delta, not far from the Tsawwassen ferry terminal.

Both nests were built by the foundation, a non-profit society aiming to promote the conservation and appreciation of wildlife and their habitats through science, education, and stewardship.

含羞草研究社淲e build nests because trees just aren含羞草研究社檛 big enough with the right branch structure to support含羞草研究社� they like our job better than their own. We can build them better,含羞草研究社� Hancock said, noting that tall trees that are large enough and strong enough to support bald eagle nests are usually the first to be cut down when development happens.

The Delta eagles are both mature adults; the Surrey Reserve nest 含羞草研究社� located on a half-acre bald eagle preserve made possible by Hancock, developers Dawson & Sawyer, the City of Surrey, and the province 含羞草研究社� is now home to a new pair of younger eagles, only five or six years old.

There had been another pair using the nest, but the male disappeared late last year and the female 含羞草研究社済ot beaten up, we think by the other new female.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淭his will be their first year breeding 含羞草研究社� we含羞草研究社檙e hopeful that they含羞草研究社檙e just a bit later than the White Rock pair含羞草研究社� the fact they含羞草研究社檙e both young birds 含羞草研究社� we weren含羞草研究社檛 overly optimistic they含羞草研究社檇 get it all together this year, but they seem to be trying and that含羞草研究社檚 the best you can hope for 含羞草研究社� so whether they含羞草研究社檙e successful or not is the thing,含羞草研究社� Hancock said.

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含羞草研究社淲e coax them on with good spirits but they have to get together with themselves and figure out how to properly create a home 含羞草研究社� we含羞草研究社檝e got the foundation there for them, but they have to do all the intricate work of building the nest up and they have to do their mating correctly, which is a learning function, and then they have to figure out can they co-ordinate catching food for babies and all that kind of thing 含羞草研究社� it does take practice.含羞草研究社�

While he and others are hoping they含羞草研究社檒l pull it off, Hancock noted that 含羞草研究社渦sually what happens, is one mature bird is lost and the other mature bird gets a new partner 含羞草研究社� often a younger one 含羞草研究社� that comes into the breeding cycle.含羞草研究社�

Even with both parents keeping an eagle eye on the nest, it literally takes a raven 含羞草研究社渁bout three seconds含羞草研究社� to steal an egg.

含羞草研究社淚t happens. They land on the nest, they grab the egg and they含羞草研究社檙e gone,含羞草研究社� he said, noting that when parents exchange incubating duties is often when ravens will strike.

含羞草研究社淎t the exchange some birds haven含羞草研究社檛 learned 含羞草研究社� initially 含羞草研究社� if you move off and he moves on, if there含羞草研究社檚 dilly dallying around one covering up after the other leaves, boy, we含羞草研究社檝e seen it on the cameras. The raven is there and BAM! He含羞草研究社檚 got the egg and it含羞草研究社檚 gone.含羞草研究社�

Watching the eagles can be funny as well, with some behaviours strikingly similar to humans.

含羞草研究社淭he female absolutely, absolutely controls the nest,含羞草研究社� Hancock said.

含羞草研究社淵ou can see a male 含羞草研究社� he brings in a stick, places it, looks at it, then takes it and places it again 含羞草研究社� he含羞草研究社檒l spend 25 minutes placing the stick. Then the female comes and lands and she walks over, immediately picks up that stick and puts it somewhere else.含羞草研究社�

There are 680 occupied eagle nests from Horseshoe Bay/Point Roberts to Hope, Hancock said, noting his foundation just signed a contract to record the City of Chilliwack含羞草研究社檚 eagle nests, to be a resource that the city, developers and builders can check before building, as every bald eagle nest is protected by law.

That含羞草研究社檚 a huge change from the 1950s, when there were only three eagle nests in the entire Fraser Valley.

Back then, no predators were protected at all, Hancock remembered. Americans would head up to Alaska for summer fishing and would 含羞草研究社渢ake a bucket full of eagles含羞草研究社� legs and pay all their gas there and back含羞草研究社� gas was only 23 cent a gallon back then,含羞草研究社� as they could get $2 bounty for eagle legs, so they could kill as many as they liked.

Eagles weren含羞草研究社檛 the only predators targeted.

He recalled being in a federal research vessel off Tofino in 1963, as he was going to be dropped off on a little island for a month to study sea birds.

含羞草研究社淪omebody yells 含羞草研究社極h! Orcas! Orcas! and a guy goes running past me as I含羞草研究社檓 talking to the captain, then he comes up from the hold carrying a machine gun, mounts it on the front of the boat and (making a machine gun noise) with the machine gun, (shoots right) into the pod of orcas. That was killer whale management in 1963,含羞草研究社� he said.

Rachel Carson含羞草研究社檚 book, Silent Spring, published in 1962, really helped to start changing the public含羞草研究社檚 view and perspective about predators, Hancock said.

About to turn 85 on April 1, Hancock has been passionate about saving wildlife since he was 14, when got his first eagle from the fish and game branch, as there were no wildlife rehabilitation facilities back then.

含羞草研究社淚 became the first formal (wildlife) rehabber on Vancouver Island含羞草研究社� I含羞草研究社檝e had hundreds, even thousands, of birds and animals 含羞草研究社� that含羞草研究社檚 how I got started,含羞草研究社� he explained. 含羞草研究社淚 was the kind of the person who would take the things when they were turned in, so I became a rehabber, then a biologist.含羞草研究社�

He also made wildlife films for years and started a publishing company for specialized books about conservation.

If someone knows of an eagle含羞草研究社檚 nest, Hancock actively encourages them to contact him through his foundation or through its many volunteers, so they can add it to their database of the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley.

含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e been doing this for a long time. I含羞草研究社檓 still as enthusiastic about trying to save things now as I was then,含羞草研究社� Hancock said.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 more important today than it was then 含羞草研究社� we destroy things at such a rate, so it含羞草研究社檚 still important.含羞草研究社�

tricia.weel@peacearchnews.com
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