Great Blue Herons, Chilcotin Region, British Columbia

Early in the morning when the sun's rays weakly stretch down through the mist to the river from the horizon, or towards the end of the day, as the sun begins to set, you might be lucky to see the occasional Great Blue Heron quietly fishing, or resting, in quiet bays and backwaters along rivers in the Chilcotin Region of British Columbia.

Great Blue Heron resting at river's edge

Note the airborne pollen and insects in the images.

Standing on rock and stretching neck for better view

Being such a large bird, Herons have to work hard to get off the ground, consuming a lot of energy.  'Graceful' is not the word that comes to mind when you see one taking off.  Better words might be 'amazing' or 'wow'!  In the end, they do what they have to do to get airborne.

Running up the engines just before take-off

Transition to flight looks awkward, and somewhat gargoyle-like

Unusual wing position during transition to flight

Finally, enough forward speed and height is achieved for graceful flight!

Some general information about the Great Blue Heron:

     Proper Name:  Ardea herodias
     Diet:  carnivore; fish, insects, frogs, toads, moles and small animals
     Wing Span:  5.5 to 6.6 ft (1.7 to 2 m)
     Body Size: 3.2 to 4.5 ft (1 to 1.4 m)
     Height: ~1+ m
     Weight:  4.6 to 7.3 lbs (2.1 to 2.5 kg)
     Habitat:  salt or fresh water; costlines, in marshes, or near ponds or
          streams; need islands and woody swamps for nests; typically hunt
          alone, but next in colonies
     Range:  across southern Canada, from coast to coast, down to the Gulf
          of Mexico

A quiet moment of contemplation

Bald Eagles of the Chilcotin Region, B.C.

 

We went to the Chilcotin Region, west-central British Columbia last fall to photograph Grizzlies, and again discovered that Bald Eagles were equally interested in the salmon run.  It was difficult to decide whether to point your camera at the grizzlies, or the eagles.  Both were entertaining, and numerous.

"The salmon was this BIG!"

First, here's some general information about eagles:

     Proper Name: Haliaeetus leucocephalus
     Diet:  carnivore; particularly fish, but are known to eat small birds, rodents
          and dead meat
     Wing Span: 6 to 8 ft (1.8 to 2.4 m)
     Body Size:  34 to 43 in  (86 to 109 cm)
     Height:  75 to 100 cm
     Weight:  6.5 to 14 lbs (3 to 6.5 kg); males about 25% smaller (3 to 4 kg)
          than females (4.5 to 6.5 kg)
     Lifespan:  ~20-30 years
     Habitat: lakes, rivers and coastlines with nearby forests
     Range:  Alaska to the Gulf of Mexico on both sides of the Rockies

For the long migrations south, Bald Eagles congregate where the salmon spawn.  They stay for as long as they need to top up their protein reserves.

Juvenile Eagle between bites

Don't even try ... this one is mine!

Eagle starting to do the "Salmon Dance"

 With one meal done, it's back to tree-tops to look for the next course.

It's takes a long runway to get airborne with a full-stomach

Keeping an eye on the river below while relaxing in the sun

Much better visibility from an old snag

Yea, yea ... I know that I don't blend into the autumn colours very well

Once a salmon is in sight, it's time to get airborne, and this is easily done from the tree-tops..

Diving from the treetops is the fun part!

It's fun to fly low so that just your wingtips graze the water's surface

Being a Bald Eagle looks like a lot of fun between eating fresh salmon sushi and the flying.  However, they still have to watch out for food that is tainted with pollutants, such as DDT, mercury, heavy metals and long-lasting organic chemicals, and of course, the occasional human who uses them for target practice.

What a beautiful bird to watch in the great outdoors!

We went with John Marriott, and stayed at Tsylos Park Lodge.  Contact Karen for details.

Grizzlies, Chilko Valley, British Columbia

Check out the new slideshow images on Images by Knight.  After almost a year of looking at Arctic foxes from Labrador, I thought that it was time for a change.  The images of Grizzly Bears are from the Chilcotin area, British Columbia.  They were taken during a photo tour with John Marriott last October.  What a great trip!