The 2021 Eagle count is in! Each year, as the snow line on our beautiful mountain creeps lower, Squamish welcomes hundreds of bald eagles to their winter nesting grounds. The salmon filled river banks and offer a buffet for the raptors to feed, rest, and nest in the surrounding forests. Bird enthusiasts and volunteers participate in the annual count, and 2020, keeping true to its legacy, proved to have its challenges with the eagle count. Covid protocol was in place, and low cloud and heavy rainfall encouraged the eagles to seek shelter deep in the forest, so it's believed several were missed in the count. Other wildlife were seen by volunteers, including a moose along the Elaho, two mountain goats along the Upper Squamish, several great blue herons, a river otter, a barred owl, and a Pacific harbour seal. No herd of elk were reported as in years past. While the 2021 eagle count didn't break the 1994 record for a whopping 3769, it came it at a respectable 848, an increase from 2020's 747. Thank you to the Squamish Environment Society, Brackendale Art Gallery, Squamish Rafting Company, and all of the volunteers for their passionate efforts and enthusiasm. Their work has helped raise the profile of Brackendale as a key eagle wintering area and therefore provided support for the creation of the Brackendale Eagles Protected Area.

Photo: www.exploresquamish.com