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SALMON SEASON (Aug. - Nov.)

Fall is spawning season for the salmon. After a life at sea surviving fishermen and a varety of marine predators, mature salmon return to their natal streams with the mission to lay and fertilize eggs to provide for the next generation. The first to arrive in August are the pinks, followed by sockeye, coho, springs, and chum into late November. However, accessing their spawning streams is never a cake walk. A number of predators including humans have their calendars marked for the return of the salmon and hang around the esturaries and adjacent waters waiting for the event. The most potent predators are the gangs of sea lions and seals that lurk in estuaries. Black bears line the shallow streams ready to pounce and scoop the unwary prey with their razor sharp claws while fisherment hope to tease the humgry salmon with their flashy flies. Meanwhile, birds like the Bald eagle, crows, gulls, ducks, American Dippers, and shorebirds must wait for the aftermath of the spawn to harvest spawned out carcasses and unsecured eggs.

Depite the hazards. the salmon cannot deny the irresistable urge to reproduce and must try to access their spawning streams regardless of the perils. . Many will be lost to the predators, but it is survival by abundance. Many will make it to the spawning grounds and eggs will be laid and fertilized. There are many factors that affect the quality of the salmon spawn season. Drought conditions and low stream levels can delay the spawning runs and even stymie them altogether. In the opposite scenario atmospheric rivers can scour the streambeds washing away the salmon eggs and carcasses leaving nothing for the eagles and other birds.

Seals bob around the estuaries like harmless pups, but when a possible meal is in their sights they suddenly become potent heat-seeking missles. With no other weapons except their jaws, the seals can crush and devour smaller fish easily, but bigger fish are another problem. I'm not sure exactly what happens, but the seals seem to hang on to larger fish until the fish is exhausted or drowned and unable to swim. Once that happens the seal can then let go and start tearing off parts of the fish.

Sea lions are also adept at catching fish. Despite being awkward and clumsy on land, they become sleek and powerful machines in the water. However, why waste energy when there are easier ways to acquire prey? Like schoolyard bullies, the sea lions love intimidating the smaller seals and relieving them of any prey they happen to have in their jaws. Even from fairly long distances, the sea lion's sensitive whiskers can detect the vibrations of a fish struggling in the seal's grasp. In a flash, like a jet-propelled torpedo the powerful pinniped can overwhelm and relieve the hapless seal of its catch. (above photo - sea lion steals chum salmon from seal).

Like the seal. the sea lion can simply devour smaller prey, bur larger prey are another matter. Unlike the seal. the sea lion has a flexible neck that allows the sea lion to whip its head from side to side. With a fish firmly in its jaws, a quick whip of the head easily tears chunks of meat off the fish while the rest of the fish flies through the air. As soon as the chunk is devoured the sea lion grabs the rest of the fish and repeats the process.

While the sea lion is tearing off large chunks of meat, smaller chunks go flying much to the delight of the ever-opportunistic gulls and ducks.

Once the last chunk is small enough the seal lion will swallow it and start looking for another snack

Many birds like the harlequin and other ducks birds also join in the salmon spawn party. They feed on drifting salmon eggs and small scraps of fish caused by degradation of fish carcasses and the debris left by sea lions thrashing salmon. Other ducks involved include Common and Red-breasted Mergansers, Mallards, Buffleheads, and Common Goldeneyes.

Shorebirds like Dunlin, Black-bellied Plovers, and Black Turnstones enjoy foraging for salmon eggs and fish scraps. American Dippers and gulls also have a fondness for salmon eggs.

The salmon spawn is a special time for Bald Eagles. It is their opportunity to bulk up their fat reserves in preparation for what could be a cold and bleak winter. Unlike the sea lions and seals, the eagles usually don't have access to live spawning salmon in deeper waters and rely more on carcasses of spawned out salmon. The eagles watch for carcasses that are washed ahore or in the shallow shoreline waters then it's first come first serve, but beware of pirates. More aggressive eagles show no hesitation to snatching the prey from unwary or less aggressive eagles while crows and gulls stand by for any scraps that might be available.

Every salmon stream on Vancouver Island hosts its share of eagles, but the best place in BC to witness the eagles feasting on salmon carcasses is at the flats of the Harrison River. Thousands of eagles congregate in the region to take advantage of salmon smorgasbord. On a one day count over 7,000 eagles were tallied and many more weren't visible for counting. While distant views are available from shore, closer views are only possible from a boat. Fortunately, boat tours are available from Harrison Hot Springs.

Dinner time - An immature eagle was enjoying a coho dinner much to the envy of a gull and crow. The red colour of the carcass indicates its identity as a coho. Unfortunately, the dinner was rudely interrupted by an aggressive adult eagle.

Adult eagles have no hesitation in intimadating immature eagles or even other adult eagles. This adult scooped the body of the salmon leaving the head section for the immature eagle, but that didn't last too long as the adult returned shortly after and took the head as well.

No scrap is too small for a hungry eagle.

The Great Blue Heron is adept at spearing or catching smaller fish, but it is not equipped to deal with large live fish. However, a well aged salmon carcass is just like well aged wine or cheese and easier to digest.

Anything is fair game during salmon spawning time. Gulls don't miss any opportunity to grab a snack even if it means playing tug-of-war with a sea lion. In this case the sea lion won, but the gull managed a few scraps to make it all worthwhile.

Black bears also depend on the salmon spawn to build up fat reserves for the winter hibernation. They often line the banks of shallow streams to hook any nearby salmon with their razor sharp claws or they can just jump in and grab a fish with their powerful jaws.

A male Bufflehead drops in to join the salmon party hoping for a stray salmon egg or scraps from salmon carcasses.

Huge flocks of Bonaparte's and othe gulls gather around the estuaries to take advantage of the food from the salmon spawn.

Unfortunately, the supply of carcasses doesn't last forever. Any carcasses that haven't been accessed will continue to decay until there is nothing left except maybe some skin and bone. Sea Lions generally prefer fresh fish, but when none is available they can't be choosey. Even a rotten carcass still has some nutrition.

With nothing edible left from the salmon spawn, the streams and estuaries are suddenly almost devoid of bird life. The large flocks of Bonaparte's gull can be seen in the distance out in the Salish Sea while only the occasional eagle graces the shoreline treetops. There was a time when the sea would provide a continous supply of fish, but years of over-fishing a the destruction of many salmon spawning streams has taken its toll on many salmon populations. It is now scavenging time for the eagles.

SCAVENGING TIME

Winter can be a cold and bleak time, and it is survival of the fittest. Food is scarce and carcasses from rod and boat kills are welcome treats. Landfills used to be a popular venue, but more and more governments are using mitigation strategies to deter wildlife from accessing their sites.

For the eagles there will still be food from the sea, but it won't necessarily be fish. Any carcasses of mammals like sea lions and seals are a wlecome and substantial treat.

Yes, it does snow occasionally in paradise, and that makes life for the eagles more difficult. Road kill is a bonus, but roadside dining comes with the hazard of oncoming vehicles. Areas with landfills and composting facilities often attract eagles, ravens, crows, and gulls, but many authorities are using mitigation strategies like noise-making canons or trained hawks to deter predators.

There are always those that look for the easy meal, and if they are lucky there might be a food kitchen (landfill or composting plant) in their area. The breakfast crowd at the DBL composting facility awaits anxiously for the next delivery to arrive. Most of the crowd tends to be the younger, immature birds that aren't as proficient at predation or searching for their next meal.

Regardless of whether there is any food available, the DBL composting piles make excellent warming stations for the eagles, gulls, and ravens.

Fish abundance used to be the main food source for the eagles, but now it's bonus if they can catch a fish.

Calamari is a rare treat for anyone, and this eagle wasn't about to pass up an unexpected entree at Buccaneer Beach.

Bald Eagles aren't the only birds that have to cope with the west coast winter. There are close 150 species from raptors and owls to passerines that call Vancouver Island home for the winter. Fortunately, most winters are fairly mild and live prey like invasive eastern cottontails and grey squirrels are available.

ITHe local Great Horned Owls are noctutrnal hunters. Patches of fur or feathers in your yard in the morning are possible signs of the owls' predation. Winter nourishment has extr meaning for the Great Horneds because it is also their mating time, and healthy birds have a better chance of raising healthy families.