Eagle Take Off

Bald Eagles are Awesome

Bald Eagles patrol the coastline of the West Coast Trail. We have been witnesses to two amazing hunting episodes at close range while hiking the Trail. On the first occasion a Bald Eagle attacked a flock of seagulls who were disturbing our campsite where Carmanah Creek empties into the Pacific Ocean. We had a front row seat as we watched the attack and the follow-up attempts to pick up the gull it had wounded. We were no more than 100 meters away from the action. Our second witness was at Cribs Creek. We observed a Bald Eagle with its prey, another gull, so my son and I hiked out to the Cribs to observe at close range. Little did we know that Bald Eagles hunt in pairs. While the first Bald Eagle flew directly over our heads and distracted us its partner flew in from another tree and picked up the gull and took it to its plucking post. Our hiking companions were yelling at us from the shore but we could not hear them due to the waves thundering over the breakers.