Oak Bay Eagles, Oak Bay BC - 2019-2024 Seasons

[sassyk]

I visited the new nest at Hollywood Park, which is actually in the Fairfield area, with my birding partner on Oct. 23rd. There was one eaglet in this new nest this season; amazingly it fledged successfully after spending several weeks in the nest that kept falling. Sadly, the eaglet hit a hydro transformer and fell to the ground dead a short time after fledging

We were pleased to see an adult perched at the top of a tree near the nest tree on Oct. 23rd. The lighting was not good at the time I captured these photos. The first 2 photos were taken from the park.

This photo was taken from the other side of Fairfield Rd.

[sassyk]

Yesterday I received an email and 2 photos from Ann Smith, who is the lovely lady who alerted me to the new nest in Hollywood Park. She saw one of the adult eagles perched in the usual snag overlooking Gonzales Bay on Oct. 26th. Ann has given me permission to post her photos here; thanks Ann

[sassyk]

My birding friend and fellow eagle nest monitor sent me her recent sightings.

She has seen the pair from the Sylvan Lane nest perched together on the marker on Trial Island. She also saw one of the eagles perched at the top of the tree opposite the Victoria Golf Course yesterday.

[sassyk]

Ann Smith sent me her observations of the Hollywood Park eagle sightings today. She saw an eagle on the snag tree in Gonzales Bay and the second eagle on the nest tree in the park. While she was watching the eagle on the snag tree it flew off and joined the one in the nest tree. Keeping our fingers crossed they will build a new nest in the park

[sassyk]

Ann Smith sent me some info on Jan. 22nd re the eagles at Hollywood Park. The eagles had started building a new nest but haven't added anything new for awhile. She has not seen them working on the nest but they are still in the area. She quite often sees them perched on the snag at the edge of Gonzales Bay.

I visited Hollywood Park this past Wed. Jan. 31st with my birding partner and we did not see or hear any eagles in the area, nor did we see or hear them near Gonzales Bay. I took a few photos of the nest tree.

[sassyk]

I visited a few nests in Oak Bay on Wed. Jan. 31st with my birding partner. As we were parking at the Victoria Golf Course an eagle flew overhead and landed in the big fir tree across the road. We could not see it from the side of the tree where we were parked so we walked down the road to see the back part of the tree. We spotted the eagle perched at the very top of the tree and a minute later the branch at the back of the tree moved and the second eagle was visible The lighting was terrible but I managed to capture a few photos of both eagles.

[sassyk]

This is the nest at the Victoria Golf Club, taken Jan. 31st.

The eagle that was perched at the top of the tree flew off and the other eagle
hopped over to the other side of the tree where we got a very good view of it.

[sassyk]

I visited the site of the old nest on Island Road in Oak Bay with my birding partner on Jan. 31st. To our surprise the eagles have returned to the area and built a new nest in the same tree. There is a new house on the nest tree property and the owners have made sure the nest tree has not been compromised in the construction. However, a few smaller trees were removed, but now we have an excellent view of the nest tree Many years ago David Hancock installed a camera in this old nest tree but sadly the eagles decided to move house to a new nest they built just a few meters away on a property on a private road. They used that nest for a few years then abandoned it; there are only a few sticks remaining in the nest tree.

We were invited into the back yard of Mike & Wynn Miles, the lovely couple who graciously provided the power/cable for the camera that David installed in the nest tree. Their property is next door to the property the nest tree is on. We have an open invitation to go into their back yard and up to their balcony when the eagles are in the nest tree. We are keeping our fingers crossed there will be some eaglets to watchi this spring

This is the nest tree, taken from the Miles' back yard.

[sassyk]

Island Rd. Eagle Nest cont'd.

While wandering around the area my birding partner spotted an adult eagle perched in the tree the eagles used for many year before they left the area. Although the lighting wasn't good near the end of the afternoon, I managed to capture a few decent photos of the eagle. I was delighted to discover I had actually captured the band on the right leg of the adult eagle. We always knew the female from that original nest was banded, so perhaps this is the same female

The band is visible in this photo.

[sassyk]

I was alerted to a very sad and devastating incident at the new Island Rd. nest on Sunday March 3rd. The property owner opened her blinds in the morning and saw 2 adult eagles fighting in her back yard. It was very traumatic for her but she did grab her cell phone and recorded a few very short videos. Sadly, the eagle with the band did not survive; we assumed the 2 eagles were engaged in a territorial battle. Here is a photo of the band, taken by Michael, one of the area eagle watchers. Michael has given me permission to post his photos here on the forum.

The home owners were given a Certificate of Appreciation for their assistance in reporting the deceased eagle and arranging for the carcass to be picked up that evening.

Michael & his wife check on various eagle nests in the area and on March 6th he took a photo of an adult sitting in the nest. Both adults were seen in the nest over the few days after the incident which would indicate the deceased adult was not from this nest. We are all keeping our fingers crossed for a successful nesting season

[sassyk]

My birding friend visited the Lansdowne Rd. nest on March 4th and 6th. She saw and photgraphed an adult in the nest, appearing to be incubating


Lansdowne Eagle Nest 6 Mar. 2024

Island Rd. new Nest 6 Mar. 2024

My birding friend also saw 2 eagles at the new nest on Denison Rd.; this nest is a new nest for the Sylvan Lane eagles. One eagle flew out of the nest and the other eagle flew into a tree close by the nest. She saw an adult in the Willows Beach nest and the other eagle was perched high up on a condo roof, where he likes to sit sometimes.

[sassyk]

My birding friend has seen one eagle in the lookout tree up on Anderson Hill Park a couple of times in the past week; the fact that there has been only one makes me think the banded one that was in the terriorial battle and died was its partner from the new nest on Island Rd.

She also saw one of the eagles from the Victoria Golf Course nest perched in their lookout tree across the road. Also an adult on the marker on Trial Island, an immature hanging around the Lansdowne nest with one adult in the nest and one perched on a limb near the nest screaming at the immature. She also saw an immature on Kitty Islet recently.

[sassyk]

I did a tour of the nest in Oak Bay with my birding partner on Mar. 20th. We were delighted to see one of the adults in the Lansdowne/Beach Dr. nest. It was calling softly but its mate didn't bring any food! We caught a few glimpses of it from various vantage points but it didn't get up! All of these photos were taken from Lansdowne Rd.

[sassyk]

Lansdowne Rd. cont'd.

This photo was taken from Beach Dr. The eagle is not visible from that side of the nest.

This photo was taken from Lansdowne Rd.

This photo was taken by my birding friend who regularly visits this nest on Mar. 5th. The top of the eagles's head is visible.

[sassyk]

Willows Beach Eagles, Mar. 20th

We had a good view of the nest now that the leaves are off the trees. Sadly, we did not see or hear any eagles in the area.