Tracking TERF27a/Bee - Annie’s eaglet

[NSEN]

Bee's track has filled in since the last post so we know he went a little further north of Prince Rupert accessible only by boat in an area called the Khuytzemateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary. He arrived Sept 4th and stayed in the area until Oct 17th. And surprise, surprise his mother Annie TERF26 also was in that area! This is big news as ‘we’ have never seen evidence of co-occupation within an eagle family of the same northern feeding area before! Did Bee know where his mother was in the Khutzeymateen and fly there on purpose? Or was it just a fluke they 'ended up' in the same area? Probably yes. Is it in their DNA to go to the same places as relatives? We know it is in their DNA to fly north to take advantage of seasonally abundant food but how do they know where the salmon river runs are? Do they watch where other eagles fly? Why didn’t Annie fly as far north as last year? An eBird count in the estuary revealed lots of eagles so mum and son were not the only two eagles there. It is unique to have both a nesting female and her offspring fitted with trackers and we are learning lots! Maybe in another 10 years or so we will have answers to our questions:)

Bee's track in orange. Annie's in blue.

[Lynne]

November 20th update - Bee traveled south to Capilano River in North Vancouver

[NSEN]

Nov 4 - 15th. Before Bee headed to the Capilano River in North Van he spent at least 11 days at Lang Bay estuary just south of Powell River on the Sunshine Coast. The Alex Dobler Salmon center is on the Creek and I contacted them to let them know to look out for Bee. This is before I saw a bird count from Nov 8th that saw 34 eagles in the estuary! So Bee was not alone and would have been hard to pick out in the crowd! According to the Alex Dobler Salmon Center website this is a 'cornerstone watershed' where they enhance chinook, coho and chum salmon. The creek hosts a self-sustaining run of pink salmon. They have a salmon spawning channel with multiple viewing areas. This to say there was lots for Bee and the others to feast on. They did answer my email eventually to say the eagles were 'feasting like kings and queens' but they had not seen Bee.

I think it is of interest to note that Bee has not been to a garbage dump yet!

[NSEN]

Continuing on the Capilano River story while Bee was there his mum Annie made a very unusual trip away from her territory and at 4pm on Nov 20 their trackers show them only 20 meters apart! Again, is this coincidence or planned? The flight was only 11 kms but like I say it was unusual because she is a bit of a home-body.

While Bee was on the Capilano River from 7am on the 20th to 10 am or later on the 22nd a monitor went looking for him. She found several immature and adult eagles near the fish hatchery but no sign of Bee. According to his tracker he was on the part of the Capilano River that is a steep sided canyon so a bit inaccessible for the monitor.

I attach a photo not of Bee but of another immature seen further upstream near the Capilano Fish hatchery.. Credit: K.McCormick

[Lynne]

November 28th tracker update for Bee - south of the Fraser River in Surrey, Serpentine River in Tynehead Regional Park

[NSEN]

Time for a catch up on Bee! Several times he has gone off line for several days which is always disconcerting but thankfully he is back online again.
Bee stayed at Tynehead Park in Surrey from Nov 23-30th. This park is the headwaters for the Serpentine River, is described as 260 hectares of meadows and forest, habitat for owls, hawks and coyotes (they should add eagles!) and has a fish hatchery which Bee seems to be attracted to! I think its interesting to note that he has not been to a garbage dump yet!
Nov 30 - Dec 16th Bee was back on the same section of the Capilano River. Dec 12th I walked the lower Capilano River hoping for a glimpse of Bee. Unfortunately the section of the river he hangs out in is inaccessible. I did however see 8 eagles, 6 of which were immatures of different ages as evidenced by their varied plumages. There was spawned salmon on the rocky banks which several of the eagles were eating. So we know why Bee was back at the Cap river.

Dec 17th Bee was back at Tynehead Park again and stayed there until Dec 23rd.

Dec 24th he was back in the same section of the Capilano River then went off line until 8 am Dec 27 where it showed him out over lower Howe Sound just west of Anvil Island and by 10am back on the Capilano River but way, way up into the watershed.

Screen shot below shows how Bee explored a lot of Tynehead Park. And the last screen shot of his last 2 weeks of travel up to Dec 27th showing his location in the Capilano Watershed.

[Lynne]

January 5th - update - yesterday at 4pm and today at 10am - Bee east of Langley, in same area and along creek where TERF24 most recently visiting

[Lynne]

January 8th - Bee is south of the border, exploring the Nooksack River southwest of Lynden

[Lynne]

January 10th - Bee very close to previous posted location - same group of trees by bend in the Nooksack River

[Lynne]

January 12th - Bee continues in same area along the Nooksack River

[Lynne]

January 16th - 4pm update - Bee continues along Nooksack river and nearby farmland.

[Lynne]

January 19th - tracker update for Bee this morning
8:01am - continues along same area of the Nooksack River - likely in snow with temperatures rising a bit today

[Lynne]

January 22nd tracker update
Bee continues at same area by the Nooksack River

[Lynne]

January 25th tracker update - Bee continues in farmland by the Nooksack

[Lynne]

January 27th update - Bee continues along the Nooksack River, in trees and at bend in river