he
hav

Neville Judd
;: Contributing Writer
“THANKS to 309,000 kilos of
tting salmon, directions to
“Goldstream Park ore unneces-
sary at this time of year. Exit

ictoria via che Island Highway

:and follow your nose.
For neighbours of B.C."s
legislature buildings, fishy
-smells are nothing new, but
ven the most vicious media

“scrim can't match the carnage -

brought on by the annual -
return of 50,000 chum, coho
d chinook salmon. :
“After a three or four years’
absence, the fish return to
“their birthplace to spawn and
die.. As if the exertion of
_swimming, upstream weren’t
"enough; the fish must put up
‘numerous winged preda-
, gleefully awaiting their
lernise. Increasingly, bald:
¢agles are breaking the white
ny Of seagulls in the. :
‘Noveriber-to-Fe feed.

uit; the numbers of bald
¢agles spotted had risen'from
ingle in the "80s to 62.
y did eagles return; ¢

year, park :
man expects the °
bald cagle count, traditionaliy :
‘taken mid-Decemb€7 at thci
= peak; to reach 250 .

park you'd be lucky to see two
‘or three'cagles,” says’ -
:.“Pve never seen so

Coinbined with the'g
Zones, We can expect to see a
lot of cagles by December.”
es. Two'wéeks ago, from the
tors” centre and observa-
tion deck; we spotted. 10 bald
including four in one’

Friday,

eagles but the bird’s strong
territorial instincts break down
ii: winter because of the abun-
dance of food. .

For salmon, the misery
continues. : ,

— Goldstream Provincial
Park is 19 km from Victoria
on Highway 1. Access to the
centre for disabled visitors can
be arranged by calling (250)
478-9414,

For additicnal informati

about the park's schedule of

free public programs and guest
speakers, call B.C: Parks ‘at :
(250) 391-2300. Alternatively, .
tor $19.95, the’ Oak Bay

Beach Hotel offers a guided
three-hour Eagle Extravaganza
tour that includes transport,
binoculars and raincoats. Call
(230) 592-3474 for informa-

tion. ;

a ogn- ©:
the greatest eagle count
continues to be in Brackendale,
near Squamish, which attracts:
the world’s highest concentra-
tion of bald cagles every winter.

In 1994, 3,769 bald eagles.

val, which includes the annual.
. one-day count. Call the ” .
-> Brackendale Art Gallery at
(604) 898-3333 for details. For
- information about viewing
” sites along ‘the Squamish esa

° Adventure Company offers ©

bald eagle float tours and .

“accommodation packages. Call.

637 Lonsdste Ave; N.

#1
’” £3730 Marine Drive, W, Van, 926-7710

- ae
ae

December 3, 1999 - North Shore News - 15

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