February 7, 2010

Winter’s Winged Visitors
This is the prime season for eagle viewing

By Skip Tschanz
The Chronicle

     Just because the sun’s not shining doesn’t mean we don’t have a local bright spot.
Right now we have a “Little bit of Alaska” happening at the mouth of the Klickitat River.      From as far away as Canada, hundreds of bald eagles have migrated to the Columbia Gorge from the north. And to make that even better, we have a salmon run going up the Klickitat River. This means we have a lot of bald eagles concentrated in a pretty small area.
     The two best ways to watch all of the action are to drive to Lyle, Wash., and either walk the Klickitat Rail-to-Trail path or the paved trail at Balfour-Klickitat Park. The Klickitat Rail-to-Trail follows the route of the old Burlington Northern Railroad track that went from Lyle to Goldendale. The Klickitat Trail Conservancy owns and manages the 31 miles between Lyle and Warwick. Almost all of this trail is near the banks of the Klickitat River and offers a great opportunity for observing both raptors and waterfowl in their natural environment.
     The trailhead is on the east side of Hwy. 14 just before it crosses the Klickitat River. From there, it is just 1.5 miles to Fisher Hill Bridge, on a path that is perfect for the entire family. Once you are past the few homes overlooking the river, you will see a river that is alive with waterfowl and lots of bald eagles.
     Balfour-Klickitat Park is on the other side of the bridge. Turn right on Old Hwy. 8 and after about a quarter-mile turn right again and you will be in the parking lot. You will find restrooms and a half-mile paved trail that does an easy loop around a naturalized park. If you take the upper loop and head north you will wander to a side cove of the Klickitat River that teems with waterfowl and sometimes more than a few bald eagles surveying their realm.
     If you like to explore, you will pass a new bench beside the trail. Turn left here and follow the old road bed for a short distance. Turn right at the next sign of another road and follow that to another bench and newly built bird blind. Here’s a perfect place for a bite to eat. And as always; take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but foot prints.
     Bald eagles are impressive: wingspans up to 7.5 feet and bodies that are up to 3 feet tall. These powerful raptors have grip that can exceed 500 pounds per square inch.
     Compare that with a grip of about 45 pounds per square inch for a strong man.
     Their favorite food is fish so they always live near rivers and larger lakes. Adult bald eagles are pretty easy to spot. Their snow-white heads stick out like a sore thumb. Not so with the juveniles. They are a mixture of brown and white and can be very difficult to see when they are perched in a ponderosa pine. An eagle will be about 6 years old before it gets the distinctive white head and tail. This is probably a good place to note that their name comes from the old English word balde that means “white headed.”
     Eagles mate for life and are sexually mature at about 5 years of age. They return to the same nest each year, and like you and me, never throw anything away. Their nest can be huge; up to 9 feet in diameter and weighing up to 1.5 tons, or more. Eagles’ nests can be difficult to see because they build their nests in the middle of large mature trees. It also should be noted that they are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and that it is unlawful to possess any part of an eagle or its nest.      Try not to disturb any wildlife you may encounter, they all need to conserve energy to survive the winter. If you are affecting the animal’s behavior, you’re too close.
     The best time of day to observe these birds is earlier in the day, rather than later in the evening. Be sure to wear warm clothing, because you will be doing a lot of standing around. Take binoculars and a camera. A few snacks wouldn’t hurt either.