Richard Probert

Fraser Valley Adventures

Every year from November to February hundreds of eagles descend on the Harrison Mills - Chehalis area.

The adult birds are brown in colour with a pure white head, neck, tail and upper feathers. The young are brown and require four years before attaining their pure white head.

Adult females are larger than the males. Female wing spans range from 79 to 90 inches while the male wing span rages from 72 to 85 inches in width.

These are known as bald eagles and in scientific parlance they are halinectus leucoephalus, named by the famous Swedish Botanist and classifier Linneaus.

Eagles have voracious appetites, especially the young. Their food consists of fish, especially dead salmon in late fall and winter, small rodents, smaller birds and ducks. On occasion, eagles have also been known to kill chickens.

Bald eagles range throughout Canada but are especially numerous in the west coast of BC and in Alaska. The best spots to view these magnificent birds are in Kilby Park along the Harrison river and in Morris Valley near the Chehalis river.