Wildlife enthusiast or not, it can be a special encounter witnessing a bald eagle taking flight in Vancouver skies. More special still is an event when an eagle is perched nearby and can be seen up close and personal, but nothing is quite like witnessing one of the majestic birds of prey taking a dip on a sun-drenched spring morning.
East Vancouver resident David Hutchinson planned on beginning his morning with a bike ride but instead opted for a walk through his local park, New Brighton, instead on Sunday. It was a decision that would prove to be fateful in landing him a “crazy” encounter with a bathing bald eagle.
Hutchinson was walking by the park’s public pool when something floating on the water caught his eye. He says he thought it was a large piece of wood with a seagull atop it, but when he inched closer, he realized it was something far more exceptional.
“As I got closer I noticed that the piece of wood was actually the black part of the eagle and, what I thought had been the seagull, was actually the white part of the eagle’s head. That’s just how big it was,” he says.
Hutchinson was joined by another astonished viewer, a stranger in the park, in snapping a few photos before the bird wrapped up its time in the large-scale tub and took off.
“I’ve never seen one in the public pool before, it was just sitting there in the shallow end,” he says.
“Usually there are ducks and crows and other birds in there, but they usually shoo away the eagles because they’re predators. I was surprised to see it just hanging out in the pool like that.”
Photos snapped by Hutchinson show the colossal bird partially submerged in the still water, another highlights its impressive wingspan as it takes flight above the pool. All photos are set to the backdrop of a blue spring sky and Vancouver’s snow-capped mountains.
Hutchinson, a Realtor who enjoys snapping local wildlife as a hobby, says he spotted two other eagles mid-flight prior to the pool sighting, but they had been so small they were “like dots” in the sky. Usually, he is equipped with a small set of binoculars his wife bought him as a gift, but this particular morning he had left them at home. Luckily, this time the majestic bird came to him.
While the sighting may feel like a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, Bald eagles are relatively common in Vancouver, says BC Bird Trail’s Kendel Lavallee, including East Vancouver.
“These majestic birds have adapted well to urban environments, often nesting in large trees near water sources,” she said.
While bald eagles are present in Vancouver year-round, they are particularly active in early March as they engage in their nesting activities, including courtship and nest-building, she said.
The balmy conditions over the weekend may have also played its part in the eagle’s appearance, she added, with unusually warm weather able to influence eagle behaviour, potentially increasing their activity levels as they hunt to provide for their mates or offspring.
Lavallee said it would be difficult to determine the characteristics of the eagle via photographs, but did note that adult bald eagles have distinctive white heads and tails, while juveniles are predominantly brown. Females are generally larger than males, she said.
As for its spa-like dip in the east Vancouver pool, Lavallee said it is not unheard of for eagles to use unconventional water sources that are within their territory, although they do typically bathe in natural water bodies like rivers and lakes.
Should anyone encounter an eagle in the wild, Lavallee issued a reminder that it is essential to observe eagles from a respectful distance to avoid disturbing them, especially during nesting season.
“Using binoculars or telephoto lenses is recommended for photography,” she said .
Feeding eagles or any wildlife is discouraged, “as it can lead to dependency and alter their natural hunting behaviours,” she added.
