Bald Headed Eagles ~ South Thompson River ~ Chase, BC

We had recently driven the highway near Chase, BC, about 30 minutes east of Kamloops and were so surprised at the number of bald headed eagles that we could see in the trees near the South Thompson River.  We made the plan to come back out soon to get some pictures.


South Thompson River at Chase, BC

Eagles are not rare in this area but we hadn’t seen them in these numbers before so this was quite amazing.  We weren’t seeing their large stick nests, which are usually very visible high in barren trees so we don’t know where they’d been nesting.

Three bald headed eagles watch for fish in the river below

Eagles mate for life and can live up to 30 years old. Both male and female look after the 2-3 eggs for the 35 days of incubation and both hunt for food for the young until they’re ready to fly at 10 -13 weeks of age. Fish is the biggest part of their diet so they build their nests near water, either rivers or the ocean. Eaglets are able to fly for thousands of kilometers and late summer and fall is when they’re learning to hunt for themselves.

Bald headed eagle family

Bald headed eagles are not bald, so the name is misleading but derives from a Middle English word “balled” that means “shining white”.  The young are a mix of brown and white feathers, and we’re seeing that in the majority of eagles on this visit. Even the immature are large and when full grown will have a wing span from 72” TO 90”.

Young bald headed eagles are not yet bald

They reach maturity by the time they are 5 or 6 years old and it is then that both the male and the female have their ‘shining white’ head.  Eagles from the north tend to be a bit larger than those from more southern areas but no matter where they’re from, the females are a bit larger than the males at 35 to 37” tall.  Eagles weigh 10-14 lbs. and can lift up to 4 lbs. 

Four bald headed eagles watch the Trumpeter Swans and Canada Geese fly by

The bald headed eagle has 7000 feathers and those are often part of religious and spiritual customs for First Nations.  They consider it a powerful symbol of courage as well as other significant meanings and use them in traditional ceremonies, including them as part of the decorations on their costumes.  The eagle feather is treated with great honor and is the highest honor that can be given to a person.

The gnarled trees that eagles habitate

We’ve never seen a large number of eagles in flight but that would be called a “kettle of eagles”. Perhaps we haven’t seen this because they’re able to fly at an altitude of 10,000 ft., and during level flight can reach 30-35 mph. We’d have difficulty seeing that far away but with their keen eyesight, they’d be seeing us!


Young bald headed eagles learn to fish in the fall sun

Canada does not recognize the bald headed eagle with any offical label but they are considered a magnificent bird of prey. It is a different story in the US since they became the US National Emblem in 1782. They neared extinction in the U.S. in the 1970’s but that was withdrawn in June 2007 as their numbers having increased enough to say they’re no longer endangered. They are protected by law on both sides of the border.

Trumpeter Swans on the South Thompson River

We drove by the same place a week after our visit for photos and there was only one bald headed eagle to be found. I believe we were ‘honored’ to have seen so many of them as they enjoyed the view from their perches high in the trees in our neighborhood.  Perhaps they were migrating and found this to be a great stopover location, and that means we could look forward to their visit again next year.   In the meantime we can enjoy watching the trumpeter swans as they winter on the South Thompson River.

Snow ~ Kamloops ~ British Columbia

When we think of winter, we think of cold and snow but that isn’t always the way it is!

Kamloops also has a lot of sunshine, even in winter. I am no weatherman and I don’t keep a weather journal but for those winter days that we think will go on forever, we need to remember that it won’t be this way for long and then find a way to enjoy it.

View to the west, Kamloops, BC, Canada

Sometimes we have lots of snow over the winter and other winters not as much. There is no real sure way of knowing what our winter will be like as some of these photos will show. There is El Nino, La Nina and cold fronts then warm fronts; wind or fog; we have a lot of weather variations that make for an interesting weather pattern in our part of the world.

Mt. Paul and Mt. Peter at Kamloops, BC

No matter where we might be to see a view of our city of Kamloops, we can see Mt. Paul and Mt. Peter as it stands tall and proud at the conflux of the North and South Thompson Rivers.

North Thompson River in Kamloops, BC

The North Thompson River appears to be frozen over at this point but never can it be trusted to be safe for crossing or skating on.  The river will be flowing beneath the ice, although slowly, but it could take very little weight to break through.

Thompson River at McArthur Park, Kamloops, BC

The South Thompson River has been frozen at times, but at this time it is open with snowcovered sandbars, as seen on the other side of the river.  Very often you will see a variety of birds and geese visiting this area but snow now covers any food they may forage so none were seen this day.

Scenic sunset on hills over Kamloops, BC

The range of hills and mountains behind Batchelor Hills seen in the distance, offer a beautiful setting with a dusting of snow as the winter setting sun shines onto some of those hills.  From this vantage point we can see some of the Lac du Bois area and then in the far distance is the Porcupine Ridge; both areas are favorites with the snowmobilers in winter.  

Trumpeter swans on the South Thompson River

The Trumpeter swans usually spend time here over the winter.  Those residents that live near the river are likely very familiar with the loud nasal honking call of the trumpeter, which is how they got their name.  They are the largest swan species and one of the largest flying birds.  The trumpeters are the only swans that live exclusively in North America and they may fly 2500 km (1600 mi) on migration.

Swans on their winter visit

Both sexes of the adult trumpeter swan look alike with their white plumage but the immature birds have grayish plumage with gray-pink legs and their bills are gray-pink toward the tip.  The swans can weigh up to 13 kg. (30lbs) and may live to be 24 years old. There have been incidents on the S. Thompson River in past years that swans have frozen to the surface, then were rescued by some very caring and careful people.

Cloud formations cover a winter sunset

Late afternoon cloud formations make the sky look very luminous and eerie.  We can have winds come through the valley which can create interesting cloud formations at times.  The big advantage of the wind is that if we have threatening clouds overhead, they may be gone within minutes due to the wind.  Our weather can change in a moments time.

Fog sits in the valley

The vantage point for this photo was taken from the Dufferin area and shows a beautiful fresh new snowfall and a bank of fog hanging over the city.  It can be socked right in when down in the valley but a short drive up the hill and we’re ‘above the clouds’ enjoying sunshine and blue skies.

Hoar frost on a sunny day

I believe this to be a great example of hoar frost.  It is a white frost, tiny solid deposits of water vapor from saturated air.  This happens when the temperature of the surface is below freezing, usually with clear skies.

Peterson Creek Nature Park

Peterson Creek is a great spot to see some incredible views from. This particular spot is near the parking lot just off Summit Drive in the Sahali area and from there you can hike on several paths to enjoy more of the view.

There is more for you to see on Kamloops if you click here and even more if you click here, too.
Enjoy the Kamloops winters and the beauty of the snow covered hills, there is just no place like home.