Poor visibility hampers North Okanagan eagle/swan count

Adult bald eagles were spotted many times during the North Okanagan Naturalist Club’s annual eagle and swan count held Sunday, Jan.15, in the North Okanagan region. (Harold Sellers photo)

There weren’t as many trumpeter swans as a year ago counted in the North Okanagan Naturalist Club’s annual eagle and swan count held Sunday, Jan. 15. (Ruth Drennan photo)

The final numbers for the 2023 North Okanagan Naturalist Club’s eagle and swan count. (Club graphic)

Eagles trumped swans as about 10 members of the North Okanagan Naturalists Club, with help from family and friends, conducted its annual swan and eagle count.

The count was done Sunday, Jan. 15, in a general region including Oyama, Vernon, Coldstream and Lumby north to Mabel Lake, then the corridor from north of Vernon to Mara Lake and Sicamous.

“The weather was mild, with low cloud and fog resulting in poor visibility making observations difficult,” said Rod Drennan with the club. “Nevertheless the annual count was completed and the data was compiled.”

A total of 157 adult bald eagles were spotted along with 49 immature ones for a total of 206, up from 128 (109 adults) in 2022.

No golden eagles were sighted this year, down from the three observed a year ago.

A total of 59 trumpeter swans were counted (52 adults, seven immature), down considerably from 113 spotted in ‘22 (99 adults).

There were no tundra swans again for a sixth consecutive year.

“This is a ‘citizen science’ initiative and has been done in the southern Interior regions since the early 1970s under the direction of a Kamloops-based biologist,” said Drennan.

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birds North Okanagan Regional District Vernon