A pair of eagles in Chilliwack will soon be moving house to a location that’s safer both for them and for people.
The large birds have a nest in a cottonwood tree on the Crown land just to the west of Sportsman Inn, which is on Yale Road. Due to its advanced age, the tree has become brittle and unstable, susceptible to damage from wind.
In a recent press release form the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, the eagle’s nest and the branch it sits on are hanging over a pedestrian walkway. Should the branch break in a gust of wind, it could harm vehicles or people walking below, not to mention any young eagles in the nest.
Depending upon the weather and staff availability, a new structure will be built for the birds to use as a nesting platform in another tree nearby. This will ensure that there will be no young birds in the nest when it is due to be removed, and keep the disruption to the parents to a minimum.
According to the ministry, the city of Chilliwack, together with the BC Wildlife Federation, is in agreement that the project should go ahead.
Bald eagles return to the same nest year after year, and people tend to become very interested in learning more about them. A printing company can produce informational signage that can be put near the new nest site.
