During nesting season, mostly when chicks are in the nest and being fed, you will note that tide and time influence the daily routine of our eagles.

There is a maximum tidal range of sixteen feet. Every day sees two low and two high tides, with one often being much lower or higher than the other. During the summer months the low tides occur during daylight hours which is important because the eagles do a lot of foreshore foraging for fish, especially during the very low tides.

Our eagles primarily eat fish, and are often opportunistic hunters, sometimes taking advantage of and stealing from the crows or seagulls on the beach, and turning over rocks and weed to expose stranded fish waiting for the tide to turn. From the nest, at low tide, we can hear some of these exploits, with sounds of much commotion and shrieking and cawing coming from the beach.

This pair has delivered many fish species to the nest, including ratfish, dogfish, herring and salmon, but one of their staples is a fish that surprised us all the first time we heard it. Yes, the midshipman fish, found in the weeds and beneath the rocks at low tide on Hornby, is able to vocalize. They hum! http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/June98/hummingfish.hrs.htmlSometimes this can be heard when one is delivered to the nest. Mom is seen in the picture below with a Midshipman in her beak en route to the nest.