|
|
|
A Close Encounter with Wild Dolphins
My first glimpse of Tangalooma’s famous wild dolphins was from the boat that ferried us to Moreton Island 75 minutes from Brisbane, Australia. They arched their black silken bodies out of the water as though to greet us as we docked at the island’s...
Go Where The French Go!
Run Out Of Holiday Ideas? Have a basic understanding of French? Then plan a get-away to destinations you'd not normally consider and... Go Where The French Go! You'll first need to get yourself to France, which is best done from where you...
Russian Thanksgiving Dinner - Mystery Ingredients
Living for a year in Siberia was bound to results in a few
laughs. There was no funnier time than my effort to celebrate
Thanksgiving.
The Set Up
As an American male, my idea of cooking was dropping by the
local Chinese restaurant on...
The Spanish Costa Blanca - A Nature Lovers Paradise
If you have chosen the Costa Blanca , Spain for your holiday
travel, supposedly it is because it has been recommended to you
by someone you trust, you have read about it and seems quite
amazing and/or just love being in contact with nature,...
Uganda - The Pearl Of Africa Glows Again
Uganda is a beautiful country with an impressive people. This is one of my favourite countries in all of Africa. The people of Uganda have survived the troubles of 1967-86 period and emerged standing upright and wearing a smile. In that short...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Squamish Bald Eagles Arrive
Once again our planet’s largest gatherings of Bald Eagles in underway in Squamish British Columbia, just North of Vancouver BC, and just 50 km south of the world class Whistler Ski Resort. Based on population estimates, up to 5% of the world’s bald eagles winter in this very accessible area. From one viewing space, often dozens of Eagles can be seen, and a short walk in the right direction will allow you to see many more.
For decades, thousands of majestic Bald Eagles have been gathering on the riverbanks of the Squamish and Cheakamus Rivers, feasting on the ample salmon that either did not quite make it to the spawning channels, or have accomplished their life’s goal, and thus have met their subsequent demise. Working to preserve their energy in the winter months, eagles will eat up to a two pounds of this high value protein every day.
The highlight of the eagle-viewing period is the annual Bald Eagle Count, which will take place on January 8th this season and is headquartered out of the Brackendale Art Gallery. Using consistent methodology, a count of the eagles in the area on this weekend every year has been kept since 1986. In 1994 a world record 3769 eagles were counted within a few kilometers of the Squamish area and its tributary rivers.
Bad weather can be good for eagle viewing as the eagles tend to stay closer to the riverbanks and closer to viewing areas. When the weather is great, they are more likely to be off for a little fly around the rivers, mountains and forests of the Squamish area.
One of the best ways to see the Bald Eagles in their spectacular surroundings right in their own habitat is on an Eagle Float tour, or Eagle Safari through Canadian Outback Adventures [www.canadianoutback.com]. A dream experience for adventure travelers, photographers, families, schools and educational groups, it is the best way to get up close to these raptors without disturbing them. While they usually run white water rafting trips in the summer, in winter, Canadian Outback takes vacationers, school and educational groups on float tours down the rivers in the area in order to see these spectacular birds in their natural habitat, all with stunning mountain and forest backdrops.
The closest Squamish Hotel to the prime eagle viewing area in Brackendale is the Sea to Sky Hotel & Conference Center [www.seatoskyhotel.com] on Highway 99 at Garibaldi Way.
Excellent eagle viewing areas are only about a kilometer away. The hotel also offers discount ski packages to those traveling to ski or board at Whistler Blackcomb.
There are other good viewing areas in town, particularly along the river dykes at the end of Judd Road, and around the spawning channels between the Mamquam River and the Squamish Valley Golf and Country Club.
Directions: To see the eagles from arguably the best viewing area, turn west from Highway 99 at Garibaldi Way. This is a left hand turn if you are coming from Vancouver, or a right hand turn if you are coming from Whistler. Turn right again in about 20 metres at the T-junction with Government Road. Follow Government road for just under one kilometer, and you will be at the Eagle Viewing area. There is lots of parking on the right and an interpretive center on the dyke from which you can get a great view of dozens of Bald Eagles. If you are very lucky, there may also be a few seals around, as well as a variety of other bird species. On weekends from December to mid-February there are often volunteers from Squamish’s Eagle Watch program on hand to offer more information and a peek through higher powered telescopes. Other great viewing areas are near the Tenderfoot Fish Hatchery, The Squamish Estuary, and near the Spawning channels between the Mamquam River and the Squamish Valley Golf and Country club.
Squamish is an outdoor recreation Mecca with thousands of rock climbing routes, hundreds of kilometers of Mountain Bike trails, a dozen excellent day hikes, some of the best windsurfing and kite-surfing on the west coast of North America, excellent white water rafting or kayaking, and scuba diving in Howe Sound. For the less adventurous, there is fishing, 3 scenic golf courses, walking trails, beaches and lakes, and sailing available. The new Squamish Adventure Center was recently opened on Highway 99.
About the Author: Gord Addison lives in Squamish BC and writes when he is not climbing, hiking, mountain biking, running or skiing. He is also the webmaster of the Sea to Sky Hotel, Squamish [ http://www.seatoskyhotel.com ] website.
Source: www.isnare.com
|
|
|
|
|
| Federal Aviation Administration - Home |
| The FAA is primarily responsible for the advancement, safety and regulation of civil aviation, as well as overseeing the development of the air traffic ... |
| www.faa.gov |
|
| LANDINGS Welcomes All Pilots & Aviation Enthusiasts to Aviation's ... |
| LANDINGS - aviation meeting place featuring: aviation news, up to date aviation databases (FAA Regulations, AIM, SDRs, NTSB Briefs, N Numbers and more), ... |
| www.landings.com |
|
| LANDINGS Welcomes All Pilots & Aviation Enthusiasts to Aviation's ... |
| LANDINGS - aviation meeting place featuring: aviation news, up to date aviation ... Welcome To The Busiest Aviation Hub in Cyberspace: Please Check-in... ... |
| www.landings.com |
|
| AWC - Aviation Weather Center |
| Aviation Weather Center Homepage provides comprehensive user-friendly aviation weather Text products and graphics. |
| aviationweather.gov |
|
| AIRLINERS.NET - A Breath Of Fresh Jet Blast |
| Discussions going on in the most active aviation forum online ... MyAviation.net - Just like Airliners.net but accepting all aviation photos! ... |
| www.airliners.net |
|
| Avhome.com - Your Link to the World of Aviation Featuring Aviation ... |
| The aviation search engine and directory. Featuring thousands of categorized links related to aviation and aircraft. |
| www.avhome.com |
|
| The Aviation History Online Museum |
| Browse through a selection of airplane photographs from the beginning of aviation history to the present day. Take a virtual tour of the Garber restoration ... |
| www.aviation-history.com |
|
| Aviation Week's AviationNow.com |
| Aviation news and information, with aircraft for sale, aerospace engineering, jobs and images. |
| www.aviationnow.com |
|
| Aviation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Aviation refers to flying using aircraft, machines designed by humans for ... Civil aviation includes all non-military flying, both general aviation and ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| U.S. Army Aviation Warfighting Center and Fort Rucker |
| The US Army Aviation Center trains military, civilian, and international personnel in aviation and leadership skills. |
| www-rucker.army.mil |
|
| weather.com - Aviation Welcome |
| Aviation Maps View cloud ceilings, turbulence potential and other aviation maps. ... Share questions and answers with pilots and aviation enthusiasts. ... |
| www.weather.com |
|
| Aviation Safety Network |
| Resource centre for airliner accidents and civil aviation safety issues. |
| aviation-safety.net |
|
| Aviation Jobs, Aerospace Jobs, Jobs in Aviation, Cabin Crew Jobs |
| A recruitment agency for jobs within the aviation industry. |
| www.aviationjobsearch.com |
|
| NTSB - Aviation |
| US Government authority responsible for maintaining the standards of the US aviation industry. |
| www.ntsb.gov |
|
| Aviation.org |
| Org--the interactive website operated by Aviation Safety Connection, Inc.--addresses fundamental safety issues related to pilot performance. ... |
| www.aviation.org |
|
| Aviation |
| The aviation site at DTLR. Sections on environmental and noise issues, the future of air transport, the Heathrow Terminal 5 enquiry, air safety and other ... |
| www.dft.gov.uk |
|
| Canadian Aviation - Real Pilot Info for Canadian Pilots - Home |
| Your Canadian Airline, Aerospace and Pilot Portal. News, Webmail, Links, Metar Reports, Classifieds, Wallpaper, and Galleries that affect you in Canada. |
| www.aviation.ca |
|
| AVweb the internet's aviation magazine & news service |
| Aviation magazine and news service featuring aviation news, articles, searchable aviation databases, and on-line shopping. |
| www.avweb.com |
|
| EAA - The Leader in Recreational Aviation - Oshkosh, Wisconsin |
| Official Home of EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association), The Leader in Recreational Aviation, an international 170000-member organization encouraging and ... |
| www.eaa.org |
|
| Unusual Aviation Pictures |
| Aviation Pictures you don't see in the Paper Everyday. |
| www.aviationpics.de |
|
|