People flocked to Mount Stewart to see bald eagles on the weekend and the birds did not disappoint as they put on a great show.
This was the fourth annual Hillsborough River Eagle Festival held to coincide with the run of gaspereaux on the Hillsborough River in the Mount Stewart area.
Naturalists Dan McAskill and Fiep Debie were on hand on Pigot's Trail to explain just what the birds were up to.
"They are feeding on the gaspereaux right now along this part of the river and will be doing for two to three weeks," McAskill said.
The birds will also take ducks, Canada geese and even great blue heron, he said.
Saturday morning at least seven eagles were fishing, but McAskill said he has seen more than 30 feeding at one time.
Close to 100 people strolled along the trail watching the birds Saturday morning and many more were expected for the rest of the festival.
One of the bird watchers was seven-year-old Rylee Power of Stratford who was there with her dad.
"I think it's pretty cool to come down here and are able to see eagles," she said.
Rylee has seen the birds before, but that did not prevent her from having a great time Saturday.
Rylee said she knows a lot about eagles because they are the mascot of her school, Glen Stewart Elementary.
The eagles are the main attraction of the festival, but there is much more to it, said Ryan MacAdam-Young, one of the festival's committee members.
There is also a cultural aspect to the festival, she said.
"Every year we decided to highlight a culture of the area because the Hillsborough River and especially the area around Mount Stewart has been used first by the Mi'kmaq who came here and then by the Acadians and by the Scottish and Irish settlers so we have highlighted one of those cultures each year and chose this year to celebrates the Acadians," MacAdam-Young said.
Last year the festival celebrated the Mi'kmaq.
She said that over the years attendance has grown.
"It kind of started out on a smaller scale and we just had a couple of talks and maybe some face painting for the kids and the walk, but now we have
really incorporated a lot more activities."
Besides viewing eagles, naturalists talked about the history of the area, the salt marshes as well as the dykes that were built by the Acadians, Scottish and Irish settlers.
The event was sponsored by the Hillsborough River Area Development Corporation and the Hillsborough River Association.
Bird watchers flock to see bald eagles
Rylee Power looks through a telescope to view bald eagles on the Hillsborough River Saturday during the fourth annual Hillsborough River Eagle Festival in Mount Stewart. Guardian photo by Brian McInnis
- Published on June 14th, 2010
- Published on July 8th, 2010
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Brian McInnis
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Comments
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- Wow!
- - July 8th, 2010 at 18:40:27
What a wonderful celebration of nature.
Visitors can't help but be profoundly impressed.
P.S. Is there a translation/English word for gaspereaux? -
- Ray
- - July 8th, 2010 at 17:47:28
Why is there more extensive coverage of this event in the St John`s NL Telegram then our own Guardian ?? http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=342908&sc=701
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- @wow
- - July 8th, 2010 at 17:40:16
Alewife or sawbelly
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alewife -
- wllsarallw
- - July 8th, 2010 at 17:28:51
Thats great to hear about such where I live just outside of Kensington, we get to see a eagle pair on a daily basis. One of the many treasures of living in PEI!
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- barb
- - July 8th, 2010 at 16:44:26
Hi, read your article about the bald eagles on Sat, and was dissappointed i had missed it, how do you find out about any upcoming shows? thanks
-
- Wow!
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:52:55
What a wonderful celebration of nature.
Visitors can't help but be profoundly impressed.
P.S. Is there a translation/English word for gaspereaux? -
- Ray
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:52:40
Why is there more extensive coverage of this event in the St John`s NL Telegram then our own Guardian ?? http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=342908&sc=701
-
- @wow
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:52:38
Alewife or sawbelly
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alewife -
- wllsarallw
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:52:36
Thats great to hear about such where I live just outside of Kensington, we get to see a eagle pair on a daily basis. One of the many treasures of living in PEI!
-
- barb
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:52:27
Hi, read your article about the bald eagles on Sat, and was dissappointed i had missed it, how do you find out about any upcoming shows? thanks
-
- Wow!
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:51:07
What a wonderful celebration of nature.
Visitors can't help but be profoundly impressed.
P.S. Is there a translation/English word for gaspereaux? -
- Ray
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:50:56
Why is there more extensive coverage of this event in the St John`s NL Telegram then our own Guardian ?? http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=342908&sc=701
-
- @wow
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:50:55
Alewife or sawbelly
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alewife -
- wllsarallw
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:50:52
Thats great to hear about such where I live just outside of Kensington, we get to see a eagle pair on a daily basis. One of the many treasures of living in PEI!
-
- barb
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:50:43
Hi, read your article about the bald eagles on Sat, and was dissappointed i had missed it, how do you find out about any upcoming shows? thanks
-
- Wow!
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:48:33
What a wonderful celebration of nature.
Visitors can't help but be profoundly impressed.
P.S. Is there a translation/English word for gaspereaux? -
- Ray
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:47:26
Why is there more extensive coverage of this event in the St John`s NL Telegram then our own Guardian ?? http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=342908&sc=701
-
- @wow
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:47:25
Alewife or sawbelly
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alewife -
- wllsarallw
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:47:23
Thats great to hear about such where I live just outside of Kensington, we get to see a eagle pair on a daily basis. One of the many treasures of living in PEI!
-
- barb
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:47:13
Hi, read your article about the bald eagles on Sat, and was dissappointed i had missed it, how do you find out about any upcoming shows? thanks
-
- Wow!
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:46:35
What a wonderful celebration of nature.
Visitors can't help but be profoundly impressed.
P.S. Is there a translation/English word for gaspereaux? -
- Ray
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:46:23
Why is there more extensive coverage of this event in the St John`s NL Telegram then our own Guardian ?? http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=342908&sc=701
-
- @wow
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:46:21
Alewife or sawbelly
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alewife -
- wllsarallw
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:46:19
Thats great to hear about such where I live just outside of Kensington, we get to see a eagle pair on a daily basis. One of the many treasures of living in PEI!
-
- barb
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:46:09
Hi, read your article about the bald eagles on Sat, and was dissappointed i had missed it, how do you find out about any upcoming shows? thanks
-
- Wow!
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:45:12
What a wonderful celebration of nature.
Visitors can't help but be profoundly impressed.
P.S. Is there a translation/English word for gaspereaux? -
- Ray
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:45:01
Why is there more extensive coverage of this event in the St John`s NL Telegram then our own Guardian ?? http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=342908&sc=701
-
- @wow
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:44:59
Alewife or sawbelly
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alewife -
- wllsarallw
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:44:57
Thats great to hear about such where I live just outside of Kensington, we get to see a eagle pair on a daily basis. One of the many treasures of living in PEI!
-
- barb
- - July 8th, 2010 at 14:44:48
Hi, read your article about the bald eagles on Sat, and was dissappointed i had missed it, how do you find out about any upcoming shows? thanks
