December 29, 2015
North Fork of the Nooksack River
I took a short trip just a few miles out of town to view the bald eagles along the North Fork of the Nooksack River in Whatcom County. I have shown these critters before but I never seem to tire of watching these majestic raptors and the marvelous salmon on which they feed. What follows is a photo essay on the relationship between these two species and nature itself.
The Daily Bucket is a regular feature of the Backyard Science group. It is a place to note any observations you have made of the world around you. Insects, weather, meteorites, climate, birds and/or flowers. All are worthy additions to the bucket. Please let us know what is going on around you in a comment. Include, as close as is comfortable for you, where you are located. Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. |
It is December in the PNW, and nearing the end of the salmon spawning season. This is a time of replenishment of many natural systems. Where you find salmon spawning in the Pacific Northwest, you find spent salmon after their long trip across the Pacific Ocean and their return to their natal stream. And when the fish return, so do the Bald Eagles awaiting a veritable feast.
THEIR DESTINY (THE SALMON) IS TO DEPOSIT AND FERTILIZE THEIR EGGS AND THEN RETURN THEIR BODIES TO NATURE AS NUTRIENTS. THOSE SPAWNERS THAT DO NOT BECOME FOOD FOR BEARS AND RAPTORS, DECOMPOSE INTO THE STREAM BED AND SUPPORT STREAM AND RIPARIAN VEGETATION. THE REMAINS OF THE PREDATORS' MEALS ARE DROPPED IN THE WOODS WHERE THEY TOO BECOME IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS FOR THE FLORA.
The above spawners are soon to join there comrades in returning their bodies to the earth.
So the Salmon reproduce and their bodies feed the eagles and other predators who in turn nourish the vegetation along the stream. All the by-products and foraging animals in turn help provide the fish with a sustained, cool, and clean environment in which to mature and to which they will return to replay the cycle.
These inter-dependencies among species (flora and fauna) are fascinating, especially since none of the actors are aware of their enormous contributions to sustaining natural systems that in turn sustain them.
Isn’t Mother Nature wonderful?
What revolving life cycles are circulating in your backyards at this time of year?