{"id":18427,"date":"2020-11-02T17:20:12","date_gmt":"2020-11-02T22:20:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/?p=18427"},"modified":"2020-11-03T10:23:13","modified_gmt":"2020-11-03T15:23:13","slug":"chum-returned-to-basil-creek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/chum-returned-to-basil-creek\/","title":{"rendered":"Chum returned to Basil Creek"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Roy L Hales<\/p>\n

The chum have returned<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For weeks, Squirrel Cove\u2019s eagles have been announcing this to anyone listening.<\/p>\n

Three juveniles rose to flight, in response to the human presence at the mouth of Basil Creek. They left their meal on the bank. The head of a salmon had been pecked off. Its body lay further up the bank.<\/p>\n

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\"Chum

A juvenile eagle left the head of the chum salmon, at the bottom of this picture. The body was three or four feet away on the bank. Photo by Roy L Hales.<\/p><\/div>

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At the mouth of Basil Creek<\/h2>\n

There were at least a dozen salmon swimming nearby and others waiting to enter the creek. They scattered when approached. One or two fled back to open waters, reminding me not to proceed further. I photographed some of the salmon waiting around the next bend, then retreated.<\/p>\n

There is a second look-out, where visitors can stop without intruding on private property. There were between three and four dozen upstream at\u00a0Basil Creek\u2019s new culvert<\/a>. Most were swarming around the front, but at least a half dozen were on the other side.<\/p>\n

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\"Around

Around the next bend. Photo by Roy L Hales.<\/p><\/div>

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Previous years<\/h2>\n

Last year\u2019s run was disappointing<\/a>.\u00a0Cec Robinson<\/a>\u00a0told Cortes Currents there were perhaps 50 on the whole of Cortes Island, but there had been close to 1,300 in 2016. So\u00a0Cortes Island Streamkeepers<\/a>\u00a0anticipate a much stronger count this year.<\/p>\n

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\"Interupted

One juvenile eagle's interrupted meal. Photo by Roy L Hales.<\/p><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

October 17 count<\/h2>\n

The Tideline carries Christine Robinson\u2019s report<\/a> of a survey of Basil Creek made two weeks ago, on Oct.17. A party of young streamkeepers from Cortes School broke into four groups, each of which made its own tally. One group counted 197 Chum: 110 females and 87 males. The aggregate count varied widely:<\/p>\n