On North America's
East Coast.
the bald eagle reigns
from the sky,
Majestic and cunning,
it shares its kingdom
with the osprey.
A battle of birds in the
world above.
On the jagged coast of
Canada's Eastern shore.
A delicate and
diverse ecosystem
thrives on the fringes of
the continent.
Welcome to the
Wild Wild East
Off the East Coast
of North America,
the sandstone cliffs
of Cape Breton Island
rise up to meet the
Atlantic Ocean.
The Strait of Canso
separates the Island
from mainland
Nova Scotia.
A narrow causeway
offers an entry point
for those looking to discover
this untamed corner of Canada.
In the heart of Cape Breton
sits the Bras d'Or Lake,
a watershed of 12 interconnected
lakes, estuaries and bays.
The lake
takes its name
from the island's colonial
French settlers.
Bras d'Or means
Arm of Gold.
It's a sea
engulfed by land.
A mix of salt and
fresh water.
An undeveloped
coastline.
More than 100 different
types of birds
flock to the watershed
each year.
Canada Geese are just
one of many species
to arrive this spring to
breed and raise a family.
Elsewhere, a common
Grackle takes a bath.
Ducks feed off the lake's
rich foliage.
And a Greater Yellowlegs
knows how to pick out a meal
on the Bras d'Or
shoreline.
The lake's shores are
largely undeveloped.
Tall trees edge the
water's perimeter.
Isolating the Bras d'or Lake
from the human world.
This is the kingdom of an
apex predator:
The Bald Eagle.
A symbol of strength.
majesty, freedom.
Cape Breton is home to the
largest breeding population
in Eastern
North America.
The Bald Eagle's success depends
on an ample food supply.
And underneath the surface
of the Bras d'Or Lake
swims the eagle's
favorite food: salmon.
And so the birds
thrive here.
Predators at the top of
their food chain.
Eagles may weigh about the same
as a three-month-old baby,
and their wings are as
long as a man is tall.
High in the sky, Bald Eagles
reign over the Bras d'Or Lake.
But they aren't the only
bird that lays claim
to the fish swimming
in these waters.
An Osprey has made
a nest nearby.
They're smaller than the Eagle,
but share many similarities.
Both are birds of prey,
with long wings,
keen vision,
sharp claws,
and, of course, a craving for
the fish swimming below.
The Osprey, also known as the
Fish Hawk,
may be an even better
fisherman than the Eagle.
Unlike nocturnal birds
of prey, such as owls,
Osprey and Eagles hunt and
forage during the day.
So, with night
approaching,
they fly away to roost
until morning.
As the sun rises over
the Bras d'Or Lake,
the Eagle
prepares to hunt.
From the tree-top, it
scans the water below.
The eagle's eyes are like
binoculars.
They can see four times
the distance
of a human
with equal clarity.
As soon as the Eagle sees
a fin flick in the water,
he's ready to strike.
With the fish gripped
firmly in his talons,
he returns to the nest.
There his mate waits anxiously
with tiny mouths to feed.
Both parents do their part to
provide for their eaglets.
The female is about 25% bigger
than the male,
so she's a better fit
to incubate the eggs
and protect them once
they've hatched.
Dad sat-in during the
incubation period too,
but finding food for
the family
has been his
primary focus.
Bones litter the ground
under the nest,
the remains of
past meals.
Anything bigger
than a raccoon
was likely killed by a
different, larger predator,
then snatched by the eagle.
Or it could just be
scavenged road kill.
With the nestlings
growing rapidly,
it isn't long before the
eagle hunt begins again.
The Bald Eagle's dive is
as quick as a car
speeding
down the highway.
But, while foraging
within their territory,
flying is more like a cruise
through a quiet small town.
Once breeding Eagles
have chosen a home,
they don't take
kindly to intruders.
They carefully select a
location
high above the ground and close
to an ample food supply.
Back at the Eagles nest,
one of the eaglets
pokes its head out.
It's safe under the
protection of its mother.
An eagle mother with
her nestlings,
A sure sign Spring has arrived
along the Bras d'or Lake.
Usually between one and three
eaglets hatch each year.
This little nestling is
just six weeks old.
With good luck and a
sharp eye for hunting,
it will live for at least
twenty years.
Eagles are born as close to
bald as they'll ever be.
The name bald comes from an old
English word meaning white.
A reference to the
unpigmented portions
of the eagle's
plumage,
and has nothing to do
with a lack of hair.
It could be up to
five years
before this nestling grows-in
the Eagles distinctive plumage.
Until then it will be a
brownish-white teenager,
looking to assert its
dominance
amongst its eagle peers.
The Eagle's home is a
mansion.
They make the largest nest of
any bird in North America.
They carefully select
sturdy trees,
and choose a spot high
off the ground.
Softer materials,
like leaves and pine
needles, line the interior.
The frame is constructed
with branches
carefully
woven together.
The height of the
Eagle's nest
offers both a good vantage
point for hunting,
and protection
for their young.
Still on the hunt,
the male eagle scans the
shoreline for a meal
to bring
back to the nest.
Eagles are known as
fierce hunters.
but they're really
more of a scavenger.
and can find food
almost anywhere.
Down below, something
catches his eye.
It's a lobster, washed up on the
beach. An easy catch.
The Bras d'Or shore provides
a meal fit for a king.
As the cool breeze gives
way to the hot sun.
Spring becomes summer
in the Wild Wild East.
In their nest along
the Bras d'Or Lake,
the ten-week-old eaglets are
almost full grown.
It'll only be a few
weeks
until they fly for
the very first time.
They grow up fast during
the summer months,
packing-on about
a pound a week.
For now, someone still
has to bring them dinner.
Eagle families
establish a territory,
and protect it from
other Eagles.
But within their kingdom,
other birds are tolerated.
Just down the
Bras d'Or shore,
another bird is growing
at an electric rate.
The osprey family has
made a home
at the top
of these power lines.
The bird will
only nest
on the absolute highest
possible structure,
natural or man made.
This peculiarity can be a source
of grave danger for Ospreys.
Contact with power lines
can kill the bird.
And this fledging has yet
another challenge to overcome.
Its first flight.
The youngster's almost
ready to fly the coop.
All it needs now is
a lift off.
It tests the strength of its
newly grown feathers.
Some birds in the
Wild Wild East
take their first flight
from the ground.
But way up here,
that's not an option.
And so the
stakes are high
for the juvenile birds
first flight.
It's not quite ready
to take that risk.
Maybe tomorrow.
Close-by, the mother
Osprey is hunting,
doing her part to aid the
nestling's development.
Throughout summer
both Osprey parents
fish almost non-stop to
feed their hungry young.
They fish the same
waters as the Eagle.
But the larger predator
isn't one to share.
On her way
back to the nest,
the Osprey flies a little
too close to the Eagle nest.
And the eagle has no
qualms stealing dinner.
This dog-fight is
a scare tactic
to trick the Osprey into
dropping its fish.
But the Osprey is
no pushover.
She goes on the
offensive,
diving toward the eagle
and flying off
with her catch.
Defeated, the Eagle
returns to its nest.
And the eaglets will
just have to wait
until their parents take their
own fishing trip.
Triumphant, the Osprey
arrives with a meal
for her two nestlings.
Ospreys aren't
born all at once.
Hatchings are spread out
across several days.
And the oldest feeds first.
The juvenile on the right is
almost the size of its parents,
but remains distinguishable
by its orange eyes,
white spots on its wings.
And seemingly, a playful
disposition.
This head bob adds depth
to the Osprey's view,
allowing it to distinguish
between far away objects,
and determine
their distances.
With two growing children,
it isn't long before the Mother
goes off to fish again.
This time she's
confronted by a crow.
It may seem unusual,
but the clever crow
knows that it's better
to face a bird of prey
head on
and chase it
out of its territory
than risk a
sneak attack later.
It's been a long day
for this Osprey.
Between evading eagles, and
putting up with crows,
a mother's work is never done.
The area around the
Bras d'Or is mostly undeveloped,
but on the North-Western
shore of the lake
sits the small town
of Baddeck.
Humans are fascinated
by the Bald Eagle's
majesty, its strength.
And Baddeck has turned
this fascination
into a cottage industry.
Sailing trips across the lake
offer visitors an opportunity
to see an eagle up close,
with the help of a little
supplemental feeding.
During the summer
this is feeding is a
daily ritual.
The nearby eagles
know all about it.
The schooner sailing
across the harbor
means their next meal is
on the house.
The eagles happily indulge
the enchanted humans
as they pluck fish from
the surface of the lake.
Few meals are so easy
to come by.
With the summer months
passed,
and the Autumn
leaves gone,
Winter falls hard upon
the Wild Wild East.
Some eagles have flown south,
in search of warmer climates.
Others are braving the cold
in along the Bras d'Or Lake.
But most have made their way
to the Annapolis Valley,
where one of the largest
overwintering populations
of Bald Eagles in North
America thrives.
Normally, food would be scarce
during this hard time of year,
and eagles would be competing
fiercely for resources.
But at this farm, in Sheffield
Mills, Nova Scotia,
No eagle goes hungry.
The farmers throw poultry
to the eagles
and then back away
from the feast.
These chickens are victims
of the harsh winter,
unable to endure the cold.
And so, they'll serve
a different purpose.
It isn't long before the Eagles
make their approach.
They've become a
popular attraction
here in
Sheffield Mills.
Because of these feedings,
there's been a marked increase
in the overwintering population
in the past 25 years.
It's created an artificial
super-population.
During the winter there's
now more eagles than people
living in Sheffield
Milles.
Even with plenty of
food in front of them,
it's part of the Eagle's
nature to compete.
They assert their dominance
over one another
to determine who reigns
over the icy courtyard.
But as the flock grows,
they employ other tactics.
Thievery is instinctual
for Eagles.
And so many fly off
to dine alone,
tearing off strips with
their sharp beak,
while grasping their meal
between two powerful talons.
When food is abundant,
Bald Eagles gorge themselves.
They can store up to a
week's worth of excess food
inside a pouch located in
their throat known as a crop.
It's not unusual
for eagles to dine
on the leftovers of
other predators.
They'll often follow
coyotes and wolves
while they're on
the hunt.
and then steal whatever
food they can.
Younger eagles,
the ones still developing
their piebald plumage,
are at the bottom of
the pecking order.
Still mastering their
hunting skills,
it's extra important they
take advantage
of this easily
accessible carrion.
Otherwise they may not make
it through the hard winter.
With nothing but
scraps left,
a youngster sneaks in for
a bite of chicken dinner.
If it weren't for these
supplemental feedings,
many of the eagles would leave
Nova Scotia for the season.
In the spring, some will
return to the Bras d'Or Lake.
Others, will remain in the
Annapolis Valley.
There's concern that
this feeding
has brought too
many eagles into the area.
And when spring comes,
the abundant eagles will
prey on other birds' young.
But the eagles aren't the
only ones to benefit.
Once they've had
their fill,
other birds fly
in to get their share.
For the crows and ravens
braving the cold,
every bit helps to make it
through the long winter.
The Bras d'Or Lake
is a sanctuary for birds
of all sizes.
They feed from the
waters below,
and soar through
the skies above.
During the winter, the
Ospreys fly to South America,
only to return each spring.
In nature. everything moves with
the passing of the seasons.
Although the world may
change around it,
the Eagle always
finds a way.
Eagles are resourceful,
nurturing,
and strike upon opportunity
like nothing else.
From the top of the
food chain,
to the top of the world.
The sky's the limit in
the Wild Wild East.
