This winter, bird watchers in Brackendale are reporting clear skies.
Much to the disappointment of tourists and locals, the number of bald eagles visiting the town is down.
Even with the telescopes, Bruce Matthews sets up, there isn't much to see in the skies about Brackendale this winter.
"This is the lowest eagle count that we've ever had. We're in a crisis stage. In 1994 we had 3,769 eagles, compared to this year with 773," he said.
Four-year-old Ella Patterson has come to the dike to look for eagles across the Squamish River.
"I can't see anything yet," she said, becoming excited as she spots one. "Oh, I think I see some! See right there. With white. Hi Eagle, eagle, eagle,...Oh, he's looking at me!"
Matthews blames the low count on a lack of wild salmon, something all here hope will change in time for the next season, in time for the 2010 Olympics.
"We're praying that next year will be better," he said.
Because whatever the cause, the immediate effect is disappointment for visitors who, every year, flock to the dike in the middle of Brackendale.
Michael Leiser, a Swiss tourist, was moved by the one eagle he managed to spot.
"There's only one, but it's beautiful, beautiful," he said.
Brackendale set the world record for the largest number of feeding bald eagles back in 1994, and spent the following years building a winter industry based entirely on bald eagles.
It's an industry that like the birds appears to be suffering.
"Normally, it would be 500 people on a weekday in the area and 1,000 a weekend. And now it's like there's hardly anybody around," said eagle count organizer Thor Froslev.
According to the 49 volunteers who did the count this season, where there is garbage, you're bound to get a glimpse of these birds, which must eat a 10th of their body weight a day if they are to survive. Tourists can't visit the dump to see the birds, because it is on private property.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Sarah Galashan.
