NEAH BAY — The eagles have arrived in Neah Bay, and they will be welcomed Saturday with the Makah tribe’s annual celebratory Eagle Fest.
The festival, set from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., celebrates the dozens of eagles that have descended upon Neah Bay with hikes, lectures, a bazaar, halibut meals and children’s activities — with most in or around the Makah Community Gym at 1394 Bayview Ave.
Eagle Fest 2016 guarantees eagle sightings.
Every year, dozens of bald eagles and golden eagles take up spring residence in or near Neah Bay, said Dawn Lawrence, an organizer.
The eagles can be seen alone, in pairs or in groups on the beaches, in the trees and flying overhead.
One pair of eagles nests each year in a tree behind the Washburn General Store at 1450 Bayview Ave.
“Anywhere along the front street, people can see them,” Lawrence said.
“Just look around the water at the marina. Sometimes they sit on the boats.”
Bring binoculars
A lot of big, healthy eagles can be seen in Neah Bay this year, and while some are close by, visitors should bring binoculars, she said.
The festival is free, but the use of hiking trails and visits to Cape Flattery require a $10 Makah Reservation recreation use permit for each car.
The pass is good for a year and can be found in stores in Neah Bay, which are clearly marked with sandwich boards in front.
Activities will be offered to celebrate the season of eagles.
“Everything is centered around the gymnasium,” Lawrence said.
Among the highlights will be a free lecture on eagles by Julia Parrish, a University of Washington seabird researcher, at 1 p.m. at the gym.
Immediately following her talk — at about 3:30 p.m. — will be screenings of videos of eagles taken by a resident, Jason Roberts, Lawrence said.
Children’s activities will include making stepping stones at 10 a.m. and face painting at 12:45 p.m.
The Eagle Fest Bazaar will be open all day. There, visitors will find artwork, T-shirts, crafts, books and jewelry.
Eagle-related art and artifacts also will be on display at the Makah Cultural and Research Center, 1880 Bayview Ave.
Food will be available in the gym.
A biscuits-and-gravy breakfast will be available for $6 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. From 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., lunch of halibut chowder or fish and chips will be offered for about the same price.
Breeding season
The annual Eagle Fest is held at the height of the breeding season.
Breeding eagles look like they are fighting, then they fall together to complete their mating flight — a common sight in Neah Bay.
Bald eagles and golden eagles are common to the Pacific Northwest and can often be seen on the Olympic Peninsula.
Golden eagle plumage is dark brown with a golden sheen on the back of the head and neck, while the American bald eagle sports its signature white head and tail feathers.
Bald eagles, which average 9 to 14 pounds, are built more lightly than their golden cousins, which weigh between 10 and 15 pounds.
In both species, the females are larger than the males, have wing spans of up to 8 feet in the largest birds and can measure 40 inches from beak to tail feathers.
________
Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
