They’re coming! The salmon arrive…

It is the middle of August. The many berries have just about run their course, and the sedge is old, tired and sun-browned. There has been an air of expectation in the Nekite River Valley ever since the arrival of a few early salmon at the beginning of August. The eagles have gathered in the tall trees that line the banks of the lower river. Seals are seen patrolling the river as well. The scent of fish is often detectable even by dull human noses. Local bears, with their more sensitive noses, are patrolling the banks of the river looking for the odd salmon that died working its way up the river. Most of early fish stay in deep pools inaccessible to bears. At first the fish arrive in small numbers and only on the largest tides but as the days go by the numbers increase. A big change is coming! Sooner or later the first autumn rain arrives, flooding the river and then overnight thousands of chum salmon quickly move up on to their favorite spawning areas. The river usually drops within a day and suddenly bears appear out of the forest in great numbers and the autumn feast begins.

Check back next month for another interesting wildlife fact.