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.