Will the bald eagles return this year?

Last fall, Stacie Evans counted fewer bald eagles around Haines than in any survey since 1986, when counts began.

On the peak day in 2020, Evans observed only 279 eagles, down from 1,238 the year before. Two decades ago, peak counts eclipsed 2,000 birds.

Evans, who is Takshanuk Watershed Council’s science director, said the survey data alone aren’t sufficient to prove causation or to draw conclusions about Haines’ bald eagle population. Nonetheless, over time the…