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Nesting Eagles Spotted in San Jacinto Mountains
Bird watchers spotted a pair bald eagles in the Inland Empire near Lake Hemet over the weekend, rangers reported.
LAKE HEMET, CA - Bird watchers looking for bald eagles in the Inland Empire spotted a couple of them in the vicinity of Lake Hemet over the weekend, rangers reported Monday.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, during a one-hour outing Saturday, two adult bald eagles were identified and observed by more than two-dozen volunteers.
The birds of prey came into view as the USFS inaugurated its 39th annual winter census to gauge the bald eagle population nesting in the region to wait out the cold months.
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According to rangers, a total of 11 bald eagles were spotted around traditional nesting grounds. The highest number were spied around Big Bear Lake, where volunteers watched an adult and four adolescent eagles soaring.
Two eagles were also seen perched at Lake Arrowhead, rangers said.
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Additional eagle counts are scheduled on Jan. 14, Feb. 11 and March 11.
Outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers who want to help out need no prior experience -- just warm clothes, a pair of binoculars and an hour to spare for each count, according to rangers.
Each eagle count will be preceded by a brief orientation meeting at designated locations.
Eagles generally nest in the lakeside areas from late November to early April. Radio tracking devices attached to some birds show that, in a given year, they can migrate to the region from as far north as Alberta, Canada.
Because of hunting and habitat destruction, the American bald eagle was nearly driven to extinction in the past century. The birds were declared endangered in the 1970s. However, with some 10,000 breeding pairs identified across the continental United States, they were removed from the Endangered Species List in 2007.
Anyone interested in volunteering for the eagle count at Lake Hemet is asked to call (909) 382-2935; at Lake Perris, (951) 940-5600; Big Bear Lake, or Lakes Arrowhead and Gregory, (909) 382-2832; and Silverwood Lake, (760) 389- 2303.
Rangers noted that eagle counts will be cancelled during inclement weather.
- City News Service / Image via U.S. Department of Agriculture
