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Eagle-Eyed
Volunteers’
Final Count
Saturday March 12, 2016___ The U.S.
Forest Service, San Bernardino National Forest reports the fourth and last
bald eagle count of the winter was conducted by local Federal and State
biologists and volunteers around several lakes in Southern California.
Several dozen Bald Eagles typically spend their Winter vacations around Southern
California’s lakes, adding to a few year-round resident nesting Bald Eagles in
the area.
A total of twelve Bald Eagles (five
adults and seven sub-adults/juveniles) were observed by 120 eagle-eyed observers during the 1-hour
count period, Saturday morning. Bald Eagles acquire the full white head
and tail in their 5th year. Until then, the younger birds
have different plumages of brown and white.
Kathy Williams from Silverwood State
Recreation Area reported that two Bald Eagles, both of which were sub-adults,
were observed by “33 wonderful participants”. Ken Kietzer (Senior
Environmental Scientist at Lake Perris State Recreation Area) reported two sub-adult
Bald Eagles, one of which was about 4 years old and had plumage that was close
to the adult plumage. Twenty-seven participants helped with the Lake
Perris census. Fifteen participants watched the nesting pair of adults tending
their nest at Lake Hemet.
Fifteen participants scanned the
skies at Lake Arrowhead, spotting one sub-adult and two adult Bald Eagles.
Thirty participants helped with the census at Big Bear Lake, where three eagles
(1 adult and 2 sub-adults) were counted.
The count coordinators from the
Forest Service and State Recreation Areas would like to thank those volunteers
for their dedication in getting up early and participating in the Eagle
censuses this winter. The success of the Bald Eagles count is entirely
dependent on the volunteers!
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An
adult bald eagle graced the count volunteers
at Big Bear Lake with a glorious
fly-over.
PHOTO By:
Janice Etter, Big Bear Lake
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This is the last Winter 2016 count
for Bald Eagles this season. Please join us next Winter to experience the
thrill of seeing our national bird, the Bald Eagle and helping with citizen science
data collection. Counts are conducted on the second Saturday of the month
December through March. Contact information:
· Big Bear Lake and Lake
Arrowhead/Lake Gregory: Robin Eliason (reliason@fs.fed.us or 909-382-2832)
· Silverwood Lake State Recreation
Area: Contact
Kathy Williams or Mark Wright 760-389-2303; or email: katherine.williams@parks.ca.gov.
· Lake Hemet: Ann Bowers (annbowers@fs.fed.us or 909-382-2935)
· Lake Perris State Recreation Area: 951-940-5600.
See websites
for additional information about the San Bernardino National Forest (http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/) and the California State
Recreation Areas (www.parks.ca.gov).
About the U.S. Forest Service:
The mission of the Forest Service is
to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation's forests and
grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency
manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and
private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in
the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13
billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same
lands provide 20 percent of the nation's clean water supply, a value estimated
at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in
stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the
U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans
live. Learn more at http://www.fs.usda.gov/sbnf
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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