Was that really a bald eagle at the top of a sycamore tree?
DEAR JOAN » I was out walking the other day between breaks in the rain and a very large flying bird caught my eye. It was much bigger than any hawk I’ve seen, and it landed at the top of a very tall tree.
I was able to snap a few pictures with my phone at the maximum zoom level, so unfortunately the picture is not very clear. Is it possible that this is a bald eagle? The sighting occurred off Livorna Road on the northern edge of Alamo.
— Steve Croshal, Walnut Creek
DEAR STEVE » It could very well have been a bald eagle, and even with your grainy, soft-focus photo, there are things that stand out, primarily that beautiful, gleaming white head.
The Bay Area is home to at least eight pairs of mated bald eagles, with an estimated 30 pairs in Central California, although the population can go up and down. In 2017, nesting pairs were reported at Santa Clara County’s Lexington Reservoir, Anderson Reservoir, Calaveras Reservoir and Arastradero Preserve; Al- ameda County’s Del Valle Reservoir; San Mateo County’s Crystal Springs Reservoir; and Contra Costa County’s Sunol Regional Wilderness. The birds are also often seen at Los Vaqueros Reservoir in Contra Costa.
Those numbers are close to miraculous because not too long ago, there were fewer than 30 pairs in the state.
Shortly after the end of World War II, the use of DDT as a way to control mosquitoes and other insects became widespread. Unfortunately, the birds suffered from exposure. The pesticide caused many birds and raptors to lay eggs with extremely thin and fragile shells, and very few birds hatched.
Many other birds suffered, including peregrine falcons, California condors and brown pelicans, whose numbers rapidly declined.
DDT, which was banned in the United States in 1972, wasn’t the only contaminant that harmed bald eagle populations. The use of lead pellets in gun shells also added to the decline, as risks rose for eagles eating prey or carcasses that contained the lead.
The bald eagle was added to the federal list of endangered species in 1967, and four years later, California added it to its list
he bald eagle has since recovered enough that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed it from the list, but the bird remains endangered in California. Federal laws, however, protect both the bald eagle and the golden eagle, making it illegal to hunt the birds or disturb their nests.
Although the protections have meant that the bald eagle is on the road to recovery and every sighting is a thrill, other threats remain, including habitat loss, pesticides, lead poisoning, electrocution, collision with wind turbines and accidents involving vehicles.
Celebrating National Puppy Day
March 23 is National Puppy Day, but of course, one day is not enough for most of us. That’s why this month, we’re collecting your puppy photos for a special online slide show.
You can upload your photos on our website or email them to me at jmorris@bayareanewsgroup.com.
Please include the name of your puppy, your name and town, and any other information you want us to know about your pup. The slideshow will be live through the end of March.