The eagles have landed
Sightings of at least two bald eagles have been reported recently in the greater Auburn area. “I have seen an immature bald eagle in the Coloma area earlier in the year,” said Noah Rucker-Triplett, El Dorado County River Recreation supervisor. Dozens of river rafters also reported seeing a mature bald eagle near Salmon Falls Bridge earlier this month. “They are making a comeback,” Rucker-Triplett said. Bald eagles have also been reported nesting in the higher elevation reservoirs. One site in particular is Slab Creek Reservoir, which is located on the upper South Fork of the American River and is a 4.5-mile long reservoir. Rucker-Triplett said that a nest has been seen about seven miles up. Bald eagles are a part of the food chain cycle and their reappearance is an encouraging sign, said Steve Rothert, the California Field Office Director of American Rivers Conservation. “Bald Eagles play an important role in terms of helping to retain and circulate nutrients in watersheds.” Rothert said. Fish are their primary source of food and Rothert said that the resurfacing of the bald eagles suggests that there is a better supply of fish in the rivers. “American Rivers and our partners are working to bring back salmon and steelhead,” Rothert said. He also said that the eagles’ initial disappearance was symptomatic of a sick ecosystem and their comeback represents an improvement in those ecosystems. There is still a nesting pair up at the Stumpy Meadows Reservoir and many people have reported seeing the eagles, said Bill Prior Sr., founder of Auburn Outdoor Sports. One pair is nesting in one of the tall trees by the water. Stumpy Meadows Reservoir is in the El Dorado National Forest. The birds at Stumpy Meadows have been there since 2005, said Kevin Roberts, wildlife biologist for Sierra Pacific Industries. He said that he monitors the pair on a yearly basis. “I have not been out this year to see if they have been successful,” Roberts said. He said that in the last four years they have produced two young, but last year they only had one in the nest. The young generally stay around until October, even after the parents leave. The young then leave and go somewhere else. Roberts said that the birds like to nest within two miles of a food source because it takes less energy to carry the fish back to the nest. “I have seen them pick out a 14-inch trout,”Roberts said. He said that they catch fish which are close to the surface so that they do not use up all of their energy. We just found a nesting pair at the Hell Hole Reservoir last year, said Claudia Funari, the wildlife biologist at the Georgetown ranger station. “It is surprising to find them there,”Funari said. The lake freezes over in the winter and according to Funari the eagles do not like to nest near a place where they cannot fish. Funari also said that there are a few more pairs that are in the forest. Some are nesting at Jenkinson Reservoir and some are at Union Valley Reservoir. Bald Eagles are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The acts protect the nests of the birds as well as the birds themselves. Violations come with hefty fines. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act has a fine of $15,000 and is considered a misdemeanor. The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act has a fine of $100,000, imprisonment for a year, or both for the first offense. Roberts said they have had some illegal camping in the area, but it has not disturbed the nesting birds.
The Journal’s Megan Sanders can be reached at megans@goldcountrymedia.com or comment at Auburnjournal.com.
Keywords
Noah Rucker-Triplett, El Dorado County River Recreation, Coloma, Salmon Falls Bridge, Slab Creek reservoir, upper South Fork of the American River, bald eagle, Steve Rothert, California Field Office Director, American Rivers Conservation, Stumpy Meadows Reservoir, Bill Prior Sr., Auburn Outdoor Sports, Kevin Roberts, wildlife biologist, Sierra Pacific Industries, Hell Hole Reservoir, Claudia Funari, Union Valley Reservoir, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act,
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I have also seen the at Sugar Pine Reservoir. They sure are beautiful and majestic birds.
I have heard that the trout planting at Stumpy and other lakes has been stopped to protect the red-legged frog. If so, the food source will dry up eventually as I don't believe there is much natural reproduction of trout there. The other fish in the lake are bullhead catfish which are bottom dwellers and not easy prey for the eagles.. It will be interesting to see how the situation plays out when the environmentalists who sued to stop the planting are confonted with unintended consequences detremental to the expanding eagle population at such impoundments.
Yeah It is my dream to see one, Hopefully one day!
They are known to thrive in all 48 of the continental United States and their endangered status has, to a great extent, been a political issue.
Great point WhatIsay.That lake will not be able to naturally reproduce that well
What a neat picture, thanks Bill for sharing it with us.
Personally I would rather an eagle than a slimey frog, for selfish reasons only. I am not sure if a red-legged frog has any impact on the environment, I can't seem to think of any.
Glad they are making a comeback!....Trout are not natural and should not have been planted in the first place at Stumpy and all the higher alpine lakes, meddling with nature has great consequences, as studies have shown and Im sure before mankind was around eagles were eating whatever nature provided.
Auburnite- Trout are a native fish to california.
We do a lot of fishing up at Loon Lake and the Eagles are always around. On one trip my dad was at the back of the boat getting ready to net a fish and the eagle came within 10 ft of him it just sorta hung in the air for a few seconds and flew off!!! it was the most awesome sight we had all ever seen. We did do a trip to Stumy one weenend and they were there all day swooping fish out of the wanter not far from the boats
I saw this sitting on a "road closed" at Gold Run.
I agree with you all..almost. Auburnite Rainbow trout were once Native to California before all the Dams were installed. Maybe your thinking of German Brown Trout. Unfortunately today 99% of the Rainbows you catch are planted or "holdover fish" that do not reproduce. There are a few exceptions that include the North,South and Middle Fork of the American River. Before Folsom Dam was put in place in 1955 there was a huge abundance of Steelhead Trout (Rainbow Trout) , Salmon . This is also when Bald Eagles were in there Prime. With the "No plant List" from DFG that includes Sugarpine and Stumpy Meadows I will guarantee the Bald eagles nesting there will go elsewhere. Hellhole and FM are being planted thats good news. I am a Wildlife Photographer that lives in Foresthill and I have already seen the impact. Sugarpine is a perfect example. The Dead tree at the point where the small creek runs in was a nesting ground for a Bald Eagle I have been watching for 4 years. She's not there this year, if she is then the 2-3 days a week I have been out there looking must have made me blind. Maybe loomisresident can give me good news. Have you seen one out there this year? Dont mean to ramble but saveing the frogs is a touchy issue for me. I only fish for wild and native trout and C&R all of them but this just goes to show theirs more of an environmental impact on the no-plant than one might assume. It was great to read this article, I hope some day the bald eagle will be what it once was
One more thing. I'm curious as to when that photo of Stumpy was taken. Stumpy is on the no-plant as well..and thats a planter trout between those claws, maybe a holdover if it was taken this year. That is an awesome photo I must say..Nice shot Bill :)
"Auburnite Rainbow trout were once Native to California before all the Dams were installed."
I never said that rainbow trout were not native, I said the higher alpine lakes did not have any trout, and were not native and were planted, and distupted the ecocystem as a result, dont get me wrong, i like fishing as much as the rest, but meddling with nature has never ended good.
"Ended Good". That sounds good, as in, Well. No one said you bloggers were very smart. Well I guess they were correct. And please, no swearing, they are water restrictors.