Saturday was the fourth and last bald eagle count of the 2015-16 season. Volunteers and federal and state biologists spotted 12 bald eagles at various Southern California lakes. The nesting pair at Lake Hemet were among the dozen eagles seen this weekend.
Five adults and seven sub-adults or juveniles were observed during the one-hour count period Saturday morning. About 120 people participated in the count. The Lake Hemet contingent included more than a dozen observers.
At Silverwood State Recreation Area, two sub-adult bald eagles were seen. 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.
At Lake Arrowhead, one sub-adult and two adult bald eagles were seen and another three eagles, two of which were sub-adults, were counted at Big Bear Lake.
The next eagle count will be in December for the beginning of the 2016-17 eagle census.
