According to San Bernardino National Forest, two healthy eaglets were estimated to be born at Lake Hemet on April 8.
On April 29, the two bald eagle chicklets at Lake Hemet were banded, which helps keep track of movement and the eagle’s life span.
Wildlife Biologist for the San Bernardino Nation Forest San Jacinto Ranger District Kim Boss said, “They appeared happy and healthy when they were banded on April 29. There are one male and one female chick.”
Keep an eye out for these young chicks in June as that’s when they’ll start to learn to fly.
“Bald eagle chicks typically fledge about 10 to 12 weeks after hatching,” Boss explained.
Bald eagles have been in this area since the mid-1990s. However, 2002 was the first year they were recorded staying at Lake Hemet year-round.
“Based on our records, this adult pair has been at Lake Hemet since about 2015 and successful breeding was documented in 2016, 2017 and 2019,” said Boss. “Successful breeding before 2015 was also documented most years between 2003 and 2014.”
The banding project was funded by the Friends of the Desert Mountains, an organization that helps support ecological research.