California
We spotted a bald eagle sitting on a pole at Crystal Cove state park in Laguna Beach. It was preening and fluffing its feathers for a good 10 minutes.
I am sure it was a bald eagle because I saw many in Alaska this past summer and a couple on Catalina a month or so ago. This eagle that we saw today appeared to not have a tag.
Bill Butler
I don't know if it's possible but I think I just saw an Eagle fly over my apartment in Pacific Grove California. I was looking out my window & saw a very large dark bird with a white head flying away from me, toward Monterey Bay, which is just a half mile away. I don't even know if there are any eagles around here, but it sure looked like one!
Maureen McGuire
We spotted an adult bald eagle on November 01, 2009 @ approximately 11 am near San Luis Reservoir at O'Neill Forebay on highway 152 outside of Santa Nella, CA. Additional 2 sightings in 2009 were along the Salinas river while leaving Paso Robles, CA on highway 101 heading north – an adult bald eagle flying in the direction of the river – and – just past Casa de Fruta on highway 152 the adult bald eagle was sitting in a tree & flew away after our vehicle passed his location. Exciting every time!!!
Barb Black, Salinas, CA
I saw what appeared to be an eagle this morning at Walteria Park in Torrance PV foothill area. It was being harassed by crows and at closer look it had a crow in its talon and was trying to escape the crows. It was on the ground and I had a close look it was huge. Much bigger than the hawks i've seen here. She was brown and beige and several times larger than the crows. Does Torrance CA have eagles?
Kit Turman
I have a bald eagle that has come and roosted in a tree on the South side of Chesbro Lake in Morgan Hill, a single eagle, I took about 20 shots from my desk in my office. It has come here several times to the same branch of the same tree. I feel quite fortunate, he sits in the tree for several hours and I can see him perfectly out my window. Beautiful animal. 20-30 great closeups with my Nikon.
Bruce Mercy
My son and I were fishing sardine lake in plumas county and spotted two majestic bald eagles riding the wind and swooping the water and cathing brook trout it was a great experience for both of us.
John and Michael Kukis, Sacramento
My husband thinks he saw a bald eagle today on his run around 10:30 AM near the Seal Beach Naval Weapons depot in Orange County, California (Edinger and Bolsa Chica). It was holding a fish, which we've never seen any of our local hawks or raptors do.
:) Laura Turner
Lake Anderson, Morgan Hill, CA
9-6-09 9:00 AM Single eagle. Perched on rock and flying.
Marc Rauschnot
Woodside, San Mateo County, California
Feb 1, 2009 12:30PM
Adult bald eagle soaring over my house, no flapping, just riding the thermal at midday. Up several hundred feet above ground and we are a high spot. Huge wingspan and white head and tail evident. We are close to Crystal Springs Reservoir, part of SF Watershed so that is likely where the eagle lives.
First one I have ever seen in the area. I have been to Alaska where they are very common but this is the first I have seen around here.
Nicole Clary
We saw a bald eagle flying over the SE portion of Yucaipa, just over the hill from Cherry Valley, on Weds., January 28, 2009 at 4pm. It circled overhead for about 5 minutes, then headed north.
Kimberly Correll
We were walking out the Huntington Beach Pier when we heard several gulls screeching and flitting uncharacteristically. When we got to the end of the pier, we found out why. A juvenile Bald Eagle was sitting calmly on the edge of the roof of the Ruby's Restaurant about 20 feet above the walkway. Occasionally a gull would fly over in an attempt to dislodge the bird, but mostly he just sat undisturbed. At one point he did expand his wings (perhaps 3 1/2 feet span) to scare the gulls, but otherwise he was just perched. He was quite oblivious to the 10 to 12 people who were looking at him and taking his picture. I am unsure how long he stayed or what he did, we left after about 20 minutes.
Thomas Pevehouse
Huntington Beach, CA
Saturday January 10th about 3:30 in the afternoon near Cherry Valley, CA. I was driving & spotted a big bird, brown body & white head standing in a field about 75-100 yards from the road. I kept driving thinking I had to have been mistaken. Then made a U-turn, drove back & u-turned again. I grabbed my camera & jumped out of my car. Sure enough, standing in the field a young bald eagle. I managed to take about 20 shots before it flew off. Amazing, never thought I'd see one out here.
Betsy Lowery
Bodega Bay California. Very exciting. I'm a 67 year old native Californian and this was the first bald eagle I've ever seen near the coast. It was perched on a rock outcropping in the sun near Goat Rock and looked at first like a large wild cat or mountain lion, but some other people's binoculars, confirmed it to be a beautiful large eagle. Happy New Year!
Marylu Downing
Today, I saw two bald eagles flying around my house in El Dorado Hills, CA. They were huge! They flew back towards Empire Ranch Golf Course in Folsom and I lost sight of them. Wow…they were amazing!
Just saw a beautiful adult bald eagle flying in San Ramon California in the Dougherty Valley area. Holding a ground squirrel in his talons and was being chase/bothered by two hawks. We've lived here 13 years and it's the first time I've seen them.
Ron May
1 January 2009 – Today I spotted a bald eagle in a tree with three turkey vultures at the end of Beckwith Road in Modesto, CA. I originally saw the bald eagle from the viewing platform at the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge. I drove down to the end of the road to try to confirm that it was a bald eagle. I was able to get photos of this rare sight. Great way to start the new year.
Michelle Beacham
Today Dec.28 my wife and I spotted a bald eagle along Hwy. 99 between Oroville and Chico.
As we drove from Sacramento to Chico today we had over twenty hawk/falcon, plenty of egrets and two blue heron sightings. we also enjoyed the thousands of migratory birds including a flock of swans. The eagle was flying from west to east, away from the sunset, and went right over our car about 40' up.
A great sighting to cap off our day.
Dave Mitchell
Driving home from work today (12/26/08) at about 5:20 pm, on State hwy 1, I spotted a Bald Eagle swooping low and then soaring up again. The sighting occured just north of the Marganza flood gates.
Julius Falvey, Jr.
I saw two bald eagles, one immature and one mature on December 23 at 10:30 a.m. at Puddingstone Lake (Bonellli Park) in San Dimas, CA It really surprised me. I had seen them at Big Bear Lake and Silverwood Lake in previous years, but was surprised and thrilled to see this pair at Puddingstone Lake.
Gene St.Clair
Early November 2008 my wife, Judie, & I took a ride to Rattlesnake Bar at Folsom Lake. We went to see how low the water was. You could see the rapids in the old river channel, getting scary. As we stood there, a bald eagle flew from the East towards the main body of the lake! I was able to get a couple of photos, great experience!
Judie & Ernie Bogs
On Sunday, November 16th, 2008 my girlfriend, her son, and I were cleaning the roof gutters on her house when a Bald Eagle came lazily soaring along above us. I pointed it out to them. Neither of them had ever seen one before. It was gorgeous. We all stopped for about 20 minutes to watch. It eventually drifted off.
This was in Valley Springs, Ca in the Sierra foothills at about 600 ft elevation.
Dale Colfer
My wife & I have a vacation home in Shelter Cove Ca. and spend the summer there. In June 2008 while walking on Mario's beach, we were surprised to see a bald eagle there! It was chasing/being chased by the resident osprey! I watched and photographed the eagle for a couple of months, never seen it fishing. I think it decided it was easier to take fish away from the osprey! Disappeared one day, haven't seen it again.
Judie & Ernie Bogs
Yesterday I saw a bald eagle circling over the American River Parkway at
William Pond Park, just southwest of the bike trail bridge. What an
experience!!
Faith Boucher
On December 27, 2007 around 1:00 p.m. my husband and I
were traveling the back roads to hwy 88 through Omo
Ranch, CA when we saw a huge bald eagle feasting on a
dead buck on a back road. We stopped the car and
stared at it, until it noticed us and flew off. We
did not know we could even see a bald eagle in this
area. We were amazed!
Sarah Gaidano
Northern California, Sierra Foothills, Auburn
My family and I were lucky enough to spot a bald eagle today. We saw this amazing bird right off of Dry Creek Road, which runs between Highway 49 and I-80 near Auburn. It was perched in a dead oak tree, right off the Red River Ranch pond, during the middle of pretty heavy storm. We sat and watched him from the car, and were amazed at how big it was! I've seen them fishing from the Clearwater River in Idaho, but I have never spotted one here.
Jennifer Zurflueh
Applegate, CA
Today my son and I saw a bald eagle soaring above us as we drove south on Interstate 280 about 20 miles south of San Francisco, CA. We both saw its white head and white tail and dark-colored body. I once saw a bald eagle soaring in Mt. Garabaldi Park in British Columbia, but this was the first bald eagle I have ever seen in the lower 48.
Jim Musselman, February 17, 2008
This winter, there has been an adult Bald eagle at
Bonelli Park in San Dimas, CA.
Today, Feb. 17, 2008, I got very close looks at a
juvenile Bald eagle (white underwing coverts) at Pico
Rivera's Rio Hondo Spreading Grounds. Does anyone
know if there has ever been a sighting this far south
of the San Gabriel Mountains???
Raul Roa
Whittier, CA
Yesterday, 2/12/08 in Folsom California. I was riding on the American River Bike Trail on the south side of Lake Natoma (just north of Folsom Blvd on the bluff overlooking the lake). I noticed a couple of people observing a bird in the perched in the tree. When I stopped to see what they were looking at I noticed that the bird was a bald eagle. What an impressive bird.
Chris Andrus
Folsom, California about 1200 noon last thursday I saw a youngish
eagle flying rather low over the Folsom Police Department. The bird
was being closely followed by about 20 small birds that seemed to be
trying to get the eagle to leave the area. The police department is
about a half a block from a small zoo, I don't know if that had
anything to do with it Folsom is in the foothills near a large lake,
fish hatchery, and two dams and a confluence of two forks of the
American river. Folsom is also the home of Folsom prison.
Adrienne Anderson
I saw a bald eagle flying around Folsom Lake today (Dec. 31, 2007) at
mid-afternoon, just east of. At one point it landed in a tree at a
picnic area and rested for several minutes. I was surprised, since I
thought that the birds are very shy, and that they wouldn't get so
close to an urban area.
Ed Gaither
I was on Catalina Island off the Southern California coast last week and saw a bald eagle flying not too far from the old casino there.
William McCullough
This last Saturday (September 29) a couple friends and I witnessed a bald eagle resting on a bare tree at the top of a hill, overlooking Newport Back Bay. Other waterfowl nearby were raising a lot of noise in his vicinity. It was thrilling to see the eagle here in Orange County--I hadn't heard of any other sightings here until I found your website.
Phil McIntosh
My family and I were on vacation at Bass Lake CA the week of June 17th. We were cruising along at about 15 MPH when a bald eagle fly down and sailed along with us about 60 feet away. Everybody on the boat was stunned. I haven't seen a bald eagle since I was fishing in Alaska and it was a awesome sight, especially for my kids.
Steve Hoevel
Sunday, March 24, 2007, an American Bald Eagle soared directly in front of our car as he made his way along Perfumo Canyon outside San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo County, California. The road has several cutbacks at the 1200 foot elevation and the bird was no more than 15 feet away at car-top level. We would be interested if other coastal canyon sightings have been acknowledged.
Heidi Buhl
I believe a saw a bald eagle today. It was soaring with the vultures. Near Grass Valley, CALIF.
Angela Van Ness
March 1st
Once again, I sighted a single bald eagle in flight around 7:30am. I was at Cherry & Spring St. and it was coming from the ocean direction heading north inland. I hope we will continue to see this magnificent bird!! This is our second sighting in 2 years. We spend summers in Alaska. So, I’m positive of my sighting.
Karen Krebs
February 19, 2007, Azusa, CA and again on February 24, 2007: So cool!
I live near Jill Brantley but do not know her -- one reservoir is
behind my house and on the afternoon of the 19th I noticed the Bald
Eagle swooping down to the water and all the other birds were in a
frenzy! The bird soared above the water for a few minutes and then
landed on the far bank and stood there for more than 20 minutes. I
stared at it through binoculars but it was too far away to really ID
it. I did not see it fly away. I looked through my bird books and
tentatively identified it as a Bald Eagle. Then this afternoon (24th)
my husband and I spotted it soaring above the water and were able to
view its white head and tail with binoculars! I Googled "bald eagle
sighting in Azusa, CA" and found Jill's description! Also from your
Web site I learned that there are no other black birds with white
head and tail in North America -- something that is not mentioned in
either of my bird books. Thanks for the opportunity to share.
Kim Fry
February 11, 2007, City of Azusa, California, Los Angeles County. Today about 1:00 pm a Bald Eagle with the number 37 orange tag perched on top of a telephone pole directly behind my home. The pole is adjacent to two large reservoirs at the foot of the San Gabriel mountains on County-controlled land. I was able to view him extremely well with the aid of field glasses. The reservoirs attract many birds and ducks, but this is the first time I have ever seen a Bald Eagle there, or anywhere in the wild. He sat there for over an hour, but, unfortunately, I did not see him fly away. Beautiful and awesome! Thank you for your website so I could share the experience.
Jill Brantley
On or about January 1, 2007, I sighted a bald eagle flying South West near Auburn, California. This is the first bald eagle sighting I have ever made in Auburn, California. The eagle was sighted at 38 deg. 55 min N latitude, 121 deg 06 min W Longitude.
Robert Vaughan
Stampede Lake, California I spotted two adult eagles and I believe a youngster on Monday, August 14 2006. I was hiking along the shore line when first a large brown bird flew out of the trees and soon after an adult Bald Eagle followed. The young bird flew over the lake and the adult perched in a tree. I continued on my hike after watching the eagle for 20 minutes and then a second eagle flew out of the trees. On my return hike the first eagle was still in the tree and it was the most amazing site I have seen since my first sighting of an eagle is Alaska 6 years ago. Courtesy of Kai Howard
On Feb 5, 2006, my husband and I saw a bald eagle fly over our home in the Mosquito area of Placerville, CA. We live at 3000 feet over the South Fork of the American River. It was a gorgeous sight. Courtesy of Chris Beach
About six months ago my husband and I saw a Bald Eagle near our home in Newman Calif. It was in the tall cottenwood trees near a small creek here. What a sight! We sure hope to see it again, and maybe get a better view of it. Courtesy of Heather Nemanic
January 10, 2006, on the Mad River in Blue Lake, Ca northeast from Eureka, California. My sister and I saw a water logged eagle sitting on a rock in the middle of the river. The bird took flight a headed down river. We went to get our camera. When we returned we found the eagle in a stand of old willow trees. It was a picture fit for a magazine. There were also two crows sitting in the trees. They flew by him almost as though they were playing with the eagle. We watch for awhile. As we were driving back we saw several crows eating a salmon and spotted another smaller bald eagle standing a few yards off from the crows. We got our binoculars and camera out but before we could snap a shot the eagle took wing and headed down river. It was so exciting. We had heard that the eagles were coming down this far in winter again but this is the first time we have seen them. Courtesy of Rebecca Collins, Blue Lake, California
On New Year's Day my wife and I saw a bald eagle flying very low in the
Sierra foothills in eastern Kern County near 5 Dogs Ranch. His white head
was a remarkable contrast to the brown hills and he was apparently just
climbing from snatching his prey from the ground. Curiously, there wasn't a
tree in sight for miles, so we can't guess where his roost is. A rather
startling sight, to be sure. Courtesy of Richard Duree, Costa Mesa, CA
We saw a Bald Eagle at Caples Lake in Alpine County, California yesterday (September 10, 2005) just before dusk. So far as we could tell, it was untagged. It was an adult - yellow beak, fully white head and tail. We were absolutely thrilled to see such a magnificent creature in the wild. Courtesy of Sandi Tinker
My husband and I also saw the "Number 13" bald eagle on a tree branch at our neighbors across the street this morning (4-3-05) at 8:30am in South Laguna Beach. We live right on the ocean on a cliff and the eagle was just sitting on a huge branch with crows and seagulls diving around and at it. The beautiful eagle just kept looking out at the ocean and didn't budge. We got our binoculors out and saw the orange tags with 13 on them. What a beauty! Not since the stealth bomber flew over our heads at an air show was something this exciting! Courtesy of Debbie Sussex
I sighted a bald eagle today in Torrance/ Palos Verdes California this morning hovering over the ocean shore. It was spectacular! I didn't even know we had bald eagles in the area. He had about a 6ft wing span and orange tags. The seaguls were divebombing him but he paid no attention and flew several times over our heads as we were running. What a beautiful site and so rare!
Courtesy of Pamela Jager
Feb 26, 2005
2/26/05 1pm we spotted a Bald Eagle soaring over Long Beach, Calif. in the Belmont Heights area heading north-northeast. We figure he reached an altitude approx 500 ft. While climbing, a hawk briefly flew next to him, then attempted a couple of times to swoop down on him and then moved on. I'm wondering if the eagle comes from Catalina Island as I know they have been assisting in breeding there with success. What an amazing sight to see. We hope to see more sightings. Courtesy of Karen Krebs & Carl Barry
On January 20 2005, Bald Eagle with the tag number 13 was sitting in the tree
behind our Store (Weseloh Honda in San Juan Capistrano California). We have
many pictures that we can send along if anyone would like to see them. I guess this bird has been sighted all over Orange County. Courtesy of Rick Nabers
January 25, 2005 7:15 AM
My two children and I saw a bald eagle to day in Huntington Beach, CA. We were at Hawes Elementary School which is very near the Santa Ana River and wetland areas. The eagle had a white head and tail and orange circle like markings about the size of a softball under each wing in the middle of its wingspan. It was being harassed by very noisy crows and was dipping and soaring over the grass playground area. At one point I thought it was going to land on the grass but the crows were relentless. It flew away over the school building almost over our heads (about 20 ft in the air). Thrilling!
Courtesy of Sheridan Hirst |