April 2021 Big Bear Today Magazine

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Page 6—April 2021A pip, a peep, then nothingOne bald eagle chick died in its shell and the othernever hatched, leaving Big Bear’s birds 0-for-5 in 2021People watching the live nest camcould tell something was wrong afterthe first bald eagle chick didn’temerge from its shell.On March 18 the first egg in the twoeggclutch begin the pip process of breakingthrough the shell. That night the babybird could even be heard chirping insidethe egg on the nest microphone. Then nextmorning, no activity was observed as thechick apparently died still inside its shell,perhaps unable to break out or from theelements.Unfortunately nothing was also thestory of the clutch’s second egg. The normalincubation period of 35 days or socame and went with nary a pip to be seen.At 40 days in late March the Forest Servicesaid that a successful hatching washighly unlikely.At press time bald eagle parents Jackieand Shadow were still been incubating theegg but as time progresses they’ll start toleave it unattended for longer and longerperiods. At some point the egg will befound by ravens or other scavengers. Andanother clutch is considered highly unlikelytill next year.None of the five eggs laid by Jackiein 2021 survived as January’s clutch sawtwo eaten by ravens and a third break. Virtuallya repeat of last year, when two eggsnever hatched for unknown reasons.For two years straight before that, aneagle survived from each pair of eggs laid,so Big Bear now has true native baldeagles.. The mortality rate for bald eagleeggs and eaglets is 50% and Big Bear hascertainly seen that and then some.Even so bald eagle numbers nationwideare soaring. Once threatened withextinction and on the Endangered SpeciesList, bald eagles have made an incrediblerecovery in recent years. A United StatesFish and Wildlife report shows that thenumber of birds in the Lower 48 states hasquadrupled just since 2009.In 1963 there were just 417 nestingpairs in the continental U.S. That numberhas ballooned to over 71,000 with over316,000 individual bald eagles. In 2009there were 72,434 solo birds so the numberhas risen by a factor of four.In Big Bear bald eagle numbers seemto have been dwindling ago even as populationsnationwide recover. Monthly countsheld by the Forest Service for 40 yearswere discontinued after the 2019 seasonso there aren’t any current official numbers.But counts typically tallied around10 eagles give or take, down from highs inthe 20’s and even 30’s dating back a coupledecades.That bald eagles winter here is not surprising.A significant population has usedBig Bear as a southern seasonal destinationdating back to when the lake wasformed. The Valley is along the PacificMigratory Flyway and affords reliable fishingfor birds traveling from Montana, Wyoming,Idaho, even Canada and Alaska.As northern waters freeze over ice entombsfish and ducks fly south, so the twofavorite foods for bald eagles become unavailable.Wintering here makes perfectsense: there’s lots of ducks and coots, andthe lake rarely freezes over. Even when itdoes, intelligence-challenged coots freezeright into the water overnight, making foreasy eagle pickin’s locals term“cootsicles.”In the last several years Big Bear hasseen a permanent bald eagle populationestablished of about 12-14 birds. Reasonsfor declining Big Bear eagle numbers includedevelopment.See and hear Jackie and Shadow courtesyof the bald eagle nest cam installedFriendsofBigBearValley.org/eagles. Eventhough there aren’t organized tours orviewings, eagle aficionados have been gettingan incredible look at how nature workson the live stream. The eagle nest has beenin active use since 2013. The eagle camwas installed two years later and capturedits first nesting season in 2017.Watch the live streaming nest cam atFriendsofBigBearValley.org/eagles andfollow Big Bear Lake Bald Eagles groupBig Bear TodayA second two-egg clutch in February for Big Bear bald eagles Jackie and Shadowon Facebook. Chirp Nature Center in theVillage has the stream on as well.Duke & Peggy at PinesTavern weekendsEver heard a duo perform LedZeppelin’s Kashmir? Duke Michaelsand Peggy Baldwin play the classic andmuch more weekends at The PinesLakefront Tavern. He’s a guitar-playingrecording artists; her violin has recordedwith ELO, Yanni and others.330 Alden Rd. just east of PineKnot. Call (909) 866-5400.
Big Bear Today April 2021—Page 7Nurture nature with bird walks, talksNurture your nature with free in-personand virtual bird walks and talks heldby Chirp Nature Center starting May 1.First in-person bird walk of the seasonis on Saturday, May 1. MetcalfMeadow is the destination, one of sixbirding hotspots in Big Bear Valley and theNational Forest to be explored in 2021.Birders of all experience levels enjoyobserving and identifying local Big Bearbirds and learn good viewing locations, andthere’s free species checklists provided byChirp. Experienced birders can practiceidentification skills and share with fellownature enthusiasts.Walks are free and no reservation isrequired but the group does depart ChirpNature Center (40850 Village Dr.)promptly at 8 a.m. Outings last around anhour-and-a-half with moderate walking orhiking. Complimentary refreshments followat Chirp with questions and answers.Future in-person bird walks are set forJune 5, July 3, August 7, September 4 andOctober 2. Participants need to wear masksand social distance on the walk as per cur-Dirty hands give forest a helping handGive the forest a helping hand by gettingyour hands dirty as part of a longrunningnative plant restoration volunteerprogram returning next month.Greenthumbs volunteer days are setto begin April 17 as helpers plant and seednative trees, shrubs and wildflowersacross many new sites while maintainingexisting projects. Volunteers learn to identify,collect and propagate native plantsin the Forest Service’s newly renovatednursery facilities. These efforts improvehabitat for wildlife, plants, Monarch butterflyand other pollinators.Big Bear Ranger Station itself hastwo greenhouses, a lathe house, and seedstorage shed, and volunteers use these facilitiesto grow and outplant thousandsof native plants from seed they collect, togive the forest a hand in its regenerativeefforts. Hundreds of acres of habitat havebeen enhanced in the process for wildlife,federally listed plants and animals,and other degraded lands in the programsince its inception in 1998.Covid-compliant workdays are from9 a.m.-3 p.m. Bring a mask plus lunch,water, sun protection and sturdy shoes.Gloves, tools, restrooms and hand sanitizerprovided. Confirm in advance.Subsequent 2021 Greenthumbs daysare May 15, June 12, July 10 and 24, August21, September 25 (National PublicLands Day) and October 23. Call (909)382-2809 to pre-register or emailmegan.clement@usda.gov.In-person bird walks return each month starting May 1 led by Chirprent Covid protocols. Bring water and binocularsand scopes for better viewing.Virtual Bird Walks begin May 12, heldthe second Wednesday each month andstreamed live online via Facebook andYouTube. Tine in at 5 p.m. for 30 minutesof Big Bear’s natural splendor, as participantslearn about wild birds, points of interestand fun facts.Subsequent virtual walks are on June9, July 14, Aug. 11, Sept. 8 and Oct. 13.Free, and after the program participants cantake a quiz and win prizes.Chirp also hosts Expert Bird Talks onthe third Saturday each month, beginningMay 15. Each hour-long interactive presentationhighlights a particular naturethemetopic with expert insights from noteworthyauthors, scientists and naturalists.Talks are at 10 a.m. and are streamed liveon Facebook and YouTube.First program of the season is May 15,“Big Bear’s Bald Eagles,” timely given thenesting pair’s activities of late. Future talksare on June 19, July 7, Aug. 21, Sept. 18and Oct. 16 featuring woodpeckers, raptors,owls and more.Chirp is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.StandardMotel Rooms$85with Fireplace& Queen BedNon-Holiday / MidweekWeekends Slightly HigherSubject to change without notice.Chirp Nature Center is at 40850 VillageDr. Call (888) 412-4477.Work to begin on new bike trailConstruction of a dedicated, new halfmilebicycle trail on Sandalwood Drive isabout to begin and more exciting projectsmay be in the works too.The new trail will begin at the RathbunCreek crossing on Sandalwood and continueeast to Big Bear Blvd. and StanfieldCutoff. Construction is expected to beginin April or May, and be complete by latesummer or early fall. When finished thetrail will be a safer, more convenient connectionfrom the City to Alpine Pedal Pathon the North Shore.Total cost of the project is $1.15 millionand is funded exclusively by stategrant funds and transient occupancy taxes.The project is a key segment of the City'soverall bicycle trail plan, which seeks toprovide a continuous dedicated bicycletrail system (approximately 3.5 miles) fromthe Moonridge area to the Alpine PedalPath and Division Dr. within the next 5years.CLOSE TO VILLAGE,LAKE, DINNINGCLOSE to SLOPES!DeluxeSpa Rooms$145with CozyFireplace(800) 255-4378local (909) 866-216641121 Big Bear Blvd. • Big Bear Lake, CAwww.BlackForestLodge.com
Page 1 and 2: Volume 32, No. 10 April 2021www.big
Page 3 and 4: Big Bear Today April 2021—Page 3
Page 5: Big Bear Today April 2021—Page 5T
Page 9 and 10: Big Bear Today April 2021—Page 9B
Page 13 and 14: Big Bear TodayHOMESTYLEQUALITY...St

April 2021 Big Bear Today Magazine

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?