Bald Eagle Born At Lake Chabot

A bald eagle pair that built a nest near Lake Chabot has hatched a chick, according to East Bay Regional Parks Wildlife Program Manager Doug Bell.

Bell said Parks staff and volunteers have been monitoring the nest and the eaglet from an observation point on Columbine Trail below Lost Ridge group camp in .

The eagles can also be observed from Bass Cove in Lake Chabot or from a boat on the lake. Their nest is in a restricted area.

“We ask that eagle-watchers stay on the trail and use the observation point we have marked," Bell said. "The nest is pretty well hidden a good distance from the trail and the water, and getting any closer by going off the trail or entering the restricted area is not permitted and will not improve visibility."

Violators who enter restricted areas of the park will be cited.

Eagles have been observed in past years flying over and around Lake Chabot. This year a pair was seen building a nest  in early February. Park officials think the eagles began incubation about March 17 and that the chick hatched on April 22, after a 33-day incubation period.

Bell said the eaglet could be flying by the 4th of July.

Bald eagles are not listed as endangered or threatened by the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service, however they are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. They are still listed as State Endangered in California.