Now a BALD EAGLE Over Goleta???

YES! Amazing how birders network these days. And with a lot fewer birds about than when J.J. Audubon or even R.T. Peterson were birding - it's a good thing or we'd never find these neat birds before they 'flew the coop'.

This morning at 10:30 I had seen a post on 'SBCoBirding' or the local listserv for birders (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sbcobirding/) that my birdin' buddy Kyle had seen a BALD EAGLE over Goleta Beach and that he had seen it fly to a large Eucalyptus at the UCSB Eastern Entrance. The post was made because the original spotter, Kyle had made a cell-phone call to another birder asking him to post this interesting news.

Even in the middle of our much-needed rain (one inch so far!) birders were coming to see a Bald Eagle in Goleta. About noon, while the rain was pounding down, I got a call from another good birdin' buddy Adam. He was at the Euc and was watching the bird with yet another birdin' buddy Roger - and the bird was sticking around in the drizzle. Who knows where the Eagle would be by the time Kyle had gotten home and called several people on a land-line ala 1980 or so.?.

Now Eagles are special. First of all, they are HUGE - and while they are found this time of year 'nearby' - that 'nearby' is across the Santa Ynez Mts. in the Santa Ynez Valley in and around Lake Cachuma. This is about twenty-five miles (as the Eagle flies) over mountains about 3,000' in altitude. So Eagles are quite unusual here on the this part of the coast (Santa Barbara/Goleta, CA). Most Eagles seem to stay rather near the lake, where I saw this mature Bald Eagle with my wife Jeanne and my birdin' buddy Adam:

Two views of mature Bald Eagle near Los Olivos, CA on 13Jan09

So as crazy as it sounds - driving nearly 15 miles (one way) in a heavy rain to see an immature Bald Eagle when I had just seen a gorgeous one also in Santa Barbara County - it is crazy. And wonderful. Birds are great survivors in our World - and are a bonus to have around - besides their important role in our ecosystems. And raptors - Eagles especially have a great presence and spirit about them. It was well worth the ride and the 20 minutes standing in the rain.

Turns out this Bald Eagle, A-46 is a 'celebrity eagle' as he was sponsored by Stephen Colbert of the Report fame. Yet another birder, Nina had posted that tidbit of information! I suppose this wet, tawdry-marked bird is worthy of Stephen Colbert and his 'reporting' on our National Economy - which is also rather tattered and sodden.

"Stephen Colbert, Jr." getting an education at UCSB, Goleta, CA 6Feb09