In my last eagle report I noted that one of the bald eagles that had been nesting here on Harkins Slough since 2014 died, and that the remaining adult appeared to have found a new mate this spring. Our eagle-eyed daughter saw an adult flying with an immature just before Thanksgiving. The youth obliged by perching on a tree in our restoration area long enough for us to get a good picture. The young eagle is as big as his or her parents, but won’t develop the white head and tail for a few years.
The eagles are a reminder that nature is resilient, and that human efforts to be a positive force in nature can pay off. We can’t completely undo damage that has been done, but we can create conditions that are more favorable to letting nature resume its course. The efforts to restore bald eagle populations in the California Central Coast started in the 1986 when the Ventana Wilderness Society began its program to raise and release bald eagle chicks in Big Sur. They released 70 eagle chicks in the 1980s and 90s. Now there are enough eagles in the area that the widowed adult was able to find a new mate without even losing a breeding season.
In farm news, we are scrambling this week to get our strawberry plants in the ground before the next rain. We got the beds listed up, which required a stretch of dry weather, and have had to wait for the ground to dry out enough again to finish laying down our drip tape and mulch. We are really excited that we were able to get all organic strawberry crowns for planting this year. Now to get them in the ground!
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