The first Audubon Society Bald Eagle Count took place Saturday at Nacimiento and San Antonio lakes Saturday. They found one bald eagle shot and lying on its back on the shore on the water line at San Antonio. The eagle had been shot in the back with a shotgun, apparently while it was perched in at tree. That’s a federal offense.
An agent with the US Fish and Wildlife Service will come this week to collect the dead eagle and investigate the killing. The bird counters counted 29 living eagles, and identified 99 other species of birds living around the lake.
Bird counts will be conducted this coming Saturday in Morro Bay. And the Carrizo plain bird count will be held Saturday, December 28th.
It’s part of the 66th north American Christmas bird count.