Alamo • Danville • Blackhawk • Diablo • San Ramon
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THE
SENTINEL always for the community VOL 23, NO 3
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Arts • Activities • Auto • Business • Gardening • Seniors and more...
March 2018
www.valleysentinel.com
SPOTLIGHT
ECRWSS
Postmaster: Dated Material
PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID DANVILLE, CA PERMIT NO. 70
Corporal Kyle Carpenter, Marine Medal of Honor Recipient will be speaking at the Sentinels of Freedom Gala on April 14. (Please see ad on page 2.) Kyle was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 where he was injured by an enemy hand grenade and spent two and a half years in recovery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. He received the Medal of Honor in June of 2014.
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With our recent rains and exceptional sunshine this winter we can expect to see breathtaking displays of Spring wildflowers out in our parks and open spaces in the coming weeks. This photo was taken in March 2016 in Skunk Hollow on Mt. Diablo. The photographer might be recognizable by the dramatic cloud displays over the Mountain, as none other than Stephen Joseph. You can visit his gallery Sundays 12-4pm at Summit Ranch, 100 Summit Ranch Rd. in Alamo. Visit www.stephenjosephphoto.gallery for more information.
Bald Eagle by James Hale
The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), our national bird and national animal of the United States of America, is truly one of our major success stories. It is featured on the United States Seal, presidential seal and flag, as well as many logos of federal agencies. Populations have recovered from the brink of extirpation in the continental United States in the late 20th century, and the species was removed from the federal government’s U.S. Endangered Species list on July 12, 1995 and transferred to the threatened species list. On June 28, 2007, the Bald Eagle was removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in the Lower 48 States. Early estimates suggest the Bald Eagle population in the early 18th century may have reached 500,000 individuals. By the 1950’s only 412 nesting pairs occurred in the 48 contiguous states of the U.S. In 1974
only 20 or 30 pairs nested in California. The Bald Eagle is an apex predator at the top of the food chain. Biomagnification concentrated DDT to cause egg shell thinning and sterility. One Ornithologist wrote in 1930 that over 70,000 Bald Eagles were shot and killed in Alaska in the previous 12 years. Illegal shooting and hunting was one of the major causes of mortality due to the long- held misbelief that eagles predated livestock. Habitat loss, powerline electrocution, collisions in flight, human nest intrusion, and poisoning due to mercury, oil, and lead contributed to their decline. In 1967 the Bald Eagle was declared an endangered species. The banning of DDT and strict regulations has allowed the species to recover. By the early 1980’s the total population was estimated at
100,000 individuals. By 1992 the population increased to about 115,000, with a resident population of 50,000 birds in the state of Alaska and 30,000 in British Columbia. Over 9,789 breeding pairs were reported in 2006 by individual states. Minnesota has an estimated 1,312 pairs with Florida at a close second with 1,166 pairs. Nearly half of the contiguous states have at least 100 breeding pairs of Bald Eagles. The Bald Eagle is not actually bald, but rather “white headed” from an older meaning. It derives it’s name from the Greek, hali=sea, aietos=eagle, leuco=white, cephalos=head, or white-headed sea eagle. They are found near large bodies of water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting. They range from Alaska and Canada, through
all of the contiguous United States, to northern Mexico. The sexes are identical in color, with the female being about 25% larger. Adults have white heads and tails at sexual maturity around 5 years of age. The body plumage is dark brown. The beak is large, hooked and bright yellow. The iris and talons are bright yellow, with the highly developed hind talon used to pierce the vital areas of prey while immobilized by the front See EAGLE page 6
This month’s Special Section:
Spring Home & Garden
pages 8-9