Lake Del Valle / Livermore

http://www.ebparks.org/parks/delval.htm




[img]http://www.fishsniffer.com/maps/delvalle.gif[img]

If you fish Del Valle keep your eyes peeled.

Eagles make history

Bald eagles are making history at Del Valle Regional Park south of Livermore and the adjacent Ohlone Wilderness and private ranchlands.

Since 1996, a mated pair of bald eagles has successfully nested, hatched and fledged at least one chick every year, documented by Joe DiDonato, wildlife biologist for the East Bay Regional Park District. In the past year, the birds moved just south of Del Valle on a private ranch and have established another successful nest. "We see them hunting for fish at the lake," DiDonato said.

The eagles first established a nest in 1996 high on a tree west of Lake Del Valle. This is the first bald eagle nest documented in the Bay Area, according to Howard Cogswell, professor emeritus at Cal State East Bay (formerly Cal State Hayward). That alone has made headlines.

A bit of history: The female bald eagle of the pair was originally taken from a nest in Alaska and transplanted in the Ventana Wilderness near Big Sur south of the Monterey Peninsula. If you're out in the vicinity of Del Valle and spot a bald eagle, look closely with binoculars: This female eagle can be identified by a band on one leg. Park info: ebparks.org.

keep an eye out for tarantulas and rattle snakes as well 

...and if you plan to car camp there - be aware of the racoons = they are very BRAVE. I've spanked one in the booty (with a shovel) while it was digging through my cooler and it just turned around and asked for another