A once-elusive bird is making more than a few East Bay appearances these days. Bald eagles are nesting near reservoirs and elsewhere — Valle Vista on Canyon Road in Moraga, Lafayette Reservoir just a few miles away, Corica Park Golf Course on the city of Alameda’s Bay Farm Island and Lake Chabot in Alameda County.
Seeing these magnificent creatures doesn’t take an eagle eye. Birders at the places mentioned above train scopes and telephoto-lens cameras on eagles perched high in the trees. Seeing bald eagles survey the land for prey, then spreading their massive wings to soar through the air is one of nature’s finest shows.
One of the theories for the higher-than-normal number of eagle sightings is that the air quality has been improving in the Bay Area. We have also had another year of plentiful rain, filling the reservoirs where eagles seek food.
“Bald Eagles are doing incredibly well and expanding up and down the state and showing up in all kinds of places where they haven’t been,” says Golden Gate Bird Alliance volunteer Rusty Scalf.
A good way to see bald eagles and other birds in spring is to join one of the free bird walks hosted by the Golden Gate Bird Alliance. Volunteers lead birding ‘field trips’ in several Oakland-area parks on a first-come-first-served basis. Visit their website at goldengatebirdalliance.org to find out more.
On the subject of birds, the celebrity falcon that had been living atop UC Berkeley’s Campanile since 2017 is still missing. Typically, Annie the peregrine Falcon would have made her nest in the world’s second-tallest free-standing clock and bell tower by January, along with her latest mate. Experts fear Annie, and her beau, Archie, may have fallen prey to the bird flu or some other misfortune.
Table talk: Oakland Restaurant Week will be March 20-30, with special hype this year because The Town has been named the Best Food City in the United States by Condé Nast Traveler. More than 160 restaurants are participating this month, with specials on just about every kind of cuisine imaginable. Visit Oakland, the city’s tourism office, calls it a feast of global flavors because of the cultural diversity.
In the city’s Rockridge district, Michelin-rated Millennium at 5912 College Ave. is participating, with chef-owner Eric Tucker’s imaginative vegan menu. Nearby, the casual café Belly, (5634 College Ave.) will have Restaurant Week specials for lunch and dinner, highlighting its Asian, Mexican and American dishes.
Other notables in the Rockridge, Lakeshore and Piedmont Avenue districts include Portal, The Peach, Pomella and Acre. Even the popular Starter Bakery in Rockridge has Restaurant Week specials. See visitoakland.com online to search for participants by district, kinds of food, and even Michelin star ratings.
Around Montclair: Tickets sales are underway this week for the Taste of Montclair Village event on the evening of April 8.
The popular dine-around, which features nibbles and sips from most of the Village’s bars and eateries, is a fundraiser for the Montclair Village Association. It’s become an even more festive affair since the Village Plaza opened on Antioch Court. The cordoned-off courtyard will be set up with tables, chairs and live music for the event.
Ginny Prior can be reached at ginnyprior@hotmail.com and followed on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook and at ginnyprior.com.