Photographer captures rare photo of a pair of eagles in this East Bay city

OAKLAND, Calif. - A Bay Area photographer captured a rare and stunning image of two bald eagles hanging out along a waterfront in Oakland.

What we know:

Wildlife photographer Jim Roach captured the still at Middle Harbor Park in West Oakland on May 25.

"The two eagles," Roach shared with KTVU, "looked totally at ease and were checking out the area."

He said it was early in the morning at low tide when he took the photos and explained that he refrained from getting too close. 

"Of course the minute they showed up all the other shorebirds left for safer areas," Roach explained, noting the predatory nature of the birds.  

Eagle comeback

He said through the years, he’s personally witnessed a comeback of the bald eagle, once teetering on the brink of extinction. 

Dig deeper:

The species was officially taken off the federal endangered list in 2007. 

"Bald eagles staged a remarkable population rebound and recovered to the point that they no longer needed the protection of the Endangered Species Act," according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Local perspective:

It was about a year prior that the photographer said he began seeing the birds appear in the East Bay and beyond.

"At first I only caught glimpses of them flying overhead," Roach explained in an email correspondence with KTVU. 

He then saw an eagle with a couple of her young at Oakland's Lake Temescal.  

"They stayed for only a few days at Temescal," he recalled. "Then I started seeing them up along the Russian River and along the Pacific coast near where the Russian River joins the ocean. Then I saw some around Bodega Bay."

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He said in the last several years, the eagles returned to Oakland areas. But their attempts to set up a nest resulted in failure. He's also reported sightings in other East Bay locations, including Albany and Alameda.

Last year, an eagle pair built a nest on Oakland’s Moraga Avenue near the Mountain View Cemetery. And they were successful in the last hatching season. 

"This year that same pair lost their chicks if they even hatched," the wildlife observer said.

Moraga's bald eagles

It was a similar situation for an eagle pair that nested in the town of Moraga’s Valle Vista neighborhood. 

"Last year they raised two chicks successfully. This year their nest failed and they did not rebuild it in the same area," Roach noted, adding that he’s spotted the adults in the Lake Chabot region and suspected they may have a nest somewhere nearby.

Roach said Bay Area residents can expect to see images of the national bird like the one he captured at Middle Harbor Park last month. 

"In short the bald eagles are without a doubt returning to the Bay Area and will soon be common in many areas of the bay," the photographer said.

What we don't know:

He said that because eagles are exceptional in flying long distances, it’s unclear where the pair he photographed was originally from. 

The beloved local photographer is revered for his wildlife captures. He's generous with sharing his images, posting his photos on social media, offering a visual treat for the many people who follow his work. 

Over the decades and through his camera lens, he has become an ardent and well-studied student of nature. 

"Bald eagles are tough strong birds that fight for survival as best as they are able to. I hope they continue to increase in numbers as the years roll on," Roach said. "They are beautiful birds to watch."

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