Lassen National Forest

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Wildflowers Photo Gallery

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Many animal species are abundant on the Lassen National Forest, and patience and binoculars (and sometimes a little luck) can lead to some rewarding experiences. Dawn and dusk near water are the best times and places to find wildlife.

In the Hat Creek area, be prepared to see everything from elk to bats. Osprey and bald eagles are often seen at Lake Britton. Elk, deer, snipe, swallows and bats can be sighted at Wiley Ranch. The Big Jacks/Straylor Lake area will afford you a chance to see sandhill cranes and perhaps a badger.

Lake Almanor has the largest summer population of ospreys in California, so with a pair of binoculars you may be able to see them swooping down to the lake to catch a fish. Bald eagles may also be observed around the lake, since their favorite food is fish.

On the causeway going into Chester from the east, you will be able to see Canada geese at all times of the year. In the spring they are proudly displaying their young, and the rest of the year there is always a large flock residing in the meadows. Mixed in with the geese you will also find a variety of ducks looking for food in the shallows.

Was Eagle Lake named after eagles? You bet! Spend some time on the north shore and you should see bald eagles and osprey fishing for their meals. Near Poison Lake, you might be lucky enough to see Canada geese nesting, and occasionally a pronghorn antelope loping across the plains.

Deer, chipmunks, golden-mantled ground squirrels and various birds are common campground visitors. Sit quietly and they might come close enough to be seen clearly but remember, do not feed them. Wild animals that grow to depend on human feeding invariably come to harm.

Bald Eagles & Osprey
They both make their homes along coasts, lakes, and rivers, and nest in the tops of tall trees or human-made structures. Here's how to tell them apart:

The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephatus) is one of our most beautiful endangered birds. This large brown bird has a brilliant white head and tail, with a yellow bill on adults. On immature eagles, the bill is black and the head and tail are a grayish-brown, with a whitish color sometimes showing on the wings and on the chest. It is a large bird, with a 6-1/2- to 8-foot wing span.

The Osprey (Pandion hatiaetus) is smaller than the Bald Eagle with a wing spread of 4 1/2 to 6 feet. The osprey's head is white, similar to the bald eagle, but with a dark brown line running through its eye and side of its face. The body is brown to black above and white below. The immature osprey has a more mottled body. Ospreys can be seen hovering over the water, then plunging, feet first, to grasp a fish.