A tree that had long served as home to a well-known bald eagle nest overlooking Lake Natoma fell during powerful weekend storms, according to Friends of Lakes Folsom and Natoma, the nonprofit group that monitors and protects raptors in the area.
Friends of Lakes Folsom and Natoma, known locally as FOLFAN, confirmed Sunday that the tree fell sometime during the night or early Sunday morning. The tree was located atop the area known as the Orangevale Bluffs, overlooking the lake just west of Black Miner’s Bar and near the area where there was a large rock slide several years ago. The nest had been closely watched by volunteers and the public for years as part of the group’s bald eagle interpretive and monitoring efforts at Lake Natoma.
FOLFAN officials said they are confident no eagles were in the tree when it came down, noting that the severe winds and rain overnight likely kept the birds from using the nest. Volunteers later observed the male eagle, known to watchers as “Papa,” flying around the location where the nest tree once stood…