Volunteers Needed for Annual Eagle Count

HEMET - U.S. Forest Service rangers put out a call today for volunteers to assist in the agency's 34th annual bald eagle count in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains.

The Forest Service's winter census is slated to begin Dec. 17 and continue on sporadic weekends through early March.

Volunteers are needed to watch for activity in traditional nesting areas, including Lake Hemet -- where a pair of bald eagles fledged babies in 2003 -- Big Bear Lake, Lake Arrowhead, Lake Perris and Lake Silverwood.

Volunteers need no prior experience, just warm clothes, a pair of binoculars and an hour to...