Hi everybody,

We have chicks! Yes, the first chicks of Catalina have hatched at the Seal Rocks nest.
Last Thursday, I visited the SR area and found that they still had two full eggs but they were making switches more often and rolling the eggs less.






On March 16th, Pete hiked over to the SR observation blind and observed one little chick getting fed while is sat next to the second egg.








The best one so far


Pete made a video of this recently hatched chick


Cont…

During the weekend we had a storm coming through the island so we could not check nests. On Monday, I headed out there again and found not just one but two, very dry little chicks being brooded by the male and soon after I watched the female arrive to the nest with a prey item. Unfortunately, as she started feeding the chicks, she positioned herself between me and the chicks so I just got a little glimpse of the nest bowl but good enough to take a picture or two!
Dad brooding


After the switch




Feeding the little chicks




Here’s a video too


Last Thursday, Pete and I headed to the Twin Rocks territory and spent most of the day looking for the adults and figuring out what’s going on with them. As soon as I arrived to the area and was in view of Italian Gardens, I spotted the female, K17. I contacted Pete, who was on the nest ridge and he said that, from his angle, he could see two eagles perched on that same bush but was too far away to read their tags.
I was on the same ridge but looking at the from behind


I know the one at the top was K17 but we weren’t sure if her mate was K33 or K00






Cont…

After a few minutes, the lower bird perched where I could see it and I was able to ID it. It was K00! This reassures us that the previous TR male, K33, has been replaced by 5-year-old- K00.




We watched them fly and perch together for a couple more hours and because they decided to perch along a well-transited camp trail, they were flushed several times.






They kept moving around and perching together




Each time, Pete and I were hoping that they would “take us” to where they had decided to nest this year but they never did. In fact, at the end of the day, they flew towards the TR nest.




In this image I have circled the TR camera on the left and the new TR pair on the right


Cont…

After a while, they moved again


And then continued to soar over Italian Gardens as I hiked out of the area.


Here’s a video of the new couple flying together


K15, one of last year’s Rattlesnake chick, also stopped by the area and soared over us close enough for me to read his tags, but not long enough for a good picture


He was soaring very close to a third, unidentified adult in an area between the TR and the RS territory, right over Camp Fox. We thought that maybe that third eagle was one of the RS adults (K15’s parent) and therefore K15 was following it… that’s our guess.

On Friday I checked the TR area briefly but did not find them. On Monday, Pete saw them perched along the same ridge but he saw no signs of them nesting yet. He did get to watch them feeding on a deer carcass on a steep slope on Twin Rocks. Some Camp Fox residents did mention that they have seen them mate closer to the water so maybe they are planning on breeding this year and they are taking a little longer because of the mate change; we will see.
We have also been checking on the Pinnacle Rock. According to our observations, their egg is due to hatch on the 29th so we still have over a week.


It was quite foggy


The Rattlesnake nest still has their two eggs and they are due to hatch in the nest few days
Here’s a short video


The West End and the Two Harbors nests’ first eggs are due this weekend so keep a close eye on them on the cameras and look for “hatching signs”. The adults tend to roll eggs less often, they tend to look down into the bowl as they feel the chicks peeping once they have broke into the air sac and are trying to poke out of the egg, etc. It’s a very exciting time!
Here are some videos processed by our camera viewers
WE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAKwOXVmAbY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYow0ZFrmfg

Two very wet eagles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPDaCJlPwjk

A very rainy day
http://s145.photobucket.com/albums/r236/cs...urrent=WE-1.mp4

Here comes the wind…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=782DmLNyj1k

TH
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz_KQbfx8SI

We have been checking on the Middle Ranch nest to see if they plan on trying one more time during this breeding season. While we have still seen them fly and perched together, she has not laid more eggs. We are still hopeful, as the weather on the island is relatively mild year round and there’s still some time.




Cont…

Yesterday, Pete and I spent most of the day covering a large portion of the southern coast looking for new possible nest sites at two different view points
Looking east


Looking west


Looking south at San Clemente


After several hours, we did not get a sighting so we decided to hike out. As Pete was putting his stuff away, he noticed an adult flying high up in the sky and heading straight to San Clemente Island. He contacted the researchers that conduct regular monitoring surveys for the San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike, one of that islands’ endemics, and asked them to please keep an eye out for incoming eagles.

In other news, over the very stormy and windy weekend, Hydi laid her second egg!


While we know this belongs to Hydi, at first it looked more like a bald eagle egg than a golden eagle because it is so white. But if you look closely you can see that there area little brownish spots and speckles all over the egg.


And guess what? Hydi is not done! Yesterday, while I was weeding around the enclosures I noticed she started to lay down and possibly working on laying egg #3!






She looks so sweet and soft up there…




Cont…

Doing some weeding in the observation areas




Notice the cooler in the upper corner. Pete has placed it there for people who like to fish at the reservoir and would like to donate the catch to Pimu. Also, the bass population has grown significantly so they are being fished on regularly and that means a good food supply for Pimu. This would be an ideal scenario if Pimu wouldn’t be so hormonal and picky lately because half the time she leaves the fish untouched! This behavior should stop in a few more weeks.

And some road maintenance of our own after the strong winds…


We’d also like to thank the Seaman Corporation for donating some new wing bling material. We have tried other sources over the past several years, but Seaman Corps material seems to be the strongest. Maybe we won’t get as many lost tags in the following years.

Until next week,
Steffani

LOVE THOSE BEAUTIFUL EGGS OF HYDI'S :egg:

And it makes me chuckle to think of Pimu as hormonal <3

Thanks for another great update and for all you all do. You'll be surrounded by :hatch: :hatch: very soon! :**:

Thanks so much for the wonderful up date Steff - isn't K17 the one who is 28 years old? What is she doing hooking up with a 5 year old LOL Loved the new ^"^ ^"^ , and what happens with Hydi's eggs since they are not fertilized - they sure are beautiful. Thanks again for all the wonderful pics and videos - hope that wicked wind is gone for a long time!

Thanks again,

Cindy in Oregon

BEAUTIFUL UPDATE STEFFANI! THE LITTLE FLUFF BALLS SOOO CUTE AT SR--I THOUGHT I SAW ONE QUICK BOP FROM ONE TO THE OTHER BEFORE PARENT BLOCKED VIEW..THEY SURE DO START IN QUICKLY... :D

NEW MALE FOR TR....AS ALWAYS WHEN ONE PARNTER IS REPLACED...WE HOPE THE ORIGINAL IS OKAY AND JUST LOST THE BATTLE AND MOVED ON. :X:

STEFFANI -- Such an amazing update. The last couple of years have been really good for bald eagles, but I think this year is really going to top it. It also looks to be an exciting weekend for eaglets. The eaglets on SR are really cute ^"^ ^"^ .

Keep up the great work.

Vickih :P

Another great report Steff. Hoping the netting saved
Hydi's eggs. Great fun helping you set that up. Wish
I could be with you on your journeys. You taught me
a lot and appreciated your company as well as being
with Darwin. You rock Steff <3

Wonderful update, Steff.

It never ceases to amaze me all you & Pete do each week to keep tabs on the eagles, their nests, etc.....and still provide us with such amazing updates!

Thanks so much!

Stay safe!

:^: :^: :^: :^: :^: :^: :^:
Steffani,
Great eagle week!!!!!!!
Two Chicks :**: :**:
wish Hydi's eggs could hatch!!!!
Appreciate all your work.

OH HOW WONDERFUL! THANKS STEFFANI AND B-)) !

Yay for the first new :^: :^: eaglets on the Channel Island nests in 2012 :**: :><: :><: :**:

Hydi is an :egg: machine :P I wonder if she would be the same with a male around :unsure: She and Pimu must :wub: you lots :D

Interesting match up at TR too :chk:

Thanks for another wonderful update Steffani.

Thank you Steffani, what a glorious update. Two Chicks what a couple of cuties. Hydi needs a boyfriend so we can have little baby Hydi's. :^: ^"^ Wishing you and Peter a fabulous week!! More Chicks!!!