Forum Members' Biographies .... M To R, Bios/Photos of Discussion Group Members

[Cumbrian]

ojailala

Hi everybody.. Since I was the 3rd member to join, it is only right that I am about the last to tell you why I love this little eagle... My name is Linda and I live in Oak View, near Ojai with my husband Dick... we have 20 chickens, 5 wandering peacocks, 4 cats.. one new orange baby that my son found in his car engine.. . We've named him "Scout:.....A neighbor taught me years ago to identify all the birds in our area. Lots of bird books in our house. I raised a baby red-tail for about a year, never keeping him in captivity..just hung out with my three boys... the final time I saw him he was on a telephone pole and was not interested in the meal I had brought from the butcher.. I then realized that he had hunted that day and was successful.. The same feeling I now have for our Cruz... .When they become independant of their parent it is a joy and great sorrow too..All of you guys have been absolutly wonderful.. not a better bunch of eagle lovers anywhere. I feel like I know you all and loved hearing your profiles.
We also have a wild turkey now living here on our hill.. just showed up two weeks ago..He'll be safe in November.. . I have two granddaughters, Sasha 3 1/2 and Summer, 6 months.. my dreamgirls.. (I raised 3 sons)...We live on top of a hill in the Ojai Valley and have birds of all kinds...hard to enjoy cats and birds at the same time...

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Linda
Ojai, CA

[Cumbrian]

ostrich2


I'm Ian and I live in Toronto (too far away for any of the trips but I hope I will have a chance to see Santa Cruz sometime in the future). I was drawn to watching the eagles by the Hornby, and later the Saanich cams, and found the Santa Cruz cam when people watching the Hornby cam posted it. For a long while I was so intent on watching the Hornby and Saanich cams that I only occasionally tuned into A49's nest, and because she was alone in the nest so much of the time it sometimes seemed like there wasn't much going on. But especially as she got closer to fledging I started to tune in more often and Cruz started to grow on me. Her successful fledging and being able to keep track of her life with the wonderful efforts of the IWS crew have been extremely enjoyable, and I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing another successful nesting season for the eagles next year.

----------------------
Ian
Toronto, ON, Canada.



Ian .. during his tour on Catalina Island .. July 18/08

[Cumbrian]

Patti


I was born in Ventura County (Oxnard) as were my parents. I've lived in Ventura, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Orange Counties. I attended university for a while in Tucson, AZ and grew to love the desert from having lived there.

My husband and I will celebrate 20 years together in November. He's a sweet soul and I'm fortunate to have found him. Not only is he a dear man, but he's a wonderful artist. We met because we were both artists. He can create everything, but is recognized for his metal sculpture. I'm limited to drawing and painting & liked pottery in my younger days. Michael has one daughter from his previous marriage. Mia was a large part of our daily life when we first married. She's now a 31-year-old living in Los Angeles.

My life has been all about my birds for quite a number of years. I could not have children, but overcame that major disappointment. I'm close to Mia, my niece and nephews--and now their children. I'm thankful for what I have.

An African grey parrot and cockatoos are now my children. Smaller budgies, parakeets & lovebirds, as well as cockatiels, live with us. Being an artist was exciting for numerous years, but it didn't compare to handfeeding a few-days-old cockatoo/s or several week old cockatiel/s to weaning. This was my personal joy. Now I care for these (19?) birds and tend to my mother's personal & business affairs. I am happy to give back to my mother what she gave to me for decades. It comes full circle.

I would like to help the bald eagle safely come back to our Northern Channel Islands. As a group, I am proud that we may be making a difference and that we care. I'm proud to be an A-49 Cruzer!

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Patti,
Camarillo, CA--Ventura County

[Cumbrian]

Paula eaglet momster


Hi, my name is Paula, and I am an eagleholic! (whew, got that out, ok here goes!)

I'm an East-coaster (Maryland) and started watching eagles just this past spring when my boss turned me on to the NCTC Eagle Cam in Shepherdstown, WV. Within days, I was hooked! It's really funny, all these years on the internet and I never thought about watching animals on cams. Now I can't get enough. I first started watching to try and get my son interested, since he has always loved eagles. He has eagle statues, pictures, coins, etc etc all over his room. Well, he had a girlfriend at the time and wasn't interested, but I was!

I've lived in Maryland all my life, first in Montgomery County, then moved to Frederick County when I was 18. I'm a single mom and have 2 sons, 25 and 18 (the college kid!), so I am somewhat of an empty nester for the moment (although my dogs would beg to differ!) I also have one grandson who will be 1 year old next week!

I had the pleasure for the first time in my life to visit California (San Diego) this past New Year's (2006) when my girlfriend and I visited some friends who moved there 2 years ago. Would love to pay your beautiful state another visit and visit the Channel Islands also.

I truly love watching these magnificent birds. I also have enjoyed watching Osprey this season along with eagles. (I just love the big beautiful raptors!) I helped to form the Yahoo group eaglet_momsters for a place for the NCTC cam watchers to gather and talk off-season, much as everyone here is doing now. We have visited the nest site on the NCTC grounds, and gotten together several other times. We are very much like the family I see here, in that the blog and yahoo group all get along so well. I also developed a web site to sell items to benefit the NCTC cam. We are also exploring other avenues to raise money for the cam. You all here have done a wonderful job to raise money for IWS, a very worthy organization!

I hope to be able to get to know each other in the coming months before all the fun really starts!

--------------------
Paula
On the East Coast in Emmitsburg, MD
www.eagletmomsters.com




Santa Cruz 'Death March' to see the nest!

[Cumbrian]

peppermint


I am Patti from Carpinteria, CA...20 miles as the eagle flies from Santa Cruz Island...and I am an eagleholic. I have lived here since 1982. I was born in Kansas and moved to northern California when I was 11 when my dad was transferred with the US Bureau of Reclamation. I went to Chico State, University of Oregon, then back to finish up and graduate from Chico State when I changed my major from Music (oboe) to Ornamental Horticulture. My first job out of college was working in a research lab breeding onions for an onion and garlic dehydration company in Gilroy, CA. I moved to Ojai in 1980 as the assistant manager of an 80 acre grove of oranges. I thought I had truly found my niche until the hot summers did me in so I relocated to Carpinteria in 1982 to work for an interior plant maintenance company...have been in Carpinteria ever since. I was married for 16 years...and now I'm not. I have one awesome son currently attending SBCC and an orange and white cat (Corky) that totally owns us both. My professional life evolved into starting my own bookkeeping service which I operate out of my home...this allowed me to be home with my son from the time he was about 6 months old....and gave me the freedom to be able to watch this nest without TOO much interference from work related issues. I hate routine and love flexibility. You know that commercial where the woman is working at her computer at home wearing a bathrobe and bunny slippers? That's MY life!

-----------------------------
Patti
Carpinteria, CA
halfway 'tween Ventura and Santa Barbara on the coast across from Santa Cruz Island


Click on photo to enlarge

[Cumbrian]

petra


i'm petra and i'm almost 46 (10th of january)
i've met people on this forum who are very close friends now for me
one in america and one in canada who is coming from holland to and live there now.

i'm married with jan (52) and we've 1 boy jeroen (16) and we're married for 19 yrs now (sept. 87)

the eagles are my specialy favorits birds and i've watching every day for hours.....
when they're wake up (here at 14.00 noon) when i saw the mother on the nest in sunrise soooooooooo beautifull...
and both parents raising both babies.....awesome

and that other nest with one babie
and where the biologs going to care....
i've follow that of course

i hope that they're next spring coming back...

so i'm so glad for here in holland to
cause there is last spring/summer an eagle nest again to
with 1 babie
for the first time of years...

so can someone explain to me how to put pictures here on the forum ?
i hope it isn't difficult and pleace use "normal" english cause that technical
english its so difficult (????)



so till next time

many greetings from holland,
-----------------
Petra
Vianen, in the neighbourhood of Utrecht
In the middle of Holland
NL.

[Cumbrian]

polly23


Hi. My name is Iris and like so many of you I have become an eagleholic.I am 58 years old . I have been married to DH for over 40 years. We have 3 grown children ,two boys and 1 girl , no grandchildren. We also have 3 cats and they seem to rule our lives.
We live in a small town in British Columbia and enjoy a quiet lifestyle.
I got my first computer four years ago and I can't imagine how I lived without it. I am still not that good on it , but thanks to this forum I am trying to learn new things on it.
I just want to thank all the posters for their insights, humor, care for each other,and what good people you all are.

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Iris
B.C. Canada

Here is a picture of me . I cropped it out of a picture taken at my youngest son's wedding last year.


Click on photo to enlarge.

[Cumbrian]

Pottyshed


Unfortunately the Chili Eagle Cam Forum will not allow me to post yet (even after the very welcomed efforts of a couple of very dear friends ), so I thought I would have the same dear friends post this for me in answer to a request for a brief bio. I am a retired, overly ripe female, and 24/7 caregiver for husband who is a stroke survivor. I have 5 hrs of respite a month so this frustrating machine sitting in front of me has become my link to sanity and the outside world. I have called the 1 square mile of Mt. Healthy, Ohio home for more yrs. than I like to admit to. It is about 10 miles north of Cincinnati, so we have the best of both worlds. Everyday 'Mayberry' style living but all the amenities the big cities have to offer. When I'm not tending to hubbies needs, I enjoy gardening, needlework of all kinds, watching The Cincinnati Zoo Gorilla Cam (my favorite large mammal), Pete's Pond and of course the eagles nests. That's about it....If 'boring' needed an address, it could use mine.
I hope to be able to post soon, if I can ever figure out how to get it to work, so until then,

Pottyshed

PS.... In answer to, Ye' the Man in Black, the origin of Pottyshed is a multiple choice question.

A. Hubby built me a Potting Shed and carved a half moon in the door
B. I'm a lousy speller
C. I'm a lousy typist
D. I'm a lousy housekeeper
E. All of the above

Smile EagleDuo

--------------------
Carol
Mt. Healthy, Ohio



This is a caricature that Eagle Duo/Jann did of Pottyshed a couple of years ago.
No photograph available at this time

[Cumbrian]

Rogrnnr2


My Name is Leo Rogers, (Roger) the Roger part is from the military, VNam vet and proud of it. I (we) DW of many years live in Simi Valley (Ventura County), CA, 34 years. Both retired and loving it. Four kids, 8 grandkids, that are so fun, as everyone says, needed grand kids first……. Both of us were raised in the central Calif. mountains. High mountains in the summer time, Dad ran a Pack Station in Sequoia National Forest/Park. At that time in the late 40’s & 50’s still had the Bald Eagles and Condors there. I lived/worked on Santa Cruz Island for 2 years in the mid/late 60’s, at the Christy Ranch. Dr. Carey was a real-real great person

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Leo
Simi Valley, CA


No photograph submitted at this time.

[Cumbrian]

norcalgal


Greetings,

My name is Karon Pasos and I live with my husband (Mark) and two daughters (Katherine and Kestrel) in Saratoga CA (ie Silicon Valley).

I've been watching the Catalina eagles for five years and we made our first trip to the island in the spring of '06. Sadly, we didn't see any wild eagles on that trip, but we did see, among other things, a kestrel on the back country jeep tour, and, just by chance, we were chosen to be interviewed by a LA news station about Catalina and the ongoing conservation efforts taking place there. Our 15 seconds of fame!

I was amazed to find out about this group formed last year around the hatching on Santa Cruz island (I think we heard about the hatching on our trip). I really enjoy reading the observations - for some reason I can't get the Santa Cruz cam - and seeing the pics and videos. Thanks for all the hard work!

I love animals and am especially interested in raptors, not sure why.... Our family also includes three cats and there is constant lobbying for a dog. My daughters are into horses and can't understand why we can't have one in the backyard.

I plan on making more trips to Catalina in the hopes of seeing eagles and to also volunteer for one of the work vacations. It is a special place, made even better by the efforts of Dr. Sharpe and all the eagle lovers and supporters.

I'm looking forward to reading your entries and perhaps adding my own 2 cents someday.

Thanks again for all your hard work,

-----------------
Karon
Saratoga CA (ie Silicon Valley)




Video shoot on Catalina April 2006 .... mentioned above .... I am the one in pink.
Click on photo to enlarge.

[Cumbrian]

pcnovice


Good afternoon--I really was unsure where to introduce myself, but I think I put a lot of info about myself in my profile.

I started bird watching on webcams about 4 or 5 years ago---at the Kodak Building in Rochester they have a nestbox for Falcons and the same parents have raised a brood there for the past few years.

I have taken many screenshots even though it is not a live stream. I became a member of the forum and still receive updates daily on what is happening. Mariah (the mom) is currently sitting on 4 eggs--she had five, but one mysteriously disappeared.

This year the webcam has been taken over by the Genesee Valley Audobon Society. http://rfalconcam.com/rfc-main/gvasAndKodak.php

There is a main camera and 4 other cameras that snap shots every few minutes and you can see them at the link I posted.

I also watch a Wavelit Africam and have been watching a multitude of eagle sites, stork nests, etc. Most recently I have been following all sorts of webcams at Hancock House.

I learned about this webcam through an Internet friend and wanted to check it out.

Now is this too much info for an introduction??

I can't promise to be a regular here as I am 78 and have some health restrictions, but I am very active and you can find me travelling to Syracuse or Rochester a lot as they are both about 50 miles from me.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I live a short distance from the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge where they have had many eagles hatched there throughout the years. They are magnificent birds and I found 5 nests this year outside of the refuge near a busy highway--and they were built, not in trees, but on top of the high tension electrical posts.......
-----------------------------

Photograph and Name and Location requested [Waterloo, NY???]

[Cumbrian]

RichardV


Hi: Joined the Eagle group in April, 2007 after seeing a story in the Los Angeles Times.

My Background: Resident of Valencia (Santa Clarita), California. Started my working life after graduating from Humboldt University. Seventeen years as a newspaper reporter, magazine writer and photographer. Followed by two years with the California Legislature then on to the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. Past 11 years the best job I've ever had working for the California Air Resources Board, the world's best and greatest environmental organization. First 8 years as a spokesman for the Board in the Communications Office and then two years working on a special project to reduce diesel smoke from trash trucks. In January 2007 became one of the three founding members of ARB's new Climate Change -- Global Warming group. I do a variety of things but the most fun is doing presentations on Climate Change to business and community groups. I'm also working on writing Climate Change materials in a way that they can be understood by the general public.

Non-work life: Swap meets, flea markets, garage sales; hiking, walking, swimming, snorkeling, bike riding, cooking and baking bread.

I like all sorts of wild things including snakes, lizards and spiders. (Butterflys too!) When I was a kid I found a sparrow hawk that had fallen out of the nest and raised it. Kept it for several years until one day it just up and flew away -- as did a raven I found several years later. The place where I work, in El Monte, has flocks of wild parrots that live in the trees on the property -- what noise from these little guys!

--------------------
Rich
Valencia (Santa Clarita), California.



Click on photo to enlarge

[Cumbrian]

Michele


Hi Everyone,

I am so happy to join this group of Eagle Watchers!!!

My name, as you may have guessed, is Michele. My family (Dh and two sons aged 26yrs and 20yrs) and I are from El Dorado Hills, CA, which is about 35 miles east of Sacramento in the foothills.

I am an avid Raptor fan. In our neck of the woods we have many Barn Owls, Western Screech Owls, Great Horned Owls (winter only), Red Tailed Hawks and Red Shoulder Hawks......but nary a one of my favorite.....Eagles.

About a month ago, my aunt sent me a link to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens Live Eagle Cam. I would watch for hours and would even check during lunch at school (I'm a Teacher Associate in RSP at a local middle school). Problem was.....getting home early enough to catch a good glimpse of the eaglets (three hour difference in time puts a damper on my viewing enjoyment), before night fall. This weekend I happened upon a link to the Live Cam in Calif. I thought I had died and gone to heaven!!! LOL!!!

It has been incredibly fascinating viewing your video clips as well as reading your observations. I have to tell you, I am hopelessly hooked!!! I have learned sooooo much in just this past weekend, and I look forward to learning even more as the weeks go on.

Thank You Guys!!!
----------------------
Michele
El Dorado Hills, CA,



click on photo to enlarge

[Cumbrian]

minacat


Hi; my name is Mina (pronounced My-nuh!) and I learned about this forum and all the great eagle cams in an article in the Los Angeles Times back in April. I immediately logged on , saw that gray fuzzy critter in the SC nest, and was hooked. It's been great watching those chicklets go from being a ball of fuzz to flying all over the nests.

I grew up in Maryland, lived in Ohio for a short stint while in graduate school at Bowling Green, then lived in Georgetown in Washington D.C. In 1967, I drove to California "for a few weeks" and I'm still here, living in Altadena with my daughter Ginny, who is 18. My husband, Pete (AltaPete) is at the moment living in Halethorpe, Maryland and working in Frederick. He's been watching the eaglets too.

I taught mathematics, most recently at East Los Angeles College for 32 years, and retired in 2000. Within a year I had celebrated that retirement by having 3 back surgeries and a broken back. I'm now coming back to life and am teaching part time at Citrus College.

I am a guitar player and folksinger and a writer of both non-fiction (mostly) and songs. I also like swimming and hanging out reading and doing crossword puzzles. And, of course watching eagles! I'm not quite ready to be able to go back to hiking yet, though.

Thanks to all who post all the great stuff. I hope to learn to do it too, SOON!
-----------------
Mina
in Altadena CA

[Cumbrian]

retiredteacher


Hi Everyone,

This is my third attempt to post. I'm not too bright when is comes to computer stuff. I don't even know how to post a photo of myself, so I guess I'll remain a woman of mystery for a while.

I live in Murrieta, California and just retired from teaching high school LAST WEEK! It doesn't feel like retirement yet, just summer vacation.

I first found the site in April when one of the LA channels had an item about the live cams on the news. I saw the SC baby the day it was born. What a rush!
I showed the site to my students and a couple of them got hooked too. I didn't really explore the forum until yesterday because the school blocked access. I finally took time yesterday to view a lot of the archived video and stills. (A couple of hours actually.)

Thank you all for your participation. I look forward to seeing the babies fledge.
---------------
Barbara Muir
Murrieta, California



This is me with my fiance', Caesar Ricci.