Catalina Update, Wednesday, May 16

Well, there was a lot of excitement on Catalina this week. A wild fire started last Thursday and came right up to the City of Avalon. Fortunately, the fire department was able to keep it from burning down the city. The wild fire burned about 4500 acres and knocked out the power to Two Harbors, where the video servers for our Catalina eagle cams are housed. We have no idea how long it will be before power is restored. We were finally able to get out in the field today to check on the nests, which were never threatened by the fire. We visited the Two Harbors, West End, Seal Rocks, and Pinnacle Rock nests and all the chicks are doing fine. Steffani will check on the Twin Rocks chicks tomorrow.

Although the web cams are not on-line, the cameras are still running because they are solar-powered. I recorded a little video at the nests to give people their eagle fix. Below are clips from the Two Harbors and West End nests. Hopefully the cameras will be on-line before banding time (last week of May), but if not, we will record the camera feeds for playback.

As always - thank you guys for a job well done! (and the patience you have with us is endless ... ) I am (more than ever) so happy that we did go ahead with the fundraiser for the video cam! Who could imagined this particular need for the video cam - who would have ever thought that a fire of this magnitude would happen and the power for the feeds be lost!

Thank you again Cruzers for this special gift to IWS, Peter & Steffani!

And all that said - look at those chicks!! Their growth and development in the weeks that we've not seen them - just blows one away! Their feathers - their coloring - their SIZE - did I mentiion how big they've gotten!

Glad to see a little of every kind of activity (even a poop shot) at WE but those TH twins are like Seal Rock was - no activity! but they were up and awake!

Glad to hear that you've been able to visit nearly all the nests and all is well - life goes on whether we are able to observe or not! Hoping that for the sake of the residents at Two Harbor that their power is restored quickly - but hope so for us too! (yeah I'm a little selfish)

Again - thank you and Steffani! (how's our Pimu!! - just love her and Tachi)

(hey - we need a steffani symbol .....)

PETER - Thanks so much for our "Eagle Fix". It's amazing how much the chicks have grown. Hope that the power is restored soon, but knowing you will be taking videos is so great. Thanks again.

Thank you for the eagle fix. I feel much better now.
My how they have grown, and it's a relief to see the chicks and the parents at the West end nest, and the chicks are Two Harbors too. They have so much "dark" on them now. What a difference 6 days can make at this stage of their development. It's been 6 days right? Seems like weeks. So glad the fire didn't threaten them, and the town was saved.
We all appreciate everything you do.

Dr Sharpe and Steffani -
I cannot thank you enough for all that you do, including the things you do for this forum. Thank you, thank you, thank you for thinking of us the way you do. It is so wonderful to see the West End and Two Harbors eaglets. My, how they have grown! They look HUGE. I just adore all the chicks.

Thank you again!

Thank you so very much, Dr. Sharpe, for thinking of us and posting these videos. I was happy to see the littlest eaglet at TH is doing well. All the eaglets must be well fed, I haven't seen much fighting amongst them. All the chicks have grown so quickly! It's an amazing thing to watch!

Peter et al, I had not realized how much I'd missed the chicks and their parents till I saw them again, thanks to your videos. I am in awe of the fact that eleven new eagles were produced on Catalina this year. What a remarkable accomplishment! Congratulations on your success.

Thank you so much
....I too can't believe how much they have grown. Thank you for thinking of us. It was a nice "Eagle Fix" but it also leaves me wanting more. I am so glad all are doing well.

Thank you Peter for video taping WE & TH nests - couldn't believe the change in the chicks in such a short time - like Trish said it seems likes months since we last saw them. Like Harpo said who was to know the investment in a video cam would become so valuable - thank you for providing our "eagle fix" - you have noooo idea how badly we needed it - thank you for reporting on how well all the chicks are doing - couldn't believe seeing the chick sitting close to 01 - looked almost as big as 01. So glad they are growing, pooping, eating and doing so well. Thanks to you Peter, Steffani, Dave, and all the other IWS crew for all you do.

Yeyyyyyy! Thank you Peter for the anxiously awaited update
The chicks are all so big! I have to wait until I get to work to watch the videos, but it's so wonderful to know they all are fine and unaffected by the fire. We were the ones suffering not knowing how they were or being able to see for ourselves. Can't wait 'til the live feed is back
Thanks to the whole IWS crew and God Bless

Thanks so much Peter for the great update. I can't believe how big the chicklets are!!!! I appreciate all of your hard work.

Thank you seems like so little to express the gratitude we feel for all you do....but that's all we have, so......

THANK YOU!!!

Thank you so much for the videos of these nests it is so amazing to see the change in the eaglets. I miss the cam and so appreciate the time you take to get the video and upload it for us to see.

I got my WE and TH Nests eagle fix , makes me happy, happy..Thank you...

Dr. Sharpe - I can't really add anything to the comments of my fellow eagleholics, but I do want to add my heartfelt thanks for the update and the videos! And yes, I have to say I can't believe how big the WE and TH chicks have gotten in just 6 days....even the one we've dubbed Peanut at TH looks so big and healthy!

After your lecture in Ventura and seeing the map of Catalina and approximate locations of the nests, I wasn't really worried about the those nests during the fire. I was, however, very concerned about Pimu and Tachi, not knowing their location....and of course Avalon and the people But humans usually have a way of escape where some animals don't. I read there were deer on the streets of Avalon; I hope they found refuge back in unburnt areas of the hills.

Anyway, so very happy to hear that all is well. . . just a matter of time before things start getting back to some semblance of normalcy.

Again, THANK YOU to you and all the IWS crew - you guys (& girls) are great!!