Santa Cruz Update, July 12, 2007

Hey All,

Another week has gone by here on the island. We've been busy these past few weeks trying to re-capture some of the older Bald Eagles so that we can collect blood and feather samples to be analyzed for DDT and PCB contamination. We've still been unable to catch a single bird, mostly due to the fact that the vast majority of our Eagles are on Anacapa island right now, taking advantage of the massive number of seabird chicks this time of year (mostly Western gulls and Brown pelicans). Although the eagles over there have recently shown some signs of restlessness, and we've had a few birds make a trip or two back here to Santa Cruz. Unfortunately for us, these trips have been short, and the birds quickly find there way back to the giant buffet that is West Anacapa island.

On to Limuw news! As you all know, he's been returning to the nest almost every day since he fledged close to 2 weeks ago, and we've been keeping a close eye on him since his 'early' departure (both direct observation and monitoring his GPS data). Although he's slowly starting to venture farther from the nest, he's been spending the majority of his time within a few hundred yards of home. Both K-10 and K-26 have continued to supply him with all the food he needs (as you've all been observing on the webcam), so he can spend his leisure time perching and perfecting his flying skills. Kim was out watching him for the majority of the day yesterday, first finding him about a ½ mile east of the nest, although he eventually moved back to the nest canyon, where one of the parents was waiting patiently for his return. Based on all your webcam observations from yesterday, I see that he was back in the nest later in the day.

The day before yesterday I received a call from NPS Kate regarding the voices that many of you heard on the webcam earlier that day. After checking the video online (thanks for the great documentation), my initial concerns were mostly alleviated. Based on the reaction of K-26 and Limuw, and the clarity of the voices, we think the 'intruders' were probably farther from the nest than it appeared. When we've worked on the camera in the past, we found that a voice can be picked up and clearly audible as far as 60-80 yards from the nest (where the microphone is). If fact, when Peter and I were fine-tuning the camera earlier in the season, we used the microphone in lieu of a radio for communication between our observation tent and the camera. It's always been a concern of ours that wayward hikers could disturb the chick or adults in the nest, especially during incubation and the first few weeks after hatching (before the chick can defend itself from other birds). Now that Limuw is a free flying bird, we can rest a little easier, as he always has the option of just flying away. Nonetheless, it's nice to know that we have so many people keeping an eye on the nest for us, since we can't always be watching for these things ourselves.

Anyhow, that's about all I have for today. I'll leave you with a few pictures we ware able to get this past week. I'll talk to you all again soon.

Dave


A-63 Perched near the nest (Photo by Kim)


A-63 Flying high! (Photo by Kim)


Western Gull Family


Black Oyster-Catcher Family

Thank you, Dave!

Are hikers, wayward or otherwise, a real concern?

If so, what is the concern?

Thank you Dave .... for your great update ... as always ... plus the reassurance that the voices we heard at the nest could be further away than we thought.

Wonderful photos Kim .... the Gulls and the Black Oyster-Catcher Families sure blend into the back-ground.

Loved the photos of A-63 .... sounds like a typical teenage boy .... wants his freedom but stays close to home too for the food!

Appreciate your time ... and all you do to keep us informed .... Thanks again.

Fantastic picture of Limuw. Thank you.

MIB

Dave--I called Kate about the men's voices, alarmist that I am! Parrot/keet people have a huge Bird Hotline website--and of course, I have my Bird Patrol T-shirt and red button. (Button is misplaced, thank goodness or else I would have that plastered to my forehead-- )

Thank you for the fabulous photos and Update!

Kim: outSTANDing photo of Limu!! Great report, Dave....answered all of my questions for the week. Good luck with the trapping efforts!

Awesome closeup of Limuw. Nice to see him flying high too, as well as the other bird families. Thanks fro me too.

Dave,

Your report was very interesting to read about all the Eagles in the Santa Cruz and Anacapa area. Kim's sightings and GPS tracking of Limuw explains and confirms why we hear him so often calling when he is away from the nest. Out and about, but not too far away, very often.

Kim's picture of Limuw is so handsome! The extra clarity of the photo is a much different and precise view of him. Tomorrow he will be 3 months old and coincidentally, it is another Friday 13th, as it was on April 13th! Lucky number for Limuw and now for us all

Thank you so much.

Dave,
I've been out of town for a few days. Thanks for the summary of what happened in my absence. Great report.

Kim,
Thanks for my new desktop background. What a fantastic photo of our little guy.

Sara --- Can you tell me how to make that fantastic photo of Limuw into a desktop background, as you said you would do? That I would love to have too!!

What a beautiful bird! Good pictures Kim!!!!!

Kim,

Like Saraho I too have made your photo of Limuw my new laptop background.

It had been Cruz, upon her tree-top with her beautiful SantaCruz neighborhood around her. Saved that one too, but just had to have this handsome Limuw, in such clarity of be the one now.

When my hubby saw your photo, he said WOW too

Also the oystercatcher and chick is equally beautiful. Very good looking bird, as most all are in our feathered kingdom.

Thank you Dave for your great report and Kim for the beautiful photos.

Black Oyster Catcher - that's my new thing today! (brain full now)

Thank you Dave for the great info and insight! Wonderful photos - especially Limuw (thanks Kim)!

What can I say that hasn't already been said. Thank you so much Dave for another great report, and Kim for the pictures. And yes, my new Desktop is also that excellent pic of Limuw