Catalina update, August 1st, 2007

[eaglegal]

Hi everybody,
We’ve had quite an exciting week in Catalina. I’ve been trying to keep up with our young eagles and their travels around the island. I normally visit every nest area at least once a week but lately that strategy doesn’t work so well ‘cause the eaglets aren’t around their ‘original homes’ anymore, in fact, last Friday I went to the West End and half way down the trail to my observation point I started seeing not one, not two, not three but FOUR eaglets, flying very close to me. One of the Pinnacle chicks, K-71, had joined the triplets! My goal for that day was only to get a visual on K-73 since I hadn’t seen him the last time I was out there; instead I saw all six WE eagles plus 1. I was so excited to see them flying together, enjoying the thermals and cruising around just for fun. It’s good to know they are getting along and hopefully bonding so that they stay together and don’t leave the island. Of course that depends on many different factors, an important being the availability of food in the island.
Here’re a few pictures of the WE eaglets:
K-73

K-74

K-74 getting even closer

K-73 & K-74 flying very closely to each other. I was able to get about 40-50 feet from them, close enough to read their wing markers with the naked eye.

Last week I mentioned I was going on a boat to survey the coast; on Thursday, I went out with the rangers looking for eagles, starting at Avalon and going all the way to the Empire Landing area. I got a visual on K-75 but I couldn’t find K-76, though his signal was strong. Here’s K-75 hanging out by Camp Fox, which is about 2 miles east from the nest.

I also spotted both of the TR parents, K-17 and K-33.

I found out how the area got its name of Twin Rocks. There’s this rock, actually there’re two rocks, underneath the TR nest, that look like two hands clapping so they look like mirror images of each other, hence Twin Rocks…very pretty. Here’s a picture, though it doesn’t really show the actual gap between them. I’ll try to get a better one nest time I got out.

On our way back we found the adults again on a different spot. One looked like it had gone fishing ‘cause it looked soaking wet.

One of the rangers showed me a huge rock by Toyon’s beach where great blue herons and western gulls nest. So pretty…

One of the babies stood up as we got closer.

cont...

[Bird]

OMG, Steffani! What an incredible update! I love the pictures, and I am so glad that the eaglets are staying together. What a bonus to see the heron. Thank you so much, Steffani, for your wonderful update! I hope your arm is feeling better.

Thanks for the tidbit about how Twin Rocks got its name. I love stuff like that.

[Eagle Duo]

Wow! Fabulous report and fabulous pictures! I could feel your excitement seeing the Pinnacle Rock eaglet with the WE triplets! Thank you for the wonder pictures and report. Hope you're taking care of yourself and feeling better!

[Ojai Hikers]

quote from eaglegal:
It’s good to know they are getting along and hopefully bonding so that they stay together and don’t leave the island.

*******************************************************************

Steff, I've been thinking the same thing...

Thanks for all the beautiful pictures..and I hope your feeling better...

[SoCal Lady]

Steffani --- Your report is so exciting ----- you must have been jumping with excitement when you saw the WE eaglets flying high and the Pinnacle eaglet joining them! That eaglet came the whole length of the Island to meet up with its "cousins".

Your photos are so beautiful-- and those eaglets are absolutely gorgeos in flight. Even though they do not have the adult markings, they have their own beauty in their coloring in their glorious wings.

How is your arm ---- hope the pain is easing up---take good care of yourself ---remember cold packs can be your best friend while you heal.

Thank you sooo much for your wonderful report and descriptions of the WestEnders

[eaglegal]

and here you can see how closely together these two species nest.

It was a beautiful day, you have no idea how much better it is to survey for eagles from the water. I had been planning on taking the kayaks out and survey the areas that we’re not able to see from the land, unfortunately, due to my elbow injury I won’t be able to do that for a while but since the rangers go out at least a couple of times a week I’ll be able to tag along whenever I need to check TR and the Rattlesnake Canyon pairs.
Today I visited the Seal Rocks nest and one of the babies, K-03 was very comfortably laying in the nest. After driving a bit more, I saw both K-03 and K-77 flying along the coast getting very close to Pinnacle Rock.
While feeding Pimu today, I spotted an orange-tagged juvenile flying by the palm trees and going into the reservoir. I didn’t get a good look at it so I dropped everything, grabbed my binoculars and ran to the reservoir to find out who that was. I had a suspicion that it might be K-00 since I’ve been getting his signal around Middle Ranch and sure it was! He was perching on the palm tree that A-32 (the sub-adult from Santa Cruz) likes to perch on, right above my fishing spot. He was beautiful…

I was wondering what he could be eating around the reservoir since they still get fed by their parents and they haven’t learned how to fish yet; but later on today I spoke with Carlos De La Rosa, the Director of the Conservation Department for the Catalina Conservancy, and he told me he had seen K-93 (the male from the reservoir pair) feeding off of a deer carcass near the reservoir so then I figured K-00 must be feeding on carcasses too.
Here’s K-00

Today I also went on an aerial survey… that’s always a lot of fun. Here’s me putting on the right antenna on the plane so that I can pick up the frequencies that the eagle-transmitters give off.

(picture by N. Wells)
I got signals from pretty much everybody except K-73 and K-74. The fog was so dense we couldn’t see absolutely anything at the west end.
Here’s a picture of me and Mike Sheehan, the pilot who takes the fox crew on the aerial surveys every week and now takes me too.

(picture by N. Wells)
He’s an amazing guy and we all appreciate what he does since he volunteers his time and his plane. Thanks Mike!
I’d also like to thanks all of our volunteers that have been helping me out for the past couple of weeks so that I can keep monitoring our exploring eagles. I can’t drive or do any serious hiking yet so they take me everywhere I need to go and help me out with my equipment, feeding Pimu, etc. It’s also nice to have an extra set of eyes helping me spot our birds that camouflage so well. Big thanks too Nancee Wells (also our Membership Coordinator), Patricia Moore, Randy Brannock, Dan Hirst, LeeAnn Human, and Darcee Gutilla.
And last but not least…our lovely Pimu having lunch.

She enjoys her new perch a lot, and I enjoy it as well ‘cause her perching there keeps the walls cleaner.

That’s it for this week.
Chao
Steffani

[Bird]

Excellent, excellent update, Steffani! Thank you so much!!

[Eagle Duo]

Wow! Didn't realize you weren't done yet! Your report and pictures and desciptions of the pictures are super! I remember seeing A32 on that spot of that palm tree on our IWS tour in April. It's a beautiful area. How amazing that K00 is hanging out there too! Thanks again, Steffani!

Love the pictures of Pimu too! Looks like she's resigned to eating with you there? That's definite progress, isn't it?

I'm also glad to hear you're getting plenty of help too while your elbow heals.

[Leslie R.]

Wow Steffani, I sure enjoyed your update. What great pictures of the eaglets, and of Pimu having lunch. Thanks so much.

[Cumbrian]

WoW! ... Thanks Steff ... what a wonderful update with super photographs.

That is wonderful that you saw all the WE eagles/eaglets plus a cousin! They look absolutely stunning soaring.

Glad to hear that you are getting lots of help whilst your elbow heals ... and you are certainly travelling around ...

So pleased that Pimu is enjoying her new perch ... hopefully she will become more 'friendly' towards you and enjoy the training.

Thanks again .... take care of yourself.

[SoCal Lady]

Steffani---Pimu looks wonderful--so healthy---you can tell she receives much TLC from you all---it is sad she cannot fly free- but her life is in good hands with all of your love and care---

Thank you for ALL these great photos and your detailed descriptions, you make us feel like we are right there with you!

[saraoh]

Steffani, that's an update to end all updates! Love the photos and also love your narrative . You must be having such a wonderful time! You realize of course that you are making yourself indispensable!
I'm glad you have had some assistance while your arm heals. Please say hi to Nancee for me. She is such a nice person.
Thanks again! Till nest week...

[Patti]

Thank you! I love all your photos--especially K00 in the palm tree. The news is wonderful, as always. You give great tours & looking forward to more. Thank you so much.

This post has been edited by Patti on Aug 1 2007, 08:41 PM

[Paula eaglet momster]

Excellent Update, Steff. How cool was that to see the Pinnacle Rock eaglet with the West End Eaglets. Sounds like they are all doing well! Thanks for taking us along, and the pictures are wonderful! Hope the elbow gets better soon, glad to hear you have some help!

[helen b.]

Steff - You really outdid yourself on this report (with bummed arm and all - did you learn that from Pimu? ). I so envy you and the environment you work in. Beautiful pictures, as always. Thank you, and the whole team, so much!!!