Catalina Update, Thursday, February 24, 2011

[eaglegal]

What a week!

Eggs, eggs, and more eggs!

My apologies for the late Thursday update but this has been a very hectic week. We’ve had a problematic past few days and had camera issues and our fieldwork has been limited due to the recent rain we experienced.
Anyways, ready? Here it goes!

Last Wednesday I went to check on the Seal Rocks and the Pinnacle Rock nest. When I arrived to SR I found an adult incubating


Its mate quickly showed up; they made a switch and I was able to see their two precious eggs


Later, I checked the PR nest and I found the female incubating! After an hour of sitting out there in the cold wind, the male arrived to the nest and delivered a food item for her and I was able to see one egg in the bowl, it was hard because of all the wind but it was worth the wait.








See the nest? More importantly, see the eagle or the egg???


OK, how about now…


Cont…

[eaglegal]

A couple of days later, I visited the PR nest again and this time there were two eggs in the bowl.





You can clearly see the eggs and both tags of the parents, which are K56 and K65 (ladies first!)


On Sunday I checked the PR nest but was unable to see nest bowl. Very, very windy day!


Today I checked PR again and I was crushed when I realized that they only had one egg left. Over the past few days they have apparently lost one and there’s no way to know which one.
I didn’t have enough time during the switch to take a picture because as soon as I saw the bowl, I stopped filming and zoomed in to make sure there was really just one egg.






But don't be sad, there’re more good news than bad this week for sure!
On Friday morning, we woke up to the news that the Two Harbors female laid her first egg! Everyone was very excited about!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxS8HQlwJtI

And later, when I checked on Rattlesnake I saw one of the adults finally incubating.




Cont…

[eaglegal]

Because of all the rain we haven’t had access to the road where our RS receiver sits so I have just been watching through a scope from the ridge.


On Sunday, I visited them again to see if she, K47, had laid another egg but when the male K80, arrived, they switched and not once was I able to see the bowl much less one egg or two.


The male is left to incubate while the female head out to the ocean


Yesterday I checked them twice, in the morning and later right before heading home and I was finally able to confirm two eggs!




On Monday, our TH camera went out and we couldn’t start it remotely, so I headed out to Two Harbors to try and figure out what the problem was.
You see our computer is inside a shed that belongs to the people who run The Banning House, a very nice bed & breakfast at Two Harbors. This couple went on vacation on Sunday and had left the entire place locked! I asked around and no one had keys or knew who would have them. So I called Pete, he suggested that I should find one of the relatives of the couple so they can let me in. I drove to town, asked around and finally found a lady who told me over and over again that the back door of the shed should be unlocked. I checked the shed one more time and of course, it was locked like I told her it was!


I went back to town and showed her it wasn’t so she agreed to come up and open it for me. Anyways, after I messed around with the computer with Pete on the line, he concluded that the problem was not on our end but with the Internet connection in town. I contacted the tech who is in charge of it and he said he’ll fix it as soon as he gets back home, which he did and voila! The TH cam was back on-line.
The main office at the Banning House has a very nice set up; a large monitor displaying the TH cam. It’s a great way to spread the word and keep the staff and guests informed and involved. Everybody sure appreciates very much having such a clear live video of an active nest. It’s a perfect location given that many of the guests just have to look out their windows, face Catalina Harbor and see the actual nest with their naked eyes.




While I waited, I sat in the office and watched the nest since I was the only one able to do it and when K82 turned the egg, it almost looked like there were two. I was fooled of course; she laid her second egg very late that same night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAJqL61jlH4

She happened to lay it out side of the bowl and it was really interesting to watch her try to roll it inside the bowl… so much suspense. We could clearly see this happening, clearly being the key word here ‘cause remember, this is nighttime and she is doing this in the dark!
She finally succeeds at getting the “stubborn” egg back in the bowl! (Thanks eagle cam watchers for staying up way pass your bedtimes to capture this moment!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC4dB_ax9TY

Cont…

[eaglegal]

On Thursday, I checked on the Twin Rocks nest.


There was nobody around when I got there but after a while one of the adults arrived and started working on a nest bowl.




I’ve checked TR twice again since then and they have no eggs yet. This is one of the TR adults perched on their roost right below the nest a couple of days ago


And this is today


Yesterday I decided to head out to the West End to finally figure out what had happened to our WE cam. Because we had really bad winds last week, we assumed one of the antennas had gotten knocked over or at the very least, misaligned. I went out to our first receiver site at Silver Peak. As soon as I plugged the monitor in I saw Wray perched on the nest, not incubating. It was a huge relief because the cam has been off for so long, if she had laid an egg, we would have not known the date. So good news so far.


Then I stopped at the Water Tank Road tower and plugged thing in. Again, good picture.




So I headed back to the USC building and went up on the roof. Again, good picture.


So the problem had to be at the computer where we encode the feed to be sent to the server. I plugged and unplugged everything I could and all the sudden I got WE feed online, except that it had showed up on the TH site and the TH cam was gone. Oops!

I decided that, at this point, it was more important to watch the WE nest since they hadn’t laid an egg yet so I left that one up. Don’t ask me why, or how it happened but Pete had to finish fixing it remotely from Santa Cruz. We still have to go back out there some time next week and figure out what that was and get the sound fixed, but for now, at least we are able to watch both nests again.
http://www.justin.tv/amethyst529/b/2802567...urce=20100408en

After I had gotten home last night, I learned that Wray, the WE female had laid her first egg in the last hour or so. I was really glad to know this ‘cause our timing with fixing the camera could have not been better and I know you all appreciate that. Thanks again for capturing it all on video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCv_3MtawFc

Cont…

[eaglegal]

Today, I also checked on the SR nest really quick and fortunately they did a switch as soon as I got there and I saw both eggs.




I have also been looking for the Middle Ranch pair. I have not seen them at the reservoir or perched at the KBRT poles like they use to and I started to think that maybe they had built a nest at another location we didn’t know off.
Looking for eagles at the reservoir


Fortunately, yesterday I spotted them both perched on those poles so they are not nesting yet.


Sorry about going back and forth with the dates, but if you got a little lost or confused just imagine how crazy this week has been for me. I’ll summarize it quickly for you.

SR 2 eggs
PR had 2 but lost one, so 1 egg
RS 2 eggs
TH 2 eggs
WE 1 egg
TR nothing yet
MR nothing yet

Pimu and Hydi still no eggs; although they sure act and eat as if they were getting ready to lay 5 each I love my overly hormonal eagles… they make me feel special.

Ok, I’m done I think, but stay tuned ‘cause we could have up to 13 eggs by next week so this is just getting started!

One more shot. A full moon over Avalon Harbor… good night!


Until next week,
Steffani

[chiquita]

Steffani...Thanks for this wonderful update...and the beautiful full moon shot from Chimes Tower Road.

Chiquita

[jojoflys]

Thanks so much for this great report and for all the time you put into keeping us informed.

[Eagle Duo]

Thanks, Steff, for another great report! Stay safe & dry!

[Maryomaryo]

[/B]Hi Steff and thank you[B] for going the extra mile to keep us all in the egg "loop!"

[amethyst]

Steff, your accidental feed from WE was amazingly well time!!!! Thanks for all your efforts to get it working!

[river]

You guys are the greatest!! working so hard to keep us eagleholics happy!

[cdn-cdn]

Thank you, Steffani!

[quiltingal1]

Thanks, Steff, for all your hard work. What an exciting time of year.
Soon we will have many babies.
Linda

[sunnyland7]

Hi Steffani

It's all so EGGCITING!
Interesting report! Amazing all you do to keep things working!
and Please keep safe!
How beautiful to see the moon over Avalon! (Sounds like a song)

[Topa Topa Hikers]