Catalina Update, Thursday, May 31, 2012

[eaglegal]

Hi there everybody,

Holy talons, do I have the “bestest” report for you today, or what?! Certainly worth the wait!

It is a long one so sit tight and enjoy the ride because you are going to be blown away with these week’s pictures and videos!

As many of you know, on Friday May 25th, the IWS crew went all the way to the west end of the island to band the very famous, and very much loved West End Triplets!

This time the crew consisted of Dr. Sharpe, Ania Wrona, and me!
We headed out to the nest around 8:30am, arriving to the site around 11am.
As soon as the adults noticed us approaching their nest, they started vocalizing, soaring and dive-bombing on us! Totally understandable, they are simply protecting their chicks.

Our first view of the WE nest






Ania took some really great shots of the adults flying around us. Check them out!




K01




One of my favorite ones




One more over the water


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[eaglegal]

Before getting started with banding, Pete first worked on the cameras and tried very, very hard to get the audio and the long-view camera working. After several tests and runs back and forth from tower A to tower B, the long-view camera did not come on. He eventually got the audio to work but we don’t have a way to make it stream along with the nest-cam feed until a new encoder arrives…
Working with the electronics






Pete getting dive-bombed on his way back to tower B


There she goes again


While Pete was busy working with the cameras, in a matter of minutes, Wray went out to the ocean, grabbed a fish and brought it back to the nest. Just like that!






The chick on the far right quickly claimed it and swallowed it whole!


And off she goes again


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[eaglegal]

Pete turned the nest-cam towards the area where we were going to be banding and someone at the main IWS office in Arcata drove it while we were busy banding.
Heading for that pinnacle




Climbing up to the nest and taking a peak!


Hello triplets!!!




Eagles technically don’t sit, they perch, but this one sure looks like is sitting!


Posing!


Staring at Pete


The chick on the edge is “ignoring” what’s happening to its sibling


Grabbed!


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[eaglegal]

Making friends


Coming down the nest with the last chick


We thought we had grabbed the chicks in order of size but once they were out of the bags we realized we got them switched.
Anyways, here’s the little one!
Getting it out of the bag




Taking measurements




Placing leg band on the LEFT leg. Yes, we believe this chick is a female, although it was too small for the measurements to mean much. The blood test will come back that in another week or so.


Admiring the large amount of fluff still left on her…


We had considered not placing wing markers on this one because of its size, and after we spread its wings we realized how much more developing it still needed to do before fledging.




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[eaglegal]

Her legs were completely covered in down feathers, first time I’ve seen that too!




Instead, and in order to make it a little bit easier for us to ID it in the future, Pete placed the federal band on one leg and a second, colored one on the other leg, which reads 5Z.






A nice close up!


Our profiles reflected on her eyes (we must look huge to them!), one of my favorite ones!


We decided to band the smallest chick first, put it back on the nest and then continue banding the other two.


Parents always overhead


We also left her with a little snack donated by some of our camera viewers that had dropped it off at Two Harbors for us to pick it up on our way to the WE nest


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[eaglegal]

Waiting its turn…


The largest chick was banded next and the medium size bird was banded last
I’m holding K24 to be


This bird was the biggest of all three and based on beak measurements also a female!


The last triplet was larger than the first one but not that much heavier, and based on measurements we banded it as a male! Therefore, we have ourselves two girls and one boy this year. Again, blood tests will confirm this.

Placing a radio telemetry backpack on K27


Notice the nictitating membrane on him


Parents flying overhead (photos by Ania)




Then we put the last two chicks back. I started climbing to the nest first and as soon as I got to the top I found 5Z gorging on the mackerel we had left with her. Her crop was SO full. I bet she wished for this to happen a long time ago, home alone and with a pile of fresh fish all to herself! It was too cute!




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[eaglegal]

I decided to take a few extra photos for all of you, she sure is pretty and it’s the softest thing I ever held




Two chicks back on the nest


Now all three!


Taking a few more pictures of the banded chicks before saying good-bye. (I can’t wait to find out the names that these precious chicks will be given!!! To find out how YOU can be one of the lucky ones who gets to name them, scroll all the way down!)




I love banding season! And I sure love those chicks!






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[eaglegal]

And more amazing shots of the K01 and Wray (Photos by Ania)
Walking away, all 5 eagles in view








The banded triplets


Even though Wray does not have any wing markers, it will be so easy to recognize her due to her brownish-looking head. In these pictures you can really see how much darker her white feathers had gotten. We call our wild redhead lady!








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[eaglegal]

A few landing shots as well








The very protective parents


Hiking out of the nest area


Dad making sure we go away for good!




And here are the videos!
In case you missed the live event, here’s the link to the video captured by our camera viewers. Thank you for capturing it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjLCSX1l23M

I combined all the video taken that day and split it in two parts:
Part I.
I wanted to show you all the last stretch of the “trail” we hike on in order to get to this nest. The West End nest is the most remote nest on Catalina; remember that it takes about 2hours to drive to the trailhead and about 45minutes to get to the nest.


Part II
Because Pete had turned the nest cam towards the banding station and us grabbing the chicks would have blocked the view anyways, I recorded the retrieval of at least two of the chicks. I know some wished you could have seen Pete gently grab and bag the chicks so here it is! There’s also a sneak-peak of the youngest eaglet being photographed, I’m sure you’re going to love it!


In other news… The Rattlesnake and the Seal Rocks chicks are doing wonderfully! I won’t be posting photos or videos of them this time around because I’ve already shared over 100 photos (out of the 300+ that were taken!) so I’ll save those images for next week, but know that they are doing great and their parents are taking good care of them.

And last but not least, an update on our 2012 Nest Adoption Challenge! The Institute has received over $21,000 in donations so far and they are still coming in! The NAC is the Bald Eagle Restoration Project’s most successful fundraiser and it’s all because of your generosity! All contributions to IWS go directly towards our efforts to restore and monitor bald eagles on the Channel Islands, and every single one of them make you eligible to participate in our Challenge’s drawing of the fabulous Nest Adoption benefits that include invitations to tour Catalina Island with an IWS biologist and get a chance to enter our captive eagle enclosures to meet Hydi and Pimu during feeding times, special eagle items AND the unique opportunity to officially name this year’s chicks; the same chicks many camera viewers have become attached to by watching their development day after day. Those names will go in our permanent records! Now, who wouldn’t want to do that?!
Just visit http://www.iws.org/NAC_2012.html or http://s11.zetaboards.com/IWS_Eagle_Forum/index/ and remember to mention that you would like your contribution to count towards the NAC challenge, and thanks!

Until then,
Steffani

[vickih]

Steffani -- A totally, totally amazing update. Metoo is so cute. S/he is in between a chick and a teen. It has been amazing watching her grow and giving the other 2 the attitude only she can give. Was the last one off the nest K27? The one that Dr. Sharpe tried to retrieve last and a lot of attitude and s/he was not going to go without letting you know about it.

Such an amazing time and all the pictures are truly wonderful. You could have a calendar just on this banding along.

Thank you so much for a view of your world and your total dedication to these wonderful raptors. The work you and Dr. Sharpe do is truly amazing!!!

Vickih

P.S. I could have a scrapbook of the WE crew and never get tired of looking at it.

P.S.S. You're right -- it is the "bestest!!!"

This post has been edited by vickih on May 31 2012, 05:31 PM

[jeannec]

Steffani I am speechless, speechless, speechless with tears of joy!! Oh that sweet Little 3 is SOOO beautiful - and with those sweet little gray pantaloons it still has! What a survivor it is - and so typical to have grabbed a fish while no one was looking. Love, Love, Love that little eaglet!!!

And that picture of K27 I believe giving you that wide-eyed stare is PRICELESS!!!

Again, I just don't know what to say - what spectacular pictures and a joyous day! Thanks to you and Dr. Sharpe and Ania!!

[Maryomaryo]

I'm out of breath, I'm , I'm , I'm.... W O W E D by the sensational pictures ... um, which ones? #1 that EAGLE EYE pic with your reflections and and and and.... all those of Wray : absolutely outstanding! Thank you so very much!!! [SIZE=14]

[EagleNut]

What a wonderful update and I am with you Steffanie, I just love banding. Fantastic photos. Thank you for taking us along with you. That MeToo is even cuter close up.

[torreycat]

Steffani -- What they said!

Such amazing pictures, such beautiful -- and particularly love Metoo's (Z5's) pantaloons, full crop, and beautiful, outstretched (though underdeveloped) wings. She's a gorgeous little girl -- and her sibs are gorgeous, as well. The shots of Wray and K01 are just spectacular. (I'm running out of superlatives....)

You, Dr. Sharpe & Ania are my heroes -- thank you for taking us along for this great adventure with the eagles!

[elgan]

Amazing, stunning, use any superlative you want. You have really outdone yourselves this time. Thank you so much for all your hard work, it is so appreciated.