Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to CHIL EagleCAM. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Discussion of other Raptor species; their anatomy, biology, ecology, etc.
Topic Started: Sep 16 2007, 11:04 AM (18,094 Views)
Patti
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
Local Bald eagle sighting December 8th (2010) on the mainland.

Arnold Rd is in Oxnard near the wetland area or in Ventura. I will check this out to be sure. It's a favorite birder spot for the Ventura County birders. This was posted in Ventura County Birders Yahoo Group on December 8th at 11:47 p.m.

Arnold Rd is in Oxnard in the Ormond Beach area...great birding here.

:<<o>>: Bald Eagle--Arnold Rd~~Blue I.D. Tags

Hello birders,

I went looking for the bittern at Arnold Rd. this afternoon and ended up
spotting a bald eagle instead. The bird flew up the stream toward the base,
disturbing all sorts of birds along the way. The eagle also had blue wing tags
on it. Unfortunately I couldn't see anything more than the color of the tags.


Other than that, I did manage to spot the Moorhen and Sora (lifer!) both near
the white gate. The Sora was in the ditch on the side near the parking log while
the Moorhen was under the bridge on the side toward the beach.

After that things got a little tricky. It was one of those trips where you can't
possibly turn your head fast enough to catch everything.

Birds I recognized:
2 White-Tailed Kites
1 Green Heron
2 American Kestrels (one catching a small snake and then later diving after what
appeared to be a western meadowlark)
1 Common Moorhen
1 Sora
1 Bald Eagle
Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers - out in force and not very shy at all

Birds I caught glimpses of:
2 small, black Sora-shaped birds along the trail that I startled. They were
smaller than the Sora, but with long yellow legs.
1 long legged, reddish/rusty colored bird also along the trail near the water's
edge. This bird was a bit larger than the Sora, but had the same sort of shape
to it.
2 large, dark hawks. The only notable feature I picked up on them was that one
of them had a very bright white band around the base of the tail, which seemed
odd to me.
8-10 of what I would guess were Western Meadowlarks.. They had yellow in the
face/chest area and what appeared to be a black bib around the chest and the
size seemed about right. They were, however, far away and I didn't get great
looks at them.

I wish I had pics of those birds I missed, but I'm hoping someone else will
recognize them from recent trips. I did try to get some of the hawk, so if those
came out I'll post them to the picture group.

Frank
Ventura, CA
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
sfstucco
Advanced Member
Hey, Patti! Nice that you passed on that blue-tagged BAEA sighting. :)^
I assume he was speaking of an adult, since he didn't specify.

I am on a number of Yahoo birding groups in my area, and anytime someone posts a new eagle sighting, I always write them personally & ask if they noticed any wing tags -- none seen so far.

They probably would write about it if they saw any tags, but I like to be 100% sure, cuz I wouldn't want to miss any witnessed Channel Island eagle adventures!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Patti
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
Hi Karen/SF :}^ --I've done that too, emailed off to the Yahoo group, and those birders are eager to share anything they know. Sorry that I've not been around this thread. It's been hectic here and not related to holiday tidings, more like dog-sitting "overload" and business related legal issues, not personal legal issues.

Saw this in today's Ventura County Birders Yahoo Digest:

Ferruginous Hawk at Lake Casitas

Thu Dec 23, 2010 11:51 pm

"Took advantage of the sunshine to go birding at Lake Casitas this morning. A
light phase, juvenile Ferruginous Hawk was sitting on a power pole along Santa
Ana road as I arrived. Nice walk, but no other birds of any particular interest
today."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Patti
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
Another hawk report...the Zone-tailed hawk has been sighted mainly in Ojai that I've observed through the Ventura County Birding group.

Zone-tailed Hawk in Ojai

Posted by: davidroine
Tue Dec 28, 2010 12:04 pm (PST)


This morning at 9:30 I saw the Zone-tailed Hawk in a eucalyptus tree behind the Presbyterian Church on W. Aliso St. near Mallory Way.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Patti
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
Not sure where Canada Larga is located in our local area, but the Ventura County Birding birders often report great sightings from this location!

After a little researching: This general area is very familiar to me, just don't know the road names. Ventura River area. Zoom out on this Google map if necessary.
Canada Larga Rd location

Canada Larga

Posted by: "davidroine" davidroine
Sat Jan 1, 2011 3:59 pm (PST)


"This morning Becky Donahue and I birded Canada Larga. A Prairie Falcon circled high overhead with two Red-tailed Hawks. A Peregrine Falcon sat atop a utility tower just east of the horse corral near the "narrow bridge" sign. Other raptors spotted were a Northern Harrier, two White-tailed Kites, a Red-shouldered Hawk, and several Kestrels. We also had two Loggerhead Shrikes and two Red-breasted Sapsuckers, one of which called incessantly to the other. A single Lewis's Woodpecker flew in and out of a walnut tree before the gate and opposite the windmill."

David Roine
Ojai
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Patti
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
I watched this 2008 PBS Nature series program "American Eagle" again last night and it's terrific. The Bald eagle is the sole focus and is beautifully documented. You can view it online here:

"American Eagle" from PBS's Nature program--2008
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Patti
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
The local West End Barn owls (and Avalon gas prices! :8O: ). I started from the bottom up after listening to the first top five and also thought the fourth (4th) recording from the bottom of Owl Recordings was a pretty good match to our West End barn owls.

Eagle Guy,Jan 5 2011
09:50 PM
Hi Everybody,

It was another week of wet weather, so the back roads are off-limits. Therefore, no work was done with the eagles, except to feed Pimu and Hydi.

There was an interesting video posted earlier this week from the West End cam on New Year's Eve with an unknown vocalization.

Here's the recording
West End Vocalizations

I sent the link to some friends who work on sea birds on Santa Barbara Island and Sasha came up with the identification: barn owls. Here is a link to some recordings. Listen to the 2nd and 3rd recordings on the following site.
Owl Recordings
It is apparently an interaction call made while flying.

I've been working on the annual report this week so I can get it out of the way before the busy season starts again. Very exciting.

The recent storms have dropped a lot of snow in the local mainland mountains. Below is a photo I took this morning looking from Avalon across the channel to the snow-capped mountains with the famous Casino in the foreground.
Posted Image

I went by the one gas station in Avalon today and took the following photo, given all the talk I've heard on the radio about the possibility of gasoline going up to $5.00 a gallon in the next couple of years.
Posted Image

You probably won't complain about your gas prices now, huh? :)

Oh well, hopefully I'll have a little more about eagles next week. I think we are supposed to be dry for a while, so I may be able to get out on the roads this weekend.

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Patti
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
California Condors are sighted at Lake Piru in the Ventura County Birding digest. I haven't reported other recent interesting hawk sightings, but this one seemed special on the Condors.

:<<o>>: Lake Piru (California Condor sighting)

Dear Ventura Birders,
I spent the morning birding the west side of Lake Piru. The road is closed
close to the entrance, so access to the trails on the north side requires a long
road walk (or a bike I guess). The highlights were 4 California Condors
including 1 immature bird, 1 Osprey,
Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, and Western and
Clark's Grebes. There was one pair of Western Grebe's performing a courtship
dance; I guess it's that time of year again. Terrestrial birds included one
Red-breasted Sapsucker at the boat-launch, many European Starlings, Audubon's
Warblers, Acorn Woodpeckers, Brewer's Blackbirds and other expected birds.

Someone approached me asking about the Bald Eagle(s), but I didn't see any.

The Condors first appeared above Reasoner Canyon at about 1045 and continued to circle on thermals and slowly heading north. They were very distant, but still visible until about 1300.


Cheers,
Walter Szeliga
Canyon Country, CA
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Patti
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
Bald Eagle sighted at our local Lake Casitas. Photos are included within this link.

:<<o>>: BALD EAGLE / Ventura County Birding

posted Wed Jan 26, 2011 1:40 am:

"About a week ago I was at Lake Casitas and a Bald Eagle flew into a tree next to
me with a coot in it's talons. The lighting wasn't very good but it was awesome
to watch. I put 4 pictures in the raptor folder. They are they last ones in the
folder. Jeff C, Vta"


____________________________________________________________________

Jeff Cartier's 4 photos are terrific. They look professional quality to me.

The eagle appears to be maybe 4 years old and it is UNTAGGED.

Photo by Jeff Cartier

Posted Image

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Patti
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
The LA Times paper edition also featured a nice photo of Olivia....she'll miss her caller when the suspected "he" departs. I don't see her photo here, but still a nice read.

Sightseers flock to see wild bald eagle roosting outside O.C. Zoo's bald eagle exhibit
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Patti
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
Another Ventura County Birding post:

:clk: Burrowing Owl on East Anacapa Island

Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:34 pm

Just posted 2 photos of a BUOW from East Anacapa in the owls folder. I've seen one several times recently on the island, and was fortunate to get a good look at bird and burrow (and pellets) yesterday. Not sure if there is more than 1 on the island. We were careful not to disturb anything and moved away quickly.

Carolyn Greene
Newbury Park
Volunteer, Channel Islands National Park
cgnpark@...



(Assume Carolyn Greene took these photos)
Posted Image

Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Patti
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
(On a personal note, I don't know if there are other nesting Bald eagles, but the Ventura County Birding members get out and about...wonder what's going on in the Lake Piru area, though. I hope birders do not disturb these Lake Casitas Bald eagles....think they would be cautious.)

:<<o>>: Lake Casitas this pm – Ventura County Birding

Sun Feb 20, 2011 5:22 pm

Hi, Birders. The pair of Bald Eagles is definitely nesting in the eucalyptus at
the east side high point before the trail to the dam begins. They are easily
viewed from outside the fence with a scope or even bins. If I'm not mistaken,
they might be the first recorded Bald Eagle nesting in Ventura County?

Still lots of species of duck on the lake. Rock wren on the dam. Kay Regester,
Ventura


Reply

#4145 From: scre@...
Date: Sun Feb 20, 2011 8:51 pm
Subject: Re: Lake Casitas this pm

I believe this is the first breeding record for the mainland part of the county
in almost 90 years. The last record that in a quick check I could find was 1922
from the Pt Mugu area, where they were formerly regular breeder's. They also
were common breeder's on all the Channel Islands and were regular breeder's
until the 1950's. Its great to know that we have a breeding species back! Good
birding.

David Vander Pluym
Lake Havasu City, Az

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Patti
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
Another Ventura County Birding update on the Lake Casitas Bald eagles observed in a nest. This morning I emailed Matthew Page asking if he had seen the nest and received an interesting response. Matthew’s response follows his post.

:<<o>>: Ventura County Birding Bald Eagle update (Matthew Page)

Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:32 am (PST)

Hello all,

Yesterday, February 21, I went up to Lake Casitas to observe the Bald Eagles
that were reported there by Kay Regester. I easily found them as she
described, in one of the Eucalyptus trees that line the top of the hill
along the road that leads east toward the dam trail. I saw an adult or near
adult first, and then a juvenile next. The adult bird had just a little
brown in the head and a faint eyeline, and smudgy brown in the tail,
suggesting that it may be a fourth year bird. The juvenile did not allow for
good views, but did show to be brown in the head and it had a brown tail.
The (near) adult bird had a coot in its talons, and flew across Santa Ana
road to a cluster of oaks, where it viciously consumed the coot (including
swallowing a leg and foot whole) before returning to the Euc across the
street. The pair remained in the tree until I left.

Elsewhere, at Camino Real Park I searched for the Hermit Warbler but was
unable to relocate it. However, I did get good looks at a Black-throated
Gray Warbler in the Jacaranda trees just south of the basketball courts.
Townsend's and Orange-crowned warblers were also present.

Above Ojai, in Matilija Canyon, there were dozens of Violet-Green swallows
foraging up and down the river above the dam.

Matthew Page
Simi Valley, Ca.


Matthew Page responds to my question asking if he saw a nest:

Hi Patti,

I saw several nests in the eucalyptus tree that the eagles were in. There were also several Turkey Vultures present in the same tree. The adult eagle did fly in with a stick in its mouth and appeared to incorporate the stick into the largest nest in the tree, but I don't know if that is proof that the eagles are breeding. It would be interesting to see if there is another adult in the area or if it is just the (near) adult and the juvenile present at this time.

Matthew Page
Simi Valley, Ca.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Patti
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
I subscribe to the email digest and read these a bit later than if I were to check the Yahoo Ventura County Birding website daily. I should return to my habit of daily checking because there have been a number of great posts recently.

:<<o>>: Ventura County Birding Casitas Bald Eagle update (Bill Crowe)

Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:52 am

Yesterday I went to Lake Casitas to view the bald eagles and was not
disappointed. I was able to get some good looks. Their nest is in a eucalyptus
tree that contains several old blue heron nests as well as the eagles' nest. The
adult was carrying branches into the nest and the juvenile was constantly
calling. As I observed the eagles a peregrine falcon showed up and began to
harass the juve. I was able to get a few pics of the juve and will post as soon
as they are uploaded. I also saw a female kestral along Santa Ana Rd. and a snow
goose by the ramps close to the cafe.

Good birding
Bill Crowe
Simi Valley CA


Bald eagle juvenile by Bill Crowe
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Patti
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
Sunday several more Ventura County Birding (birders) were out to Lake Casitas to observe the Bald eagle couple. I've included their photos as well.

:<<o>>: Lake Casitas-Bald Eagles (patty_ojai_ca & reply by Eric Waian)


Sun Feb 27, 2011 8:37 pm

Was honored to observe both bald eagles this afternoon at Lake Casitas in the
tall Eucalyptus trees as described. Took a few pictures of each and will post.
The younger bald eagle took 3 flights nearby during the 2 hours, the other Bald
Eagle remained perched near a large nest and hopped inside the nest once
briefly.


Re: [venturacobirding] Lake Casitas-Bald Eagles

Mon Feb 28, 2011 7:50 am

Inez and I also watched the Bald Eagles for a while yesterday. The
3rd year looking bird was observed bringing a stick into the nest,
sitting in the nest and eating something at the edge of the nest. The
adult bird mostly just perched there. I assume the darker bird is not
mature enough to breed but they certainly appear to be a couple.

As reported previously there is a Snow Goose, Cackling Goose and 3
Canada Geese near the cafe boat launch.

Eric Waian
Ventura CA


Photos by patty_ojai_ca
Posted Image Posted Image

Posted Image Posted Image


Photos by junetaborshowhorses
Posted Image ~~~~~~~~ Appearing so robust! ~~~~~~~~

Posted Image Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Enjoy forums? Start your own community for free.
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · What are your questions? · Next Topic »
Add Reply