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Northern Channel Islands Update; March 30 - April 7 2009
Topic Started: Apr 7 2009, 10:51 PM (1,912 Views)
IWS Crew
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Hi every one. This tour has brought lots of surprises this breeding season and some have been difficult to understand. One of the biggest news was the loss of K10 and K28’s first born chick this season. Suzanne and I were conducting boat surveys on Saturday and Sunday. I did not know that the first chick most likely had died when I arrived to the Pelican Harbor nest at 1020 on Monday morning. I had gone to the nest to take pictures of the chicks first days. While I was in the tent watching the monitor I logged online to read what everyone had observed about the chicks recent days and I became concerned when I read that the chick had not been seen by the eagle-cam viewers. As some of you noticed I zoomed out the camera a little bit on the nest. I was trying to get a better view of the nest because the monitor we use to view the live video stream cuts off the edge of the nest. Some viewers had mentioned they saw a gray feathery figure on the right hand side of the nest and I wanted to see if I could view that on our monitor. I did not see it. I also viewed the nest from our blind and I could not see anything that I would say looked like a chick. I took a picture of K-10 shading the egg and venting from the heat.

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It is very unfortunate that K-10 and K26 have lost their first chick. We all know they are very capable of raising up two chicks. In fact on Saturday Suzanne and I saw one of the pair our on China Harbor on the cliffs. It is amazing how far they are willing to go to find fish and provide for their chicks.
Earlier in the week, Suzanne and I took advantage of some good weather on the ocean and we took the boat to survey for the Bald Eagle pairs that we have expected to be breeding this year. On Saturday we went along the north shore of Santa Cruz Island west from Prisoners Harbor to Cueva Valdez Anchorage. It is within that area of the north shore that the Cueva Valdez Pair A-00 and A-16 have been expected to be breeding this year. This location is very hard to survey by foot because of the long time period to drive and hike with difficult terrain to move around and survey for nests. Using the boat last week Peter, Rosanne and I were able to find the pair and conclude that they did not have an egg at the time. We were hoping that there was still more time in the season for them to be building a nest and attempt to breed. Well we were able to find one individual quickly and we were hopeful that Bald Eagle was the one of the pair and could possibly lead us to their nest.

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Awhile later the second one flew into the Cueva Valdez Anchorage and they both perched on these cliffs.

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We watched the pair for several hours until we had to leave. We are uncertain why they do not show signs of attempting to breed this year. Hopefully Stephanie will have better news on their status on the next tour.

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IWS Crew
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On Sunday Suzanne and I went and surveyed the east end of Santa Cruz Island. On this day we were looking for the Yellow Banks Pair and if the weather was cooperating we would also try to figure out if there was a willows pair. After a bumpy ride, we made it around San Pedro Point to where it was calm on the south side of the island. When we got to Yellow Banks Anchorage we found an adult Bald Eagle perched on the cliffs over anchorage. We could not read the tags of the individual but we assumed it was one of the pair.

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Later we saw another adult BAEA join the first and together they flew out over the water several times to fish. We also observed them drop down onto the rocky shore below the cliffs to scavenge on something along the shore. After they flew up back onto the cliffs and observed them a while longer, we left to the west towards Coches Anchorage to look for the Willows Pair.

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On the way towards Willows Anchorage, just below the Navy Site we found a pair of adult BAEA soaring along the cliffs. Their constant movement in the air prevented us from seeing their tags. They quickly made their way to Blue Banks Anchorage and out of sight into the interior.

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Then on our way back east we encountered the pair again over the water again just below the Navy Site. This is A-51 on her way back to the cliffs behind the Navy Site SCI.

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We still have not seen any consistent pattern indicating that A-17 the female of the Malva Real pair has built a nest or is incubating an egg. We have not had much time to watch that pair and see if they will breed this season so we are depending on the GPS data to follow the status of that pair.
The Santa Rosa pair was being observed by David Roth this tour and he observed the parents sharing incubating duties. The eggs were due to hatch this tour but there was no indication that there was a hatching before we left this tour. Rosanne is out on Santa Rosa and she will notify us if there any chicks hatch.
It looks like the second egg at the Pelican Harbor nest has hatched today and it probably was greeted with rain from today. We hope the best for this chick and I am exited to see this little eaglet grow and survive on the Channel Islands. Best of luck to Stephanie’s crew and hopefully we get some more positive news from the northern Channel Islands.
Well talk to you all next tour.

Cedrick, Suzanne, David
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helen b.
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Thank you, IWS crew, for what had to be a difficult report to prepare. We can only keep our :X: crossed that the second baby is as strong as Cruz, and that the future is brighter for K10 & K26.
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harpo516
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Cedrick, Suzanne, David - awesome report! You all work so hard - hoping you find more nests and chicks! And if pairs don't breed this - we of course look forward to next year - must be frustrating for all of you cause it sure is for us too! Thank you so much for sharing your observations of eagles / nests that we don't get to see..... :)^
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cdn-cdn
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Cedrick, thank you for your thoughtful comments about the loss of the first PH chick. It is, as you said, difficult to understand.

Your photos are so gorgeous. They make me feel as if I am there with you.

Sorry to read that several of the pairs that you hoped would have nests seem to have skipped the breeding phase this season, for reasons unknown. The team works so hard to find out all this information.

Thank you to all the team for your efforts.

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vickih
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Stephanie, Cedrick and David -- Thanks for the great report. It was indeed sad about the 1st PH chick, but hopefully we will be able to view the 2nd chick this morning. Thanks you for the information on the other pairs. We appreciate all of your efforts.

Vickih

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summer818
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Cedrick, Suzanne & David, thank you all so much for all you do. It was a heartwrenching day for K10 & K26 and the loss of their chick. They've been such a great pair, with wonderful success. Our first chick in 50 years, Cruz. Thank you for your great update, and beautiful photo's.

Let's hope for the best on the PH nest.
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Vynah Bird
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Great report and photos! :)^ Thank you! Let's hope the second chick of K-10 and K-26 does well. :X: :^: That pair certainly has had its drama in the past 3 years. We can only hope for 50% survival from that nest if the second chick this year does well (out of six chicks, three remain). We still have A-49 (Cruz) and A-64 (Spirit), but we lost A-63 (Limuw) and A-65 (Skye) and the first chick this year.
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Lauri
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Dear IWS Crew,

Your jobs certainly contain elation and heartache. Sadly, this past week saw the latter. But remember, it was not so very long ago that bald eagles were not seen in these skies... for decades. You've helped put back something to rights that has been wrong for years and years. Even that tough 50-50 rate of survival is better than no eagles.

The pictures are stunning, as always. The scenery is breathtaking and to see such noble birds in this dramatic area-- sun, sea, clouds and cliffs-- is amazing. The pictures give us armchair eagle-watchers a good idea of how tough it is for you to track and record these birds.

It's too bad more aren't nesting. But there is always next year, right?

Thanks for such a fabulous report. Hope that K-10 and K-26 have better success with the second egg or, as some think, a new little eaglet that may have hatched yesterday.

Keep up the good work. You're all do a tough but fine job out there.

Wishing I was out there with you, :D

Lauri
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Naturegal
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Cedrick, Suzanne, & David - Thank you all for a great report and beautiful photos. :X: For a successful hatching of the second egg at PH. Keep up the good work and hoping you may find more breeding pairs.
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luveagles
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Thank you to the IWS crew you do a wonderful job keeping all of us informed. The pictures are wonderful. Hope all goes well in the search for more nests. So HAPPY!! PH has a new chick today. :^: <3 :><: I saw it this morning.:D
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