| 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: |
| Northern Channel Islands Update; April 28-March 8 | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: May 11 2009, 10:37 AM (968 Views) | |
| IWS Crew | May 11 2009, 10:37 AM Post #1 |
|
Advanced Member
|
Northern Channel Islands Update April 28-March 5 2009 Hi Everyone, I apologize for the late update on the happenings of the Northern Channel Islands. With the Trapp Canyon nest failure on Santa Rosa Island, David Suzanne and I concentrated our efforts this tour on Santa Cruz Island. We were lucky to have great sightings from the previous crew and we knew that none of the known BAEA pairs had laid any eggs. Strong winds kept us from surveying the coastline from the Zodiac except for Friday May 1. ![]() Prisoners Harbor On that day we were able to get a short glimpse of an adult blue tagged BAEA next to Fry’s Harbor. The BAEA flew off so quickly that we did not read any tags. GPS data shows it could have been A-29 one of the male BAEA we hope will find a pair for the next breeding season. Later that day we found the Cueva Valdez pair together in between Hazards and Cueva Valdez Anchorages. Here is a photo of both of them together. We continued to the east to try and find the Yellow Banks pair and any other BAEA. The weather got rough and we had to turn back before we could find the Yellow Banks pair. Later that tour Suzanne was able to see them together flying in the wind just above Sandstone Point. Suzanne also had some observations of the Malva Real Pair high in the pine forest on Maggie Peak. She also got visuals on A-02 the female of the Sauces pair and one of the BAEA of the West End pair. The week before, I went to Santa Rosa Island to participate in survey for the Northern Channel Islands Loggerhead Shrike subspecies. The survey was being conducted by the Channel Islands National Park Service. During that trip I was able to retrieve the only egg in the Trapp Canyon BAEA nest. Dr. Peter Sharpe will send the egg remains to a lab for contaminant analysis. With the help of Nick Todd a Raptor biologist, and an experienced climber, who has worked on the Channel Islands we rappelled into the nest. Nick Todd has excavated many nests on the Channel Islands and he believes the Trapp Canyon nest is a new nest built by the BAEA pair. Nick excavated a Golden Eagle nest on the same cliff wall in 2006 for a diet analysis and remembers the new nest location as a shelf with some sticks. Now the nest is huge and quite beautiful. First we hiked along the steep slopes to look down into the nest and study a rout. ![]() This is a photo of the first glimpse we had of the nest bowl and egg. ![]() While descending down to nest A-08 the male of the Trapp Cyn Pair came to the nest. He circled along the cliffs and called out for several minutes. ![]() ![]() ![]() Nick led the descent and made sure the nest was stable for both of us. ![]() The presence of A-08 near his nest made the experience even more impressive. With so many Ravens on Santa Rosa Island it amazes me how the egg survived. The presence of A-08 and his calls made the nest entry a heightened experience. ![]() ![]() ![]() Stephanie Amanda and Rosanne will be out on Catalina Island next tour to help Peter and Stefani with the banding. It will be a busy week with a lot to look forward to. Happy Eagling. Cedrick, Suzanne, David |
![]() |
|
| Tiger | May 11 2009, 10:52 AM Post #2 |
|
Advanced Member
|
Wonderful update. I hope the egg tests will provide some answers. MIB |
![]() |
|
| Eagle Duo | May 11 2009, 10:55 AM Post #3 |
|
Eagleholic
|
Awesome update and pictures! Hope the tests on the egg prove informative and helpful!
|
![]() |
|
| summer818 | May 11 2009, 10:57 AM Post #4 |
![]()
Advanced Member
|
Thank you for all you do! Your photo's are beautiful, and I hope we find out what happened with the egg that didn't hatch. I'm glad Steffani and Peter have help with Catalina Bandings! |
![]() |
|
| peppermint | May 11 2009, 11:35 AM Post #5 |
|
Advanced Member
|
Had the adults finally abandoned their egg or were they still incubating it at the time you retrieved it? |
![]() |
|
| Holly | May 11 2009, 03:32 PM Post #6 |
|
Advanced Member
|
Spectacular photos! Wow, that is quite the terrain you have to maneuver. Your work is impressive! Will be anxious to hear the results of the egg remains. Thanks for the update. |
![]() |
|
| SoCal Lady | May 11 2009, 03:50 PM Post #7 |
|
Advanced Member
|
THRILLING! THRILLING! UPDATE! Your narrative and photos are Fabulous and the nest site is so beautiful and the nest too. Thank you for taking us along on the wonderful Eagle Adventure! A08 soaring above sure lets one and all know---this is still His Nest! That is a good thing!
|
![]() |
|
| KLJinOz | May 11 2009, 04:30 PM Post #8 |
|
Advanced Member
|
Fantastic update and look forward to the banding in the next couple of weeks!
|
![]() |
|
| peppermint | May 11 2009, 05:24 PM Post #9 |
|
Advanced Member
|
Forgot to say that IS a beautiful nest on Santa Rosa...they sure aren't making it easy for you out there, are they?? I hope they decide to use it again next year since you know where it is and how fun it is to rapel to it! Good work! |
![]() |
|
| Leslie R. | May 11 2009, 07:22 PM Post #10 |
|
Advanced Member
|
what amazing photos!...thank you! :soar: |
![]() |
|
| gale | May 12 2009, 08:40 AM Post #11 |
|
Advanced Member
|
thank you so much for all your hard work. wonderful pictures and great news! looking in from las vegas |
![]() |
|
| Naturegal | May 12 2009, 11:28 AM Post #12 |
|
Advanced Member
|
Awsome update and the photos are amazing. Looking forward to your posting the results of testing the egg. "Hang in There" and be careful on your adventures. |
![]() |
|
|
|
| « Previous Topic · IWS Updates · Next Topic » |

















Thank you for taking us along on the wonderful Eagle Adventure! A08 soaring above sure lets one and all know---this is still His Nest! That is a good thing!

6:43 AM Jul 11