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Catalina Update; Thursday, May 21, 2009
Topic Started: May 21 2009, 02:57 PM (2,223 Views)
eaglegal
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Hello everybody,

Another Thursday update because we began banding eaglets yesterday and ran out of time to write the report and process images and videos.
The IWS crew has been quite busy this past week here on Catalina; checking nests, giving tours, feeding the captive eagles, fishing to feed the captive eagles, essentially keeping up with all the office and field work prior to banding.
We keep checking on the nests a couple of times a week. Sometimes we visit them more often since our visibility is compromised due to the weather. It can be nice, sunny and hot on the ridges but by the time we reach our nest observation spots it gets cold and very foggy.
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We have been giving a couple of tours per week, one of the many activities we have during the tour is searching and (hopefully) finding wild eagles to give people the opportunity to watch and photograph these amazing birds.
The other day we found A32, who was perched low on the pine trees at the reservoir.
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This week we also visited the Two Harbors nest and watched all four eagles (two adults, two chicks) interact at their nest from across the harbor.
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Another beautiful highlight of the tours is not only visiting the captive eagles Pimu and Pee’ ech, but also watch them feed. For many, this is the closest they’ll ever be to a captive eagle and I am 100% sure they know it and sure appreciate it.
Training with Pimu is slow but progressing. She now eats in front on an audience, where before she waited until everybody was gone (including me) before approaching her food. Every time she is more and more comfortable with people walking into her cage and watch her eat, many times even off my hand. Here she is picking up her lunch.
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I also made a short video of her enjoying her fish.
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Here she is looking satisfied after her meal. Notice her full crop bulging out off her chest feathers.
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Our Eagle Sponsor list has grown a lot in the last few weeks but there’s still plenty of room for your name.
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To find out more about how to put your name on our wall, become a member of IWS, be on one of our IWS island tours, and many other ways on how to support the institute and the Bald Eagle Restoration Project, please visit us at www.iws.org
http://s11.zetaboards.com/IWS_Eagle_Forum


Now for the big event of the week. Banding the Seal Rocks chick!
This year, the SR adults decided to relocate their nest farther down the largest canyon of their territory, therefore, challenging us even more to monitor them and figure out how to get down there to band their naturally hatched chick. Yesterday, Amanda, Stephanie, Pete and I headed down from the ridge looking for a way to reach the nest at 9:30am. After just a few minutes the adults spotted us and started defending their nest immediately and did not stop soaring above us and vocalizing loudly until we left the area. We didn’t know what to expect as far as the difficulty of the hike/climb but it turned out to be a milder version of the hike/climb we do to reach the Pinnacle Rocks nest, which is the most intense climb of all.
This is one of the adults flying over us as we descend.
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Pete assisting Steph coming down one of the two waterfalls (dry) we hiked down on.
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One of the adults screeching at us from a close distance.
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Cont...
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eaglegal
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The first view we had of their nest and the 8-week-old chick.
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Closer
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A close-up view of the nest and the chick.
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Steph and Amanda recording the grabbing of the chicks to be brought down to a shaded area to be examined and banded.
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Pete holding the chick right before we put it in the eagle bag.
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Out of the bag.
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Working the bird.
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K90 back on his nest.
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I have been working on processing the banding video all day, Pete has been working at it too but we seem to be missing some software to make it work and we’re just going to have to leave it for the weekend. Hopefully we’ll have it for next week so we can post it along with the banding of the Two Harbors (TH) chicks.
That being said, tune-in tomorrow and keep an eye out for us on the TH cam since we’re going to be banding the chicks around noon.

I’d like to close this update with a picture of the island prickly pear cactus that is now blooming all over the island.
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Until next week,
Steffani
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jeannec
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Oh how wonderful to see the new chick at Seal Rocks - I've missed that cam! (Is the new chick K91 or K90?). Fantastic pictures and video of Pimu - I'm so glad you're making such good progress with her!
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summer818
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You guys Rock! Little K90 is a cutie. Looks like he was a little mad, but calmed down. You guys are the eagle whisperers. :lol: Thanks you Steffani for your updates as always, your all the best! :><:
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harpo516
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so is there a clue in your post as to M/F?

wonderful photos - glad the banding went well at SR

wishing you guys an easy (if that's possible) trek to TH to take care of those unsuspecting juvies in that nest - ;)

Again - thank you for taking us along with you to work - in person and thru the updates! AWESOME! It is all appreciated and certainly educational and enlightening! :><:
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beautifuleagles
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Great job all!!!!!! :><: Thank you for such great captures and glad you are all safe!!! K90 is looking like he is a whiner like Gulliver was. Sweet Gulliver.... :wub:
K90 is saying........"ya???? try that again and see what ya get!!" LOL! Thanks so much for a job well done. Pimu is so beautiful too! Stay safe!! <3
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Naturegal
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Posted Image Steffani - Your updates are always appreciated. K-90 is a real cutie, too bad they switched nests, oh well as long as they are producing chicks, that's all that counts. Looking forward to tomorrow's banding, good luck to all of you and take care on that climb.
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cdn-cdn
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Stay safe out there with all the hikes to the nest sites, team! K-90 looks like a little character, just like his big brother, Gulliver. Glad everything went well and thanks for the awesome close-ups of the SR eaglet. I miss that nest! Thank you, Steffani!
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iggle
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Oh, I can't wait to get home so I can see all the pictures you've posted, Steff! Sounds like a really exciting update.

"For many, this is the closest they’ll ever be to a captive eagle and I am 100% sure they know it and sure appreciate it." You better believe it! I will never forget Pimu stomping that rat and then tearing into it. Ewwww! Thank you so much for everything you do. I know the tours put a crimp in other duties.

How was your vacation - besides short? :P
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Sara Oh
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Glad all went well at SR Steffani. K-90 is fabulous of course.

Thank you so much for the wonderful time we had with you this week. I had the time of my life and I'll never forget the experience. <3
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Lauri
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Dear Steffani,

Great update! Love the pictures of the chick. Can't wait to find out what the sexes are of the new babies!

Glad to know the hike was not nearly as bad as expected.

We'll "see you" tomorrow at Two Harbors!

Lauri
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vickih
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Steffani -- Like everyone else -- just a wonderful update. It must be exciting this time of year with these chicks. K90? looks like so big. Hard to believe all these chicks coming up on 8 weeks and already close to their full size.

Thanks for all you do.

Vickih
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Patti
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Thank you, Steffani. K-90 is a beauty!
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Holly
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What an exciting day you had yesterday! Thanks for taking us along. K-90 is soooo big!! I've missed viewing this nest so this was a particulary great update. You all take care out there on those rocks. Can't wait till tomorrow! WooHoo!!
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Artsy Mom
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Wow Steffani...K90 looks like he was not too happy to see his unexpected visitors...talk about ruffled feathers and :<<>>: attitude!!! :lol:

Glad you found the hike was not as difficult as you had expected. Here's to another fun day tomorrow at Two Harbors. Can't wait to see both of the banding videos when you get them posted. :ok: Thanks for including the pic of the blooming cacti too.
:)^
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