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| IWS Catalina Tours Awarded from '06 NAC - 2007; Sharing the experience! | |
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| Topic Started: Aug 23 2008, 10:56 AM (458 Views) | |
| EDblue | Aug 23 2008, 11:53 AM Post #31 |
Eagleholic
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Harpo516/Deb -- May 22 2007 Returning to the hotel, we hook up with the Cumbrians for a bite to eat and a little conversation and then off to bed - we have an early appointment and we want to look our best (yeah right - it was hot)! The first photo is the view just out our door looking up the courtyard - aaaah. As you can see by the 2nd photo, not much of a view from the window in our room -  And this round building is the Casino - gambling you might think (duh - I did!) Nope - it's a museum and stuff (didn't get there - not enough hours in the day - and now I'm kicking myself)!     And then came Tuesday - TOUR DAY!!  (click on image for larger photo) |
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| EDblue | Aug 23 2008, 11:54 AM Post #32 |
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Harpo516/Deb -- May 22 2007 Tuesday -Straight up the road a few blocks from the hotel is the IWS office! Boy, I'm not the neatest person in the world but ...... you can quickly tell that lots of things happen there and it's eagle central for sure! I won't post photos of things that many others have already posted but yes, we took the same old photos except ours didn't have chicks in them! But Peter - ever patient Peter - explained all of the equipment, the procedures, the COST !!!  (we need to adopt a few more nests) And of course we saw the egg shells and that derm stuff they stick on the eggs to help with the evaporation problems caused by the chemicals and so much more! It's a simple room, in a simple building but it provides much needed support for these majestic birds to have a chance to continue to be a part of all our lives in this world!   The chart of the eagles hangs quietly on the wall and the information recorded there represents so much! We were all quite surprised at the size of the wing bling! It's hard to have the proper perspective on the size of an adult eagle without any point of reference when watching the cams! Holding that bling sure gives you a clue! After a few more questions, we head to the truck - gotta love that logo! (AND yes we delivered the chocolate HB - to an ever grateful Peter and Steffani - and I completely forgot to snap a photo - maybe Peter can post a photo of the empty jar! :rolleyes: )    Curious about how the Island works because oddly enough - Gary and I live on a heavily populated island - Pat & Roy live on an island and of course - well Catalina is an island - so we talked about power / gas / cable / groceries / shopping / cars-golf carts - etc.! Because the majority of the island is owned by the Conservancy, you have to have a key and permit to gain access once you leave town! And the roads are dirt - dirt with some holes spread about here and there - dirt with steep sides as you climb up the mountains and wind around - dirt and mighty skinny - did I mention they are dirt! Our first stop was the nest at Seal Rock - we took photos thru the scope while Peter hooked up a feed to the CAMERA THAT THE CRUZERS BOUGHT IN OUR FUNDRAISER EARLIER THIS YEAR! - and of course the chicks never moved - sleepy heads! But it didn't take long to know that the adult on the nest knew we were there - even as far away as we were (and we were far away!!!) Can you find the nest in photo #2!    Soon we head on down / up the road - enjoying the scenery (and thankful we don't have to hike to these nests, etc - whew). And guess what - the fog rolled in a bit!  (click on image for larger photo) |
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| EDblue | Aug 23 2008, 11:55 AM Post #33 |
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Harpo516/Deb -- May 22 2007 Then our visit to Pimu - she was calling as the truck came to a stop along side the road and she turned to watch as Peter exited the truck! To hear her call - standing there watching her watch Peter - it reached your heart! We saw the new expanded enclosure where the golden eagle will soon be joining her (in separate quarters for now but maybe one day they can really "share" the space) Pimu will soon have a higher netting (and one without holes and one not damaged by long exposure to the sun)! We entered the enclosure and briefly shared her space - she did not call out again but kept track of where we were! Peter fetched Pimu some lunch but she patiently waited for us to leave before she moved across to the other side to eat! Of course she flew over as we walked out of site to the other side where there is an observation center! We did get to watch her eat though! That's one set of talons and beak that I wouldn't want to mess with.   The reservoir that Peter and Steffani fish at is right near and we quickly saw an eagle flying high in the sky (the "boyfriend" - so we stopped and sure enough A32, the female was over to our right, circling ever higher and Peter assured us that once the male saw her, he would quickly move in that direction to join her. It was only a span of a few minutes and sure enough, he fell in just below her as they spiraled up and away together! This is the pair that Peter is keeping an eye on - who have been hanging together - and who the hope is that they will begin nest building in the near future around the reservoir area! Peter said he is considering climbing a tree in the area and putting a few sticks there to encourage them! Another nesting pair of eagles - takes your breath away doesn't it!  We passed a covered reservoir and bison (not buffalo) and soon stopped to say HI to Tachi - as Pat reported earlier, Tachi was nowhere to be seen and she is now with the Conservancy so Peter thought she might be out for a program. He even opened the little enclosure but no Tachi and as quickly as he turned to close the door, she popped out behind him! We're trying to tell him but he doesn't really hear what we are saying - boy if we could have videotaped that ...... she's so adorable and as everyone else has said - so devoted to Peter. It was noted though that she may need a bit more exercise - she's put on a couple pounds apparently - maybe she needs to hike with the Cruzers on their next trek!    First 2 photos are what we took - 3rd is from someone's earlier visit (geez I forgot to note will try to go back later and look) - a couple pounds for sure! Then off to some more nest areas (too far away and too hazy anyway) but we did pick up some signals. And I'm looking and looking and asking where they might be - was I looking in the right direction when Peter advised that the signal carries up to 50 miles - phooey!    see the DIRT and winding road!! (click on image for larger photo) |
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| EDblue | Aug 23 2008, 11:57 AM Post #34 |
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Harpo516/Deb -- May 22 2007 After some more dirt road up and down travel - some wonderful vistas - and lots of answers to our questions (what a patient person Peter is cause you know he's answered these same queries hundreds of times) - we arrive at the Airport and have - mmmm - buffalo burger (or was that bison burger)? We sat out on the porch enjoying the super weather and friendly banter! Time to head back - but we make one brief stop at twin rock nest area but we gotta get back or that famous phrase we'd been hearing for several days now - the boat will leave and you'll be stuck here (but how bad could that be in Avalon)! The drive back to town is scenic and Peter gives us a bit more history about the island and lore about the Wrigleys.   A quick stop at the office to pick up our packs left behind and Peter takes a moment to check a few things before we head off to make our good-byes!   The cruise ship was still anchored (don't know who the couple is but they need to get a room)! Thanks did not begin to cover the time and effort Peter expended for us. He was a most generous host and patient guide - answering our every question, providing us with all kinds of information not only about the eagles but about the island fox that he also works with and about life on the island as well some history! I'm so sorry that we did not have the opportunitiy to meet up with Steffani - just wasn't meant to be this time but it's also apparent in her posts and in everyone who has met her - their comments - that she's a dedicated, super person as well! Thank you both - thank you IWS! (more later) Back on the boat and the Commodore Lounge and free snack and IP (found a new one thanks to Peter and really to the hostess in the lounge!!) Here's another photo entering the harbor and the Queen Mary! You can sleep on that - wish I had thought of that one! Now, we decided to take the earlier ferry back so that we could pop down to Joanie/Manu and have the chance to have dinner with them and Eagle Duo and a few more forum friends we had yet to meet! It was wonderful and lots of fun (I'm a Little Teapot Roy)!! And yes - we visited the "sacred door" and I fully expect to see the photo reappear somewhere on the forum with a lot of puddles It was a great way to top off the 2 days of adventure in Catalina! Thank you all.  (click on image for larger photo) |
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| EDblue | Aug 23 2008, 11:58 AM Post #35 |
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Harpo516/Deb -- May 22 2007 Finally, after now being home a couple weeks, I can look back a bit and reflect on all we saw: I'm sure when Peter arrived on that Tuesday morning to pick up 4 people he had never met before, that a little bit of him was thinking it's just one more tour and they are probably nice folks and on the other side of the coin, we were all so excited to finally be "where the action is" and to meet the person that works so hard to make it all happen!  I have a new found appreciation for the job that IWS and especially Peter and Steffani do every day - and yes, it's their job. They are paid to get in that truck and drive over that dirt road and look thru that scope. But to do that job, day in and day out, waiting years to see any glimmer that what they are doing is making any kind of a difference......... Even without the contribution of the chemicals into the food chain and the taking away of the habitats, the Eagles suffer great consequences just in the nature of their existence: :<<>>: predators to the not yet developed chicks in the nest limited food supply or the chicks are killed by siblings in the competition falling to their death when they fledge from the nests where they live landing in unsuitable shrubbery or on the ground when they fledge and not escape trying to survive while they hone their flying and hunting skills learning to fish and not be pulled into the waters and maybe drowning and most of all - to learn to avoid the hazards of man I have read that 50% of eggs don't hatch - possibly 40% of chicks don't survive their 1st year - and maybe only 10% make it to adulthood - those are staggering numbers and unbelievable odds for a tiny chicklet to face when he makes that first effort to leave the safety of that egg. So, knowing those odds and knowing that the fruits of your labor more than likely might never see the light of day and knowing that your efforts of today will take many, many years, if at all, to bear that fruit - that's not just a job - that's a dedication! I did not get to personally meet Steffani - she was at Santa Cruz that day but from what I have read in her postings and in emails, she is a very caring individual and even though she is on the threshhold of her career, you can see in the underlying currents that she loves her job and is dedicated to reversing the tide and knowing that she may only be a brief moment in the effort before she moves on, she is giving it her all to help make that difference. (and she loves Pimu so she can't be all bad - right?  )
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| EDblue | Aug 23 2008, 11:59 AM Post #36 |
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Harpo516/Deb -- May 22 2007 To think this all began with a man, Dave, who had a vision which if you aren't aware, reaches beyond The Channel Islands! Some of today's projects: (visit IWS.org) Release of Captive-born Island Foxes to the Wild on Santa Cruz Island, California Remote Survival Monitoring of Island Foxes on San Nicolas Island, California Winter Wolverine Survey in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California Snow Leopards in Nepal Island Fox Ear Tumor Study California Condor Ecosystem Restoration in Central California Movements and Demography of Imperial Eagles in Kazakhstan I don't know the entire history (and maybe I/we should take a little time to discover it). I know Peter was looking for a job and by the luck of the draw, he chose to apply to IWS thinking it be a temporary-type position and here he still is working hard, not only with the eagle restoration project, but with the island fox program as well (and I'm sure much more). Peter - what can I say about the quiet, personal, laid back guy that we met that morning to begin our tour and learn about what IWS does and where it happens! How many times can one person answer:"So how long have you been doing this? Do you like your job? What do you think about when you have to climb into those nests? Have the parents ever attacked you? How does that tracking thing work? ......" Everyone tells me I am an extrovert and I probably am - but not in my mind! I just like to get the job done and I don't need any acknowledgement or thanks - I do it because I want to do it! The reason I mention that is because I think that's a lot of what Peter brings to this - he doesn't do it for accolades - for the glory and yes it's his job but you can't do this job without lots of caring, concern and dedication and what little exposure I've had to Peter - I see all of those qualities and more! So without the dedication of the IWS staff and personnel and volunteers and of course, the forum folks - the chance for the eagles to change the tide of events that for so long have crushed them nearly removing them from our world forever, would quickly pass by! |
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| EDblue | Aug 23 2008, 12:00 PM Post #37 |
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Harpo516/Deb -- May 22 2007 It was fitting that the road that we traveled to see the nests and eagles living there, were dirt and riddled with holes and erosion. It was wonderful to feel the ocean breeze and the heat of the sun as we stood on the ridge looking out across to the nests. It was even more consoling to know that these eagles have a chance to feel the same things because of a group of caring people! We take for granted our every day existence - we go to the store for dinner, we turn up the thermostat for more heat, we drive our cars to the beach for a little fun. These birds spend their every minute surviving - hoping to catch that fish sliding thru the waters of the ocean, huddling deep in the nest to ward off the rains, dedicating their every moment to the incubation and then nurturing of the next generation. And even that nearly came to an end by the greed and ineptness of some humans who the eagles willingly share this earth with. Yes, we visited Pimu - her call was awesome, her stance regal, her pride surrounded us! This enclosure is not her home nor is it where she belongs. She makes the best of her situation because she has no choice just as she had no choice in the means that brought her here! She belongs with all the others that have been given the chance to be soaring eagles thru the effofts of IWS who are trying to make a wrong, right again! But it can't happen for her. Instead she has become the spokes"eagle" and ambassador for those soaring eagles that we don't always get to see - she is the one to educate the people and to awaken their conscience - she is the one to speak to mankind about taking responsibility for past and future actions! If her plight and the story of the eagles touch the heart of one visitor, her job is done! I would be remiss if I did not mention Tachi - the ambassador for the Island Fox - reaching out to mankind to help them understand their mistakes and to engage them to make things right again! Even though I live thousands of miles away, this scenario is played out all over America and all over the world! And it is as much my fault as anyone else's - we all need to take ownership - but now that I know, I will try harder and I will encourage others and I will raise my voice with Pimu's and Tachi's! This was not a site seeing tour for me, it was not an eye opening tour. I already knew their stories. It was a journey to tell Pimu, Tachi, Steffani, Peter, Dave and IWS - Thank You! 
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| EDblue | Aug 23 2008, 12:01 PM Post #38 |
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Bird/Robin -- Aug 25 2007 IWS Tour, Part I -- Sorry folks, this is going to be long, so I'll do it in sections. My pictures were a real disappointment when I got them back from the developer, so there won't be many pictures. Darn it. My friend, Steven, and I went over to Catalina on Thursday so that we could play in Avalon before our IWS tour on Friday morning. Plus, we wanted to be able to start bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Friday because we were going to have a full day of radio tracking the Eagles of Catalina! When we arrived on Catalina, we got settled in and went exploring. We wanted to see how closely the fire had come to Avalon, so we started off to the “back” of Avalon. And there it was. The fire had actually come within yards of the town. Very scary stuff. However, it was encouraging to see that regrowth had already started. The heartbreaking part is that the wildlife is starving. There is nothing to eat. Coupled with the immense drought on Catalina, the fires devastated what little could be eaten. We saw several mule deer that had come down into the back edges of town, searching for anything to eat. Steffani told us the next day that there are approximately 2200 mule deer on the island. Because they are not able to find food, they are dying. But in the circle of life, they are providing food for the eagles, which will hopefully keep the eagles on the island.  (click on image for larger photo) |
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| EDblue | Aug 23 2008, 12:03 PM Post #39 |
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Bird/Robin -- Aug 25 2007 Part II The next morning, we arrived at the IWS office ready for adventure! I introduced Steven to Peter and Steffani, and we all chatted for a few minutes. Then, while Peter finished up some tax letters to the Cruzers, Steffani showed us the “nursery.” The nursery has been very well documented by those of you who have done previous tours, so I won’t repeat those pictures. What I was especially interested in were the eggs from this year’s chicks. Peter and Steffani have them arranged and labeled on a table.  It was interesting to see the insides of the eggs. Steffanie explained that the green matter inside this egg is fecal matter from the developing chick. I never thought about the chicks needing to poop. Where would it go? It stays there in the egg with them! Makes sense to think about it.  (click on image for larger photo) |
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| EDblue | Aug 23 2008, 12:04 PM Post #40 |
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Bird/Robin -- Aug 25 2007 Part III Also, the size of the eggs! After seeing the comparison pictures that have been posted on the forum, I was still surprised to see that the eggs are as big as they are. No wonder K26 looked like she was in such discomfort when she was laying hers! And to think that she had two of them inside her. And one of the moms on the West End Nest had three! Ouch! This is the eagle that they use to talk to the chicks in the eggs. If you squeeze it, it plays the call of an adult eagle.  It was very interesting actually being in the room where “it all takes place.” It’s one thing to read about it, but to actually experience it made it so much more real for me. Steffani is wonderful, and her enthusiasm is infectious. She clearly loves what she does. (Her arm is healing nicely, by the way.) We talked about Limuw, and Steffani told us about getting the call. When she got the call, she didn’t know yet that A63 was in Nevada. She got the call the same day Dave posted the Santa Cruz update. “What? Say that number again. Are you sure? Are you sure it says 63?” Sadly, as we know, it was 63. (click on image for larger photo) |
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| EDblue | Aug 23 2008, 12:04 PM Post #41 |
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Bird/Robin -- Aug 25 2007 Part IV Peter was finished with the donor letters, and it was time to go! Whoo hoo! We loaded up in his truck, but before we took off, it was time for a cookie! Peter had baked oatmeal raisin cookies the night before, so we had to have one. I told Steven that Peter’s cookies were famous, so he had to try one. Peter thinks it’s his chocolate chip cookies that are famous, but I didn’t care which kind it was. It was a home baked cookie, and it was home baked by Peter! Yummers! We wound our way through Avalon to its outskirts, down Pebbly Beach Road, out towards where the eagles fly. We stopped to get gas on the way. $4.25 a gallon for regular unleaded! Peter said the price had come down. Egad. Gassed up, we headed out. We had eagles to find. Peter turned on the scanner radio, and it ran through all the birds’ numbers looking for signals. We wound our way up and back into the remote areas of the island. Soon, we heard a faint beep on the radio. Peter explained it had picked up a signal but because it was faint, the eagle wasn’t close. We drove further and picked up a couple of other signals, and they were getting stronger! We now had the signals of 72, 77, and 78. There were a couple of other ones, but I don’t remember which ones they were. I think 64 might have been one. We stopped and got out. Peter got the antennae and tried to pinpoint the birds. Nothing. We scanned the horizons searching, searching. Nothing.  We got back into the truck and drove further. The signals got stronger, and we picked up even more birds. Peter said that they were probably having a party somewhere, probably down on the beach eating something that washed up onshore. We couldn’t see the shore because it was a drop off, but we would get as close as we could. There were so many ridges and canyons that we couldn’t get a visual on the eagles. We kept getting signals, we would stop, get out, nothing. One time Peter said, “They’re flying” and explained the difference in the sound of the radio beep of a stationary eagle and one that was flying. But where were they?  (click on image for larger photo) |
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| EDblue | Aug 23 2008, 12:05 PM Post #42 |
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Bird/Robin -- Aug 25 2007 Part V Picking up another signal, Peter used the antennae to locate the general area of that eagle. He then used binoculars to pinpoint one of the Pinnacle Rock adults in a tree. Pretty amazing. We then reached the covered reservoir and there were tons of huge ravens but no eagles. We kept picking up the “party of eagles” signals, but we couldn’t get a visual. We tracked these birds for about an hour, hour and a half. At one point we were standing up on a ridge overlooking the ocean. Peter was trying to hone in on the signals, but we could not see a thing.  Then . . . finally . . . Peter’s voice . . . . “There they come.” Off in the distance, at the water’s edge, three eagles rose up on the thermals. My heart leapt. I can’t explain the sensation of seeing those three birds, rising, rising, rising. Hang gliding in the sky. Circling higher and higher. It was something to see.    Peter said that he should get his camera in case they flew towards us, so he went back to the truck to get his camera. He said he should try to get a picture for the next Wednesday Update. And here they came! “Hurry, Peter, hurry! They’re coming! They’re coming!!” And there they were, circling over us, gliding so smoothly, effortlessly. It was absolutely breathtaking. We kept waiting for the three of them to cross the same point at the same time so that Peter could get a picture with all three of them, but it never happened. We could see the orange markers on their wings as they glided and circled above us. And then they sailed on past us and over the next ridge. Wow! I hope Peter got some good close up shots. It was fantastic! (click on image for larger photo) |
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| EDblue | Aug 23 2008, 12:05 PM Post #43 |
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Bird/Robin -- Aug 25 2007 Part VI We got back in the truck and drove on, energized now that we had finally found the eagles we had tracked for so long. We picked up a few more signals but didn’t see the correlating eagles. We reached the Airport in the Sky, and it was time for lunch! With bellies full, we struck out again. We picked up more signals. As we would drive along, we would hear a beep, and our eyes would go immediately to the sky. Following a signal, we drove through an area where those extinct buffalo were hanging out.  Steffani had told us earlier that the rangers found no buffalo carcasses after the fire, which was a good thing. But now there was no food for them. Everything on the island is so dry and dead. What didn’t burn has dried up. Steff also said that the rangers found only one fox. His feet were burned, so they rehabilitated him and returned him to the wild a month ago. By this time, we had reached Middle Ranch, home of Tachi and Pimu. Tachi was inside her den, so Peter called her out. She had been awakened from her nap, but as groggy as she was, she came running to see Peter. Peter went inside her enclosure, and Tachi just loooved on him. It was very endearing to see how much she loves Peter.  Then we were off to see Pimu. When we arrived, Pimu was on one of her perches with her back to us. But even though she had her back to us, she never took her eyes off us. She finally turned to face us and called out several times. That is one piercing call! While we were standing there admiring this majestic raptor – and being so up close and personal with her – a tour bus arrived. Pimu cocked her head and became very interested in their chatter. While we were standing in the enclosure, visitors looked at Pimu through plexiglass windows. They oooohed and aaaahed over her. I felt so privileged to be on the inside with her.  We left Pimu and continued our tracking. We saw Two Harbors and the pesky cloud cover that keeps the West End camera from working, We saw Twin Rocks. I can’t remember if we saw Pinnacle Rock. I was so engrossed in the experience that I kept forgetting to take notes, and I’m sure I’ve gotten things out of order. (click on image for larger photo) |
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| EDblue | Aug 23 2008, 12:06 PM Post #44 |
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Bird/Robin -- Aug 25 2007 Part VII When we reached the reservoir, we picked up K93’s signal. We got out of the truck, and Peter set up the scope. He quickly found K93 sitting in a tree overlooking the water. I have to tell you – K93 is one magnificent eagle! He is so big and full. Beautiful white head. Gorgeous. There was a big school of blue gill flopping on the surface of the water, making its way across the length of the reservoir. We kept hoping K93 would swoop down and pluck one out, but he never did. Peter thought that it might be because we were there, so we decided to leave so that 93 could eat. I took a picture of him through the scope, but it didn’t turn out. As we were leaving, we picked up K76’s signal. Scanning the sky, we saw him. He sailed over the trees and landed on a rock. He perched there for a moment – long enough for Peter to try to get his camera out – before taking off over the ridge into a small canyon. There was nowhere for him to go except back out, so we waited. He didn’t reappear, so Peter packed his camera up and we got back into the truck. Then 76 decided to come out of the canyon. He swooped back out, and we all scrambled. But before we could get into position, he was back over the next ridge and gone. We tried to find K93’s new girlfriend A32, but we weren’t able to find her. She was in the area, but we couldn’t see her. We got signals on all the birds except K74 – hopefully, he is safe on the mainland. We got to see many of the eagles -- the Rattlesnake Pair enjoying a thermal together; one of the Seal Rocks adults, 72, 76, 77, 78, 79 – I’m not sure about which others we saw . . . I kept forgetting to write them down. We covered the whole island except for the West End section, so we were pretty thorough. It was about 4:00 p.m. by this time, and Peter was satisfied with the results of the day, so we headed back in. When we arrived back at IWS, we saw that Steffani had made lots of wingblings while we were gone. So those of you who have ordered wingblings should be getting them soon! We expressed our appreciation to Peter and left him, ever so grateful for allowing us to experience the exhilaration of tracking and finding the Eagles of Catalina. It is an experience that I will never forget. Thank you, Peter! |
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