Eagle Power-Couple Battles Fledgling Away! West End Bald Eagle Nest Explore.org 8-12-24

Рет қаралды 841

Күн бұрын

It's a lovely afternoon on the West End Bald Eagle Nest on Catalina Island.
We have seen an unknown fledgling eagle or eagles in the area that can't be positively identified die to no leg bands. We do not know where the three West End fledglings are or whether they are still in the territory.
Mama "Thunder" has been bothered already this morning by a hawk in the area flying around.
This afternoon, a young eagle is calling and flying in the area. Thunder is upset and vocalizing, flying around and landing on the original nest. Thunder continues calling out and Papa "Akecheta" comes to the nest to help defend their territory. The adult eagles fly off the nest but the drama is just beginning!
A few minutes later, Thunder is perched on the middle tor. The fledgling flies to the middle tor and they battle on the far side of the tor!
Thunder flies away, and the fledgling moves up to perch on the tor!
Thunder continues vocalizing and soon Akecheta flies to the tor and chases the fledgling off the tor and around the sky out of view.
I didn't see or hear the fledgling again afterward, but there may be another one again tomorrow!
[It's hard to know if it is a visitor or one of the WE kids. I could not see any band on the youngster but none the IWS eaglets were banded this year. The fledgling could be from one of the other nests on the southern part of the Island. Or is it one of the 2024 WE kids still in the area? We don't know.]
The West End of Catalina island is a very popular place and is often visited by other fledgling eagles, young sub-adult eagles, and even adult eagles. And there are many fledgling hawks in the area also.
It's fun for us to see the visitors, and often the fledglings will fly around with other visiting fledglings.
I wonder who the beautiful fledgling is and I hope s/he stays safe and sound and gets some good meals here at Catalina!
All is well at West End.
The West End Eaglets have been named by donors to the Institute for Wildlife Studies!
1) "Koa" (means protector/warrior)
2) "Treasure"
3) "Sterling"
Eaglet 1 Hatched March 9
Eaglet 2 Hatched March 9
Eaglet 3 Hatched March 12
Institute for Wildlife Studies iws.org
Return Flight: Restoring the Bald Eagle to the Channel Islands:
• Return Flight: Restori...
West End Bald Eagle Nest
Explore.org www.explore.or...
My reply to comments about the blue wing tags is as follows:
The Channel Islands Bald Eagles are part of a long-time eagle restoration project after the eagles were wiped out by the effects of DDT. The blue tag is a "wing tag" which has been critical to monitoring the eagles to help restore this magnificent bird the the Channel Islands. Several years ago they banded and used wing tags to help track the eagles and keep records on where they went, what could be done to help them flourish, etc. Obviously the wing tags are much easier to see at a distance or when flying than the leg bands are. One of the things they discovered is that many of the eagles return to the Channel Islands after a number of years travelling the mainland. Reports were kept of all the sightings (as they do with California Condors too) and people could more easily see wing tag numbers to assist in the restoration project. Nests are monitored, eaglets are counted and yearly reports written. These cameras are not 'just for fun' but have a scientific purpose, too. The tags are treated just like a feather to the birds, and are designed to fall off over time. "Akecheta (A61) was hatched and banded in 2016 and wears tag A 61. "Andor" (A14) hatched in 2017 and wears ta A14. They have stopped using wing tags simply due to the organization who used to keep track of them is no longer doing so, and the improvement in spotting scopes to read leg bands in recent years. Eagles also used to carry radio transmitters also, but also no longer do so. The tags don't bother the birds - they preen them just like another feather!