tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723434079366671702024-02-20T22:00:12.437-08:00TPADInsular Portraiture.Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-28319912654933482182016-10-20T17:58:00.001-07:002016-10-25T08:18:59.976-07:00Owls, 'spurs, Lichens, and a Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
7-9 October</div>
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This period brought us more uncooperative weather for large movements of landbirds, but we did get a slow trickle of fun new avian visitors. These included an adult Blue-footed Booby, our first Herring and Thayer's Gulls of the season, a Pectoral Sandpiper in the <i>Zalophus</i> wastelands, a Western Palm Warbler (a harbinger of the hordes), a Lapland Longspur, and a White-throated Sparrow. These were in addition to small numbers of more expected birds.</div>
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eBird checklists for <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31939335" target="_blank">7</a>, <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31964625" target="_blank">8</a>, <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S32023984" target="_blank">9</a> October.</div>
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Burrowing Owls have been increasing, as is typical in the Fall. They arrive during peak mouse density, stay until the mouse population crashes, then switch over to eating Ashy Storm-Petrels: one sensitive species eating another--not an ideal situation. A recent arrival was "Tenacious D-15" below. This owl was banded last year and has returned to the same hole. It likes its hole and won't readily leave it. Witness:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOyhJyBCBqJr2fwGFOQcSLMqLI_OIuYEqVOO7Bill4PVXpowQXq-e3DYN0OWL6zH2RBxWc-SwYcRnxME-ZZWaVFmKIGWO0VIW-EEO2aj4Wr217zorci90-NlOritCMcYH1tVvBCuHCSw/s1600/BUOW-9560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOyhJyBCBqJr2fwGFOQcSLMqLI_OIuYEqVOO7Bill4PVXpowQXq-e3DYN0OWL6zH2RBxWc-SwYcRnxME-ZZWaVFmKIGWO0VIW-EEO2aj4Wr217zorci90-NlOritCMcYH1tVvBCuHCSw/s640/BUOW-9560.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I don't care how big you are."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_KG-rAuOIa5pIHOr4DQTzIv17GaAIFMovbKnFZ1I-_2K8nFEHfMrDclHfi1Ju0X3peJk1SdouNS0G6IadHWouKC7FhiJm4QSTXiDvwRFzOqKB5dqaPNKkaCpDbSl9y1QG980gAVrjIs/s1600/BUOW-9596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_KG-rAuOIa5pIHOr4DQTzIv17GaAIFMovbKnFZ1I-_2K8nFEHfMrDclHfi1Ju0X3peJk1SdouNS0G6IadHWouKC7FhiJm4QSTXiDvwRFzOqKB5dqaPNKkaCpDbSl9y1QG980gAVrjIs/s640/BUOW-9596.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Come on in. The kettle's hot."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1TfwRQgKKm5UKnTdHoBm7n4p65Gm7SYD3MIiyJJCBnywX8-ZMKZU5hOASR_EGa5Zdxa_UIF9jq3ySkFPhpjknSWVjgRpAHxxfrfqKTL3ul5MNLJnvxfSZAfsI0Fnz3xqezRMSj4dztg/s1600/LALO-9370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1TfwRQgKKm5UKnTdHoBm7n4p65Gm7SYD3MIiyJJCBnywX8-ZMKZU5hOASR_EGa5Zdxa_UIF9jq3ySkFPhpjknSWVjgRpAHxxfrfqKTL3ul5MNLJnvxfSZAfsI0Fnz3xqezRMSj4dztg/s640/LALO-9370.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Lapland Longspur would briefly visit a disgusting puddle near the lighthouse, then disappear for minutes to hours. Not everyone was able to see it during its 2-day stay.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This lichen (lichens?), as far as I can tell, is limited to the metal railing around the lighthouse. What does this mean?</td></tr>
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Ron Elliot has also returned to dive around the island, as he has every year since the 1980s. He's the only regular visitor (pretty much the only visitor, period) to dive without a shark cage. Watch<a href="https://vimeo.com/33006095" target="_blank"> this excellent video</a> about Ron, featuring footage from the islands--it's worth your time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ron Elliot, diving alone with the sharks off of his boat,<i> Great White. </i>The yellow hose on the right is his "Hooka", a hose attached to a compressor on deck and to Ron's mouth underwater. I've seen shark attacks within 200 meters of the boat while he's diving.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob "I Know John Garrett" Drucker recently had a birthday. Don Mastwell made him some kind of chocolate corn cake. It was structurally disingenuous.</td></tr>
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<br />Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-37385790070580991632016-10-19T20:56:00.000-07:002016-10-19T20:58:28.849-07:00Visitors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
5-6 October</div>
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Island life continues--birds, wind, waves, and sharks. We received some visitors this week. Three electricians and the NWR operations specialist, Jonathan Shore, arrived to fix up the electrical system--the lighthouse is currently plugged into a wall outlet behind the Coast Guard stove. Untenable, this is. Everything will be brand new in no time!</div>
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<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31912670" target="_blank">eBird Checklist 1</a></div>
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<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31926314" target="_blank">eBird Checklist 2</a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkfpw_ycQI4Ms0qmvocAuwFwrJ_WSSskIImVF5tSIXrkTqXKNzkM-eWRfRTuUbU-rpGTL5wrXc0MmJzM2CWFIFjvm-Tx6E0LmHKSpdUETS1GZgF6nqi13T99tcgyy0vmFAuMcqmSTwvM/s1600/Chopper-9297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkfpw_ycQI4Ms0qmvocAuwFwrJ_WSSskIImVF5tSIXrkTqXKNzkM-eWRfRTuUbU-rpGTL5wrXc0MmJzM2CWFIFjvm-Tx6E0LmHKSpdUETS1GZgF6nqi13T99tcgyy0vmFAuMcqmSTwvM/s640/Chopper-9297.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jonathan leaving the fancy way.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pt. Reyes lighthouse on a very clear day</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art Starling. Starlings don't look like this.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Rock Pigeon is a survivor. Weeks alone (after the three Eurasian Collared-Doves left/were consumed) with two constantly prowling Peregrine Falcons</td></tr>
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Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-60782179149762002332016-10-15T16:53:00.000-07:002016-10-15T17:11:14.956-07:00What's Better Than Two? Ten.30 September to 4 Oct 2016<br />
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Deepest apologies to all of the portrait fans who have been waiting far too long for the next installment. As a result of communication breakdowns, plumose foreign-body aspiration, and a few days with Loads of Birds, I have fallen behind. Fear not, portrait enthusiasts, for ten is five times better than two.<br />
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Regarding aspirations, I inhaled a belly feather from an Audubon's Warbler on 2 October. This is not advised. Inhaling anything but nicely oxygenated air is a bad idea. I asked Peter Pyle if he'd ever inhaled feathers. He said no, but told me about a researcher extraordinaire (below) who may have died from long-term feather exposure. Thanks, Peter!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6DMs6j-NFo8wRexx6BHmTa9ULSkNyug7nML0HAfUTIyfVLmOKZ1q_eNESymSjv8ptew04G4U7eIxgo61nSsSJBf52Tu0FDX6sxrj471ixru-Dv8cJMkVQ3XFZPZfFE2UnFPj9ujZlTL4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-10-14+at+12.57.24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6DMs6j-NFo8wRexx6BHmTa9ULSkNyug7nML0HAfUTIyfVLmOKZ1q_eNESymSjv8ptew04G4U7eIxgo61nSsSJBf52Tu0FDX6sxrj471ixru-Dv8cJMkVQ3XFZPZfFE2UnFPj9ujZlTL4/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-10-14+at+12.57.24.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Here's hoping that we have many more days of TPAD ahead of us. If not, it's been fun. I love you all!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Lesser Goldfinch acquired a bad pollen habit during its stay on the island.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_Evet81BjnATDAQe5a3wUR5VRuQtwi_zAuXZboBeny7CZJBgSfrKBe_nD8igFUk06loe1cy_6omu3QydLLSfwe_SwFfyXc1F1to07QR_XOQKCKobDZCfnFzVT1yCbFmH_wzbb1TZ91Y/s1600/NOFS-8756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_Evet81BjnATDAQe5a3wUR5VRuQtwi_zAuXZboBeny7CZJBgSfrKBe_nD8igFUk06loe1cy_6omu3QydLLSfwe_SwFfyXc1F1to07QR_XOQKCKobDZCfnFzVT1yCbFmH_wzbb1TZ91Y/s640/NOFS-8756.JPG" width="466" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Northern Fur Seal is upset about something.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beginnings of a fogged out day at the lighthouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDx7R9eHTvjUddu7SSkeTCpBQv9nVtGn6Zo7URMpwYwKc1NGRS8ATR89p16oeP786wOCLsf3dQihh9VtfzI8nOl1mQIjOeeQ4bdKXjWA3uKm1e4zblL5u9iSNdHJayNe9r0Jas64v4Gbg/s1600/BTSP-9041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDx7R9eHTvjUddu7SSkeTCpBQv9nVtGn6Zo7URMpwYwKc1NGRS8ATR89p16oeP786wOCLsf3dQihh9VtfzI8nOl1mQIjOeeQ4bdKXjWA3uKm1e4zblL5u9iSNdHJayNe9r0Jas64v4Gbg/s640/BTSP-9041.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We finally caught the Black-throated Sparrow!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhkERfszErN4cBAfq6giOTx-ZuQyNXHm1rZjyQr2ZQHRn4eDdSbt3bLoFH2DOrPwIaiGLjEJKim-v_-ECr-NQTOmibADnoakdr8Q87JIuPbVpAUD5NZNc2S5dJu_mUYZp4k9l8r4WiYqc/s1600/Edrudia-9441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhkERfszErN4cBAfq6giOTx-ZuQyNXHm1rZjyQr2ZQHRn4eDdSbt3bLoFH2DOrPwIaiGLjEJKim-v_-ECr-NQTOmibADnoakdr8Q87JIuPbVpAUD5NZNc2S5dJu_mUYZp4k9l8r4WiYqc/s640/Edrudia-9441.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The orange character is <i>Edrudia constipans,</i> a lichen found only on the Farallones </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtj_GEZ9lHlknBU4x7ByRw0QIGQ_Adr3XrjJV6QfH2G0AXbk1gqAUZEFRc-8zErGqbiYSWWXMsQhamiNae3DEjRTjHk5mOmSO0T6cIbWSZDQGWDBhmk_HB8ikmDwRdqcN-4GjDUvt5kQA/s1600/PAWR-9172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtj_GEZ9lHlknBU4x7ByRw0QIGQ_Adr3XrjJV6QfH2G0AXbk1gqAUZEFRc-8zErGqbiYSWWXMsQhamiNae3DEjRTjHk5mOmSO0T6cIbWSZDQGWDBhmk_HB8ikmDwRdqcN-4GjDUvt5kQA/s640/PAWR-9172.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Pacific Wren spent most if its stay in the cable tunnel beneath the lighthouse. Here it pauses for some brief sunshine.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9_0FGQTvJtGx2Viee4yJJ9JwHraa57Ep6zErfFvnk78dHpEikVVaQOQ_e71BUsuiBMnN9G7mMLtaP9HMeZTWNPUV5fXMGJeQuDSdIpgI_Xwff1sUtTC3ZxW-J3HGNAzVtpV58gC6Pkk/s1600/Solar-9468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9_0FGQTvJtGx2Viee4yJJ9JwHraa57Ep6zErfFvnk78dHpEikVVaQOQ_e71BUsuiBMnN9G7mMLtaP9HMeZTWNPUV5fXMGJeQuDSdIpgI_Xwff1sUtTC3ZxW-J3HGNAzVtpV58gC6Pkk/s640/Solar-9468.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim and Garrett cleaning off our solar panels.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzsHMHC51WOUCHVyTiSB1JNJCYJ_mctW01Wj4u4EE9StmghVBnwqrmFQj4kkkyy_Ox2Lghm4L5AeT0pj7FuLrSQ4dtVEsvscyaaUSeCJfPjs4kHBWXBHbfHyEcZUFzGUctb0tH3rgMw0Q/s1600/GWSH-9130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzsHMHC51WOUCHVyTiSB1JNJCYJ_mctW01Wj4u4EE9StmghVBnwqrmFQj4kkkyy_Ox2Lghm4L5AeT0pj7FuLrSQ4dtVEsvscyaaUSeCJfPjs4kHBWXBHbfHyEcZUFzGUctb0tH3rgMw0Q/s640/GWSH-9130.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great White! This fellow had just finished eating a pinniped--probably a sea lion, but impossible to know for certain</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGmbBnJAninacbmeoknXjKMbq0Py8nMoDb4pKJlk_f9MYS6yYRk3xomy2_A2MniHe6Fu4YlBv0mQg6LEu_nXh-iHOZzvkie8OGZjRIh-RGKhZnl0H3ujDrMsAf2o7UUtMkN8AYfoX4cT8/s1600/SSHA-9262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGmbBnJAninacbmeoknXjKMbq0Py8nMoDb4pKJlk_f9MYS6yYRk3xomy2_A2MniHe6Fu4YlBv0mQg6LEu_nXh-iHOZzvkie8OGZjRIh-RGKhZnl0H3ujDrMsAf2o7UUtMkN8AYfoX4cT8/s640/SSHA-9262.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Sharp-shinned Hawk flew about at the lighthouse for a bit before heading back to land.</td></tr>
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<br />Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-21472813161091533972016-10-07T22:18:00.001-07:002016-10-07T22:32:37.692-07:00Gray Gloom29 Sep 2016<br />
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The Gray Gloom remains upon the island, pushed along by northwest winds that fend off most migrant landbirds. The Great White Shark season is well underway, however, and the sharks don't care so much about fog. Shark research is carried out on a small boat called <i>Stacy</i> which is launched from the sailing vessel <i>Bayliss:</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcj_cEAxuW20862n4NtPemK2-xM08-Ro3Qk0LDpdPufes3pyfim0VkiwNv_OCILIVB0zDFwTt-IHN7WRfxbdt_pQx_lVLxFSv7b6M8rn1SJXViHyBDW5vu2weOApb0Qdw6QPefntNeEmI/s1600/Stacy-8284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcj_cEAxuW20862n4NtPemK2-xM08-Ro3Qk0LDpdPufes3pyfim0VkiwNv_OCILIVB0zDFwTt-IHN7WRfxbdt_pQx_lVLxFSv7b6M8rn1SJXViHyBDW5vu2weOApb0Qdw6QPefntNeEmI/s640/Stacy-8284.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Stacy </i>and the shark tagging crew waiting for customers.</div>
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The Black-throated Sparrow persists on Lighthouse Hill, taking a bit of edge off of the birding doldrums.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6xFQNkn4mrVKeWje-fiUPfddL0oOF0ENmLGN6Pezj5puJ653X8Q6ETQzxoo317-SnX9CtJCmERRoT8-QQn2Jbp95Mfo3NeczJTZEZfFAOMhX_QoVf39W-dFhj1d1hozlvZtSgxxig6M/s1600/BTSP-8497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6xFQNkn4mrVKeWje-fiUPfddL0oOF0ENmLGN6Pezj5puJ653X8Q6ETQzxoo317-SnX9CtJCmERRoT8-QQn2Jbp95Mfo3NeczJTZEZfFAOMhX_QoVf39W-dFhj1d1hozlvZtSgxxig6M/s640/BTSP-8497.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Island's substrates aren't too different from the normal haunts of this desert-dweller</td></tr>
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<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31825227" target="_blank">Today's eBird checklist is here.</a>Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-27859016617127955432016-10-05T18:30:00.000-07:002016-10-07T22:23:52.438-07:00Tardiness is Next to Godliness...28 Sep 2016<br />
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A slow trickle of migrants continues to grace us. The weather remains ok but less than ideal for large bird movements. <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31805151" target="_blank">Here's our eBird list.</a><br />
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Today's whims brought us a welcome visitor from more balmy climes:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGn_nUq2yMLotGCLwIPdSxAdPt1z62XNpADs_kCv5MVU0FOrSAYA79LbfScwbTdDNlzGlyg_k2-13GWIw8gxhNJt3QIcWEa7GK7GK4Sd-DhYu5ONuHFr7zen1k3fxyFkqqoQ6Z2TIsSk/s1600/TRKI-8256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGn_nUq2yMLotGCLwIPdSxAdPt1z62XNpADs_kCv5MVU0FOrSAYA79LbfScwbTdDNlzGlyg_k2-13GWIw8gxhNJt3QIcWEa7GK7GK4Sd-DhYu5ONuHFr7zen1k3fxyFkqqoQ6Z2TIsSk/s640/TRKI-8256.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tropical Kingbird hanging out near the Burning Bush</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Our second portrait will be a throwback to last year when we (Adam, Eva, Boo--thanks Eva!) chucked a GoPro/faucet off of East Landing and accidentally found a red abalone. Their populations plummeted after years of exploitation and they remain scarce and continue to decline on the Farallones.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Who wanders by this mirrored shore,</i></div>
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<i>And from a basin's rugged edge</i></div>
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<i>In the limpid depths peers wide and deep,</i></div>
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<i>Where lolling tides lie half asleep,</i></div>
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<i>Will the strange sea forms venture o'er</i></div>
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<i>The weed-grown, creviced, glassy floor...</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Excerpt from "Sea Folk" from <i>The Farallones The Painted World and Other Poems of California</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">by Milton S. Ray</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7dP1AOvNqZproPX1CwaEtkJDucRixEiLRW46EsqG-_0nlYjP4V8P4REf3Oeo03VqldpeZlnnk3y8hr6f4FWGMchrcjb5QYlM27zv_YCgAPfWiORatAeXMwfTzl4U7ylKT2-4OzES50BE/s1600/ABALONE+East+Landing+28+Aug+2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7dP1AOvNqZproPX1CwaEtkJDucRixEiLRW46EsqG-_0nlYjP4V8P4REf3Oeo03VqldpeZlnnk3y8hr6f4FWGMchrcjb5QYlM27zv_YCgAPfWiORatAeXMwfTzl4U7ylKT2-4OzES50BE/s400/ABALONE+East+Landing+28+Aug+2015.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">East Landing Abalone!</td></tr>
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<br />Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-3206249113342802382016-10-02T19:10:00.000-07:002016-10-02T19:11:33.772-07:00For Whom the Bell's Tolls27 Sep 2016<br />
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The lovely eastern Bell's Vireo continued today and Zack found an island bird for Rob, et al.--a Black-throated Sparrow! Its portrait will be featured on a later post as it was seen very poorly on the first day of its stay. <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31790350" target="_blank">Here is the Sep 27th eBird checklist.</a><br />
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In its stead, we have the always lovely Northern Elephant Seal (<i>Mirounga angustirostris</i>)--we love them, sharks love them, flies love them. Who could dislike this animal? Well, humans definitely did, for a long time. A long time. And the result of this was near-extinction. Thanks to conservation efforts (money and legislation), this species has staged a spectacular comeback. Elephant seals increase in numbers on the Farallones in the fall and winter and Great White Shark numbers increase accordingly.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyeDPUosHA8Iu_SiMDhA1gFD7F3wZoyFz52maClS8Cmm5zHom6rsxztAhC28fbgZMdYL_SfZJFl4ZubDA9Uci_F3zXyxUG0Z1oSdDrvUbjB5uTIxN6S7uq0toTpPyB28aimpu-ankNe70/s1600/Mirounga-8114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyeDPUosHA8Iu_SiMDhA1gFD7F3wZoyFz52maClS8Cmm5zHom6rsxztAhC28fbgZMdYL_SfZJFl4ZubDA9Uci_F3zXyxUG0Z1oSdDrvUbjB5uTIxN6S7uq0toTpPyB28aimpu-ankNe70/s640/Mirounga-8114.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our shared ancestry is obvious. This portrait of a lounging elephant seal was taken in Garbage Gulch</td></tr>
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And here we have a guest-portrait by Don Mastwell.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7zPyBqQvkJC8FgpeSLkuDr5jSImRJaOxnpU3VC-jBfo7CNv1-aXrhKgTkgjOoaw1YeocN7mouX-tllHJum6rFC8QvL9zpszu16_sCdV3l-xcm6qC61zMeLTJSdQ84Dlmc4cloiHBsgg/s1600/IMG_0571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7zPyBqQvkJC8FgpeSLkuDr5jSImRJaOxnpU3VC-jBfo7CNv1-aXrhKgTkgjOoaw1YeocN7mouX-tllHJum6rFC8QvL9zpszu16_sCdV3l-xcm6qC61zMeLTJSdQ84Dlmc4cloiHBsgg/s400/IMG_0571.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The eastern Bell's Vireo, pre-banding. A lovely life bird for all parties present.</td></tr>
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<br />Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-83536997955438546372016-09-30T20:16:00.001-07:002016-09-30T20:25:43.833-07:00Eastern Bell's Vireo for President26 Sep 2016<br />
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A nice assortment of birds arrived on the island today (<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31778009" target="_blank">see the complete checklist here</a>), but the obvious highlight was an eastern Bell's Vireo(!) that was found by Major Tietz late in the day in the Coast Guard Tree. All hands were on deck to see the vireo in the light of the setting sun.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5p0qXMKMRBIYC3xilMWC4hclyRfqtsnDA47HXEH8TcIz83kxGhwZCEfNLEe5u4zUL7vtzCqFACzmP6Aq_lmlZGY9GQQCI2zNjgjfobGjEfYSDz5tH-Bwg67fwfyunBcOvaxrFelsnXY/s1600/14489812_10154625416720337_586323146_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5p0qXMKMRBIYC3xilMWC4hclyRfqtsnDA47HXEH8TcIz83kxGhwZCEfNLEe5u4zUL7vtzCqFACzmP6Aq_lmlZGY9GQQCI2zNjgjfobGjEfYSDz5tH-Bwg67fwfyunBcOvaxrFelsnXY/s640/14489812_10154625416720337_586323146_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three nerds, including D. Mastwell and R. Rockly, successfully viewing the Bell's Vireo in the failing light. <i>Guest Portrait by Jacob Drucker.</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_oskm75IHuEHFWJdmrzFz4t4SMNjK9BYHUXYBwaYli7DmbFJpyUxhzqZVhgAABSex1tDS1_chyuD3d3bhilaiVZhmbaslRHjPUazUmjm4Ymng8dUqNL9dj2I_obGEyNsIGUlqI5YR5c/s1600/BEVI-1808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_oskm75IHuEHFWJdmrzFz4t4SMNjK9BYHUXYBwaYli7DmbFJpyUxhzqZVhgAABSex1tDS1_chyuD3d3bhilaiVZhmbaslRHjPUazUmjm4Ymng8dUqNL9dj2I_obGEyNsIGUlqI5YR5c/s640/BEVI-1808.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thankfully, the vireo flew into a net and allowed us to examine it in all of its glory. <i>Guest Portrait by The Future.</i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQoTgWSJfOIqjqrG4hM-mHfoNhYQMHwIeM5W293iM1ydBW2g6LIrtTn73VwuvO0ikxM_IkS5fLDBZv3RTwbJAu1vYXfQH6AexG95l92O8SUfGoKoLV32ESGT60tOxWfenPlyQeTIYnCw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-09-30+at+14.14.12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQoTgWSJfOIqjqrG4hM-mHfoNhYQMHwIeM5W293iM1ydBW2g6LIrtTn73VwuvO0ikxM_IkS5fLDBZv3RTwbJAu1vYXfQH6AexG95l92O8SUfGoKoLV32ESGT60tOxWfenPlyQeTIYnCw/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-09-30+at+14.14.12.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-46175705808831993082016-09-28T16:20:00.000-07:002016-09-28T16:24:08.119-07:00Heat Waves25 September 2016<br />
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Today was very hot on the island and very clear--and very birdy. Visibility greater than 60 miles often bodes poorly for bird arrivals on the island--but this was an exception. About 200 birds arrived, mostly Golden-crowned and Fox Sparrows with good numbers of Spotted Towhees, Hermit Thrushes, and Savannah Sparrows--see a <a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31761362" target="_blank">complete eBird checklist here.</a></div>
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The island residents, J. Tietz, Alyssa Om, J. Drucker, and G. Duncan were very pleased with the avian bounty brought by Mastwell and Rockly.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCta84JwXWVkpxmVgrP1UsRvdq4u4I_uyrE7KPkLCMhQ-dMMsw7YfqBG0oyKDg2J1u5aFrAJFZXMKX0oYQ3xnXTq1m3gfdKduJQ2AeCZ70z8zlw8Os0aDkhNUAl99Wgvt6-yghEV3Oo1c/s1600/untitled-7681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCta84JwXWVkpxmVgrP1UsRvdq4u4I_uyrE7KPkLCMhQ-dMMsw7YfqBG0oyKDg2J1u5aFrAJFZXMKX0oYQ3xnXTq1m3gfdKduJQ2AeCZ70z8zlw8Os0aDkhNUAl99Wgvt6-yghEV3Oo1c/s640/untitled-7681.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don Mastwell in action at Heligoland. He's either recording bird numbers or reading some trashy fantasy fiction. It's impossible to tell.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJu7RhDrrmLp-G5sNnnbgkMoLjS7D4OmZHKYUEpi4FCJisRuWD1jHDH26eAjbV2HLgQ6MBm8FtT6x5Ar4okTMp3H_WAfb1WRD7USxf4bb93-3ePsMuEiY_kU7xmvCsf2rvIF1otH_9UQ/s1600/untitled-7871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJu7RhDrrmLp-G5sNnnbgkMoLjS7D4OmZHKYUEpi4FCJisRuWD1jHDH26eAjbV2HLgQ6MBm8FtT6x5Ar4okTMp3H_WAfb1WRD7USxf4bb93-3ePsMuEiY_kU7xmvCsf2rvIF1otH_9UQ/s640/untitled-7871.JPG" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoke from the Sawmill Fire in Sonoma county provided for a nice sunset--and a further reminder that much of California remains in a severe drought.</td></tr>
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Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-38998903464205239892016-09-27T23:28:00.000-07:002016-09-27T23:31:58.062-07:00HelloWell, we're off to a punctual start: Blog #1 is four days late.<br />
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On 24 September, Don Mastwell, Rob Rockly, and Mach Zikalonis arrived to reinforce the Farallones Crew. East Landing is broken again, so we have to use North Landing for the foreseeable future--just like old times.<br />
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Birds were slow on Day 1, but Rob was able to score an island bird in short order (see below).<br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31743542" target="_blank">Click here for the eBird checklist for 24 September.</a><br />
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We are all crossing our fingers hoping for good weather to incite bird migration. Until then? Portraits.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMzRRr26ihR-Bs6NToZTacvd6XZ2y_34Tk4OgQDILOff9C08jBWKzjAfWoXi9ziXiry-vA_OScWlHTO1XwHC47z2mUmroDG_2WW18U42lT0ktnftq9HTkg50o9KEMaE-y6xfS0PsPwKk/s1600/untitled-7661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMzRRr26ihR-Bs6NToZTacvd6XZ2y_34Tk4OgQDILOff9C08jBWKzjAfWoXi9ziXiry-vA_OScWlHTO1XwHC47z2mUmroDG_2WW18U42lT0ktnftq9HTkg50o9KEMaE-y6xfS0PsPwKk/s640/untitled-7661.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob's 171st Island Bird: Rock Pigeon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0zWnJNel71Azq65B-bYlgyTRqbwATseALNHc83r_gCastfHaI_ECu94WwC8bwj3MI6aXh2ht4sEuvFsBwD16uWZo98oFPkP-_Pglr4dd8ZXJPa7GNo5qHJgHYVHZnJTXUxeKvYxxAGY/s1600/IMG_8263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0zWnJNel71Azq65B-bYlgyTRqbwATseALNHc83r_gCastfHaI_ECu94WwC8bwj3MI6aXh2ht4sEuvFsBwD16uWZo98oFPkP-_Pglr4dd8ZXJPa7GNo5qHJgHYVHZnJTXUxeKvYxxAGY/s640/IMG_8263.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A portrait of the Aulon Islets at sunset</td></tr>
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<br />Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-3373619233271753192016-09-21T22:35:00.002-07:002016-09-21T22:37:10.590-07:00It's True. All of it.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Rumors are to be believed. Rob Rockly and Don Mastwell are heading back out to the Farallones. Rob's trip was cut short by a pesky eyeball infection(?), resulting in some Seriously Missed Birds, but the pain was more obtuse than it could have been.</div>
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If rumors suggest that I am already on The Island, those rumors are Lies.<br />
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Rumors that I have unfinished business, however, are true. I do have unfinished business. Here you will find business, finished. The final blog of the 2015 season.<br />
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First order of business:<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #ccc; font-family: arial,sans,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; table-layout: fixed;"><colgroup><col width="100"></col><col width="100"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-formula="=sum(R8C2:R248C2)" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":107.04000000000002}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000; font-size: 100%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">107.04</td><td data-sheets-formula="=sum(R8C3:R248C3)" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":101.10000000000002}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000; font-size: 100%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">101.1</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"SCI"}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-size: 100%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">SCI</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"SEFI"}" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; font-size: 100%; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">SEFI</td></tr>
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Alas, it is true. The Stahlian Hordes were able to surge to victory in the great Battle of El Niño. However, a rematch has been ordered and will commence Saturday, 24 September, upon the arrival of Don and Rob on The Island.</div>
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Here, now, are your eight missing portraits from 2015. </div>
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[Portait #1 is the new frontispiece of the blog (look up there ^)]</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tlOyEFve7yLCXz7YmcTwCrJ5kok6_69EhWZHRfzLc_UuGQK_2zh-ahQEL9ke9eGveJ9qHCJ4I9Y6mIgc3gvZiyzMcyY5g5VrMevXvYyvo5Hm-OF1ZZV3MS_nd5okqnARVkf1RPDULds/s1600/Photo+on+9-10-15+at+13.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tlOyEFve7yLCXz7YmcTwCrJ5kok6_69EhWZHRfzLc_UuGQK_2zh-ahQEL9ke9eGveJ9qHCJ4I9Y6mIgc3gvZiyzMcyY5g5VrMevXvYyvo5Hm-OF1ZZV3MS_nd5okqnARVkf1RPDULds/s640/Photo+on+9-10-15+at+13.36.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A traditional portrait of a traditional man</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBn-YOufXLj6iIS0CE2ilFbVSCSFE06tNaV8omuceARQqLcmOFx6cRkSnozJMJ-FPmvPGLJJ_kUxRjuCN0a2VoPD5dpCfCcgyMCONeC-bgyIM67saB5UB-xPCtIMyncQQUpOjSBw8tItc/s1600/TPAD-4136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBn-YOufXLj6iIS0CE2ilFbVSCSFE06tNaV8omuceARQqLcmOFx6cRkSnozJMJ-FPmvPGLJJ_kUxRjuCN0a2VoPD5dpCfCcgyMCONeC-bgyIM67saB5UB-xPCtIMyncQQUpOjSBw8tItc/s640/TPAD-4136.JPG" width="352" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a Pelagic Cormorant. Contrary to unpopular belief, this is not a snake.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYv1NyFF0l8WpQSj2y1gSYv_6xM3X2hNKCw15-9VE6XdDgJrkEGa0Exwr6E7n51dkrsXl7KrZ1ypNBZo3d8tNNcllr7h11RIurJUXihUgJWqYDUdIMScgYyzkCAgjIb_o_tX4Y413nGTY/s1600/TPAD-4244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYv1NyFF0l8WpQSj2y1gSYv_6xM3X2hNKCw15-9VE6XdDgJrkEGa0Exwr6E7n51dkrsXl7KrZ1ypNBZo3d8tNNcllr7h11RIurJUXihUgJWqYDUdIMScgYyzkCAgjIb_o_tX4Y413nGTY/s640/TPAD-4244.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This must be one of the least disappointed bird species that ends up on SEFI, the lovely Rock Wren. Please, friend, inform the Canyon Wrens of our stony bounty.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk71z1fpjrWTzGOw0BQ-OmmKzXUOgyOuGQIE27MZRauD3FE_5dF21kWCWyWs_0RyMj-ragy5V3uFPgWQlPRLtQ-uMgaks9O3N-sraKGZamD0F2SFLoi-Z28lRL46GuexCNNGl1MjVvmeQ/s1600/TPAD-4191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk71z1fpjrWTzGOw0BQ-OmmKzXUOgyOuGQIE27MZRauD3FE_5dF21kWCWyWs_0RyMj-ragy5V3uFPgWQlPRLtQ-uMgaks9O3N-sraKGZamD0F2SFLoi-Z28lRL46GuexCNNGl1MjVvmeQ/s640/TPAD-4191.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Bloody Mary Bloody Mary Bloody Mary" The smaller of these two Elephant Seals (bottom) took a grazing bite from a shark--it was a shallow wound and likely healed right up.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOv262uUCxI6c_WdfsY_nUlY1lY8WRMCN6wIJ8c9qyKdc7JSCUWJV3iG5YyG8dXl_q_PlZ_P5xqEEfHJ46qP0Fz6mMh3RQiW_NEHHOqz96QTV5C0I-2m5YTEfVzf-AvVYg2tzfjxABgQ/s1600/TPAD-4452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOv262uUCxI6c_WdfsY_nUlY1lY8WRMCN6wIJ8c9qyKdc7JSCUWJV3iG5YyG8dXl_q_PlZ_P5xqEEfHJ46qP0Fz6mMh3RQiW_NEHHOqz96QTV5C0I-2m5YTEfVzf-AvVYg2tzfjxABgQ/s400/TPAD-4452.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hello"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EJEQOLRFD9NXMHmrqT59Dur4_-0PhaBZ3VZVpfihK67K_yVtAAqf2ZLrot2RMn9BPHn2aaJHxh1iXF-5UnbIIrD0i0Ji4ZbE_zUaMMIWTlehXHIeaOeFw1fb0yMrfUoKETtgBKl_byA/s1600/TPAD-4648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EJEQOLRFD9NXMHmrqT59Dur4_-0PhaBZ3VZVpfihK67K_yVtAAqf2ZLrot2RMn9BPHn2aaJHxh1iXF-5UnbIIrD0i0Ji4ZbE_zUaMMIWTlehXHIeaOeFw1fb0yMrfUoKETtgBKl_byA/s640/TPAD-4648.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-breasted Nuthatches are probably somewhat more disappointed than Rock Wrens. Few things to hatch.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7E6MCOFJvXl0ai9uyVSF1Ke701jG_CKBONC5H8q8UlVDBN7Y1SHYB-IGf2sTD94wI9-C117sM0Ke9_z4MTeJBzoWVpD1sYnOWNes7O8dNnHUq71rlcPKcjOm6Ye_2v4jZ0bdPqaK0mM/s1600/TPAD-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7E6MCOFJvXl0ai9uyVSF1Ke701jG_CKBONC5H8q8UlVDBN7Y1SHYB-IGf2sTD94wI9-C117sM0Ke9_z4MTeJBzoWVpD1sYnOWNes7O8dNnHUq71rlcPKcjOm6Ye_2v4jZ0bdPqaK0mM/s640/TPAD-2.JPG" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Eastern Indigo Snake (<i>Drymarchon couperi</i>)</td></tr>
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Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-16266816477891699302015-09-25T16:37:00.000-07:002016-02-18T12:29:42.497-08:00Callorhinus16 September<br />
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No, TPAD is not dead. But it will soon be dead. Until it dies, I give you TPADFFMD.<br />
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Once a month some intrepid souls make the journey over to Main Top Island (West End) to visit the Northern Fur Seal (<i>Callorhinus ursinus</i>) colony, census all of the pinnipeds, look for tagged animals, and maybe pull some spinach. Ideally, this is done on a slow/no bird day. Cases of Faranoia may become particularly acute on such days (<a href="http://tpadsefi.blogspot.com/2014/09/pinnipeds-and-faranoia.html" target="_blank">see this post from last year</a>).<br />
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West End is loud, smelly, and furry: bleats growls and wickers are broadcast continuously and are punctuated by the unmistakable roaring of Steller's Sea Lions. Adults fight, pups fight, sea lions and fur seals bicker. A noisy smelly place that is thoroughly enjoyable to expose one's self to. Take me back.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvjKbTpj91PZQFCiXvJ1t-qipHEaQrYj3m_NnOvbxUOqNH6ikUXHJ1abEwhefqzhZZ-OwoYvJJwHADxOmM3esQDsgMQ0f6zGCKPJLp0n0ZKVFfuo25naxSznP5XydrNCY-fz-ukub8tg/s1600/Fur-3738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvjKbTpj91PZQFCiXvJ1t-qipHEaQrYj3m_NnOvbxUOqNH6ikUXHJ1abEwhefqzhZZ-OwoYvJJwHADxOmM3esQDsgMQ0f6zGCKPJLp0n0ZKVFfuo25naxSznP5XydrNCY-fz-ukub8tg/s640/Fur-3738.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">Here is a family portrait (not really, but they are all Northern Fur-seals) from Weather Service Peninsula, which lies on the west end of Southeast Farallon Island</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZePX0iGC4ekC2KN3uR9cletrmPtOSlSJCm_fRH6paiEBPg1wLScygQmQ0spbLaNIM9PDc9otkfBHVwbgKMh2Qizoq8OcSHd3ccxGI4_GD4SGPXn33A4ISOppccDI4JJetMzwh2iBb7w/s1600/NOFS-3617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZePX0iGC4ekC2KN3uR9cletrmPtOSlSJCm_fRH6paiEBPg1wLScygQmQ0spbLaNIM9PDc9otkfBHVwbgKMh2Qizoq8OcSHd3ccxGI4_GD4SGPXn33A4ISOppccDI4JJetMzwh2iBb7w/s640/NOFS-3617.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Look at this thing. Keep looking at it. Don't stop looking at it. Is that the longest you've ever laid eyes on a Northern Fur-seal?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-63341165696035588992015-09-18T23:04:00.004-07:002015-09-18T23:05:43.948-07:00In Which Railey II, A Mouse, and a Chestnut-sided Warbler14-15 September 2015<br />
<br />
Yes, dear readers, another FPAD...or 4PT.<br />
<br />
The birds have begun to trickle. Presaging a crack in The Wall? Is birds coming? We don't yet know.<br />
<br />
The good news is this: WE ARE IN THE LEAD AGAINST SAN CLEMENTE. Will it last? It mightn't. It might. Stay tuned.<br />
<br />
Here are portraits from these days:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQHT_vjpS8u8WKBY5vA5F1eu8CiwnEl1kDrA2Fe5073g-1-1D9rluu3s-oq_nqo8YVMwZ3gCzMNf46ZRHnSRGDBuSEtUsg13M5nFz5cb9xGQmaBw5By-Hrf50EITfCLEzCAyWrEpNOFg/s1600/CSWA-2956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQHT_vjpS8u8WKBY5vA5F1eu8CiwnEl1kDrA2Fe5073g-1-1D9rluu3s-oq_nqo8YVMwZ3gCzMNf46ZRHnSRGDBuSEtUsg13M5nFz5cb9xGQmaBw5By-Hrf50EITfCLEzCAyWrEpNOFg/s640/CSWA-2956.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An eastern warbler! This Chestnut-sided Warbler hung around with the hooligans of Lighthouse Hill</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVVwcodyyoM45BGB1eu6Y1HGQ-vQsng4O9Esb6jA2nAKhIxiuCSxrWYBg4QUfkGElnNvVY2b8G4WBmdBuQMtu4mxlmgcW9ge_ArqyiK0eTsSDXf4VcIW60wAZbtrMmhZTzDPb8774Ctg/s1600/Mouse-2927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVVwcodyyoM45BGB1eu6Y1HGQ-vQsng4O9Esb6jA2nAKhIxiuCSxrWYBg4QUfkGElnNvVY2b8G4WBmdBuQMtu4mxlmgcW9ge_ArqyiK0eTsSDXf4VcIW60wAZbtrMmhZTzDPb8774Ctg/s640/Mouse-2927.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are mice. Here's a mouse. Someday we hopet'n't have mice.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMFYhU_W6L-U_Xrmj2O10KbgV8urfilbWJya7Ubm-Aln8dp4MakEZ63jfuXHeL5NDO21meIDR4AGXNF515qqBOkfHlr0YbIpU3a6CyaeoDBKfl05HC3piaiQU8B7x8kddSA0gWqwI-Fk/s1600/VIRA-2921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMFYhU_W6L-U_Xrmj2O10KbgV8urfilbWJya7Ubm-Aln8dp4MakEZ63jfuXHeL5NDO21meIDR4AGXNF515qqBOkfHlr0YbIpU3a6CyaeoDBKfl05HC3piaiQU8B7x8kddSA0gWqwI-Fk/s640/VIRA-2921.jpg" width="388" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a Virginia Rail in temporary residence on the (very) windy side of the lighthouse. It looked exactly like this all day. So we (Boo) caught it and brought it down to live in the Coast Guard Tree. You're welcome rail: good luck.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLP9T10-2lWLEqzp-8MuTE-Ml8NNPCjQlzzu87Y3FNdIotW_Zz5WhtyMnDu7WNTZhdF3kAypzjf56X09b6nZCLgLgl0vsqmoAGs-lsrvZiQ0-EZPCWLXz3I-z9POAkiLZT24HVf4TJTY/s1600/Rail+2-9045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLP9T10-2lWLEqzp-8MuTE-Ml8NNPCjQlzzu87Y3FNdIotW_Zz5WhtyMnDu7WNTZhdF3kAypzjf56X09b6nZCLgLgl0vsqmoAGs-lsrvZiQ0-EZPCWLXz3I-z9POAkiLZT24HVf4TJTY/s640/Rail+2-9045.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Railey II. Railey I took up residence on the island for ~1 week last September.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25086875" target="_blank">September 14th eBird</a><br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25054034" target="_blank">September 15th eBird</a><br />
<br />
SEFI: 95<br />
SCI: 94Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-14655425353308723932015-09-18T00:51:00.001-07:002015-09-18T00:57:05.565-07:00A Pleasure Trip to The Farallones12-13 September 2015<br />
<br />
Another multi-pad, dominated by furred things for lack of feathers. My days grow short but I remain busy with non-blogging. I apologize to you all: I have not forgotten.<br />
<br />
Weather has not smiled kindly upon us: the birds aren't here. September remains in a veritable avian-drought. Fog and strong winds have kept most birds from finding our small and insufficient refuge. Siren-songs from Mastwell and Rockly are belched to no avail. Our near-constant Sulid companions remain a small bright light in this shadowy world as we anxiously await the flood. Will the sparkling hordes arrive before Rob must take his leave?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHI-St1laAHVEn7rlwEsIfFFi3K_eFQlwnsx7MgWMOGgrgKcRqXtKl-_gQKfq2hg1vlRh5IlEOvm-5TPnio3qlYx4dRy9adW3Mx6lHmBExrXblRDBdvkwiND5A1iDIY7hxUA5XLc4jAYo/s1600/IMG_2274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHI-St1laAHVEn7rlwEsIfFFi3K_eFQlwnsx7MgWMOGgrgKcRqXtKl-_gQKfq2hg1vlRh5IlEOvm-5TPnio3qlYx4dRy9adW3Mx6lHmBExrXblRDBdvkwiND5A1iDIY7hxUA5XLc4jAYo/s640/IMG_2274.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I won't look like these guys on my return trip. I just won't do it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Y7RJBOB_heKRiOTozq12QyPZ_fyWd71XY6yVP9LN09hda0aiGndk-PJnWA_cERqS2tWX7Q4k4Z_3DyjRRmVSqg1PPloXLi9QXQOBEaDR5LRV6f6mml641tQKMpaYoX_FFcatEuBjWJM/s1600/Zalop-1067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Y7RJBOB_heKRiOTozq12QyPZ_fyWd71XY6yVP9LN09hda0aiGndk-PJnWA_cERqS2tWX7Q4k4Z_3DyjRRmVSqg1PPloXLi9QXQOBEaDR5LRV6f6mml641tQKMpaYoX_FFcatEuBjWJM/s640/Zalop-1067.jpg" width="618" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don Mastwell loves Zalophus, especially this one (Steve). This portrait was commissioned by Don to illustrate his love for the California Sea Lion.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCYUvZNjrwC11WdOMcertaqPg-CLt_8Ti9eqMIdHku2KGoMda499OuiDSBNznteppLK3W7GrAM8wOWm1UcLBCWwOezOdkHjLnLxiJ15nqD-3Svv3VjkUbJusMXSXuF6rSwsfTnwlDWz4/s1600/E-seal-2760.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCYUvZNjrwC11WdOMcertaqPg-CLt_8Ti9eqMIdHku2KGoMda499OuiDSBNznteppLK3W7GrAM8wOWm1UcLBCWwOezOdkHjLnLxiJ15nqD-3Svv3VjkUbJusMXSXuF6rSwsfTnwlDWz4/s640/E-seal-2760.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fact of the day: Northern Elephant Seals are punishingly adorable.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9R4k9HLQNObOK-ILipsUIqNspw1hutfv4RIGUx8OAHJVpUd-LqXevP0sP5RfitPvZ6xIi2PgWUpE1SyUE-tdKUArDFPMet4GP6GZvF3fuFZtnk6iumFhdmV4NtKhqaECvh5rLsOmxx0E/s1600/E-seal-2701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9R4k9HLQNObOK-ILipsUIqNspw1hutfv4RIGUx8OAHJVpUd-LqXevP0sP5RfitPvZ6xIi2PgWUpE1SyUE-tdKUArDFPMet4GP6GZvF3fuFZtnk6iumFhdmV4NtKhqaECvh5rLsOmxx0E/s640/E-seal-2701.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martin Sheen? Hippo? Wet Elephant Seal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
SCI: 89<br />
SEFI: 86<br />
<br />
This list is no way to win a war:<br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25009330" target="_blank">September 12th eBird checklist</a><br />
<br />
At least this one's a bit better:<br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25026056" target="_blank">September 13th eBird checklist</a>Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-76220856636170505902015-09-16T20:23:00.001-07:002015-09-16T20:24:00.606-07:00It Takes Noctuid to Tango11 Sep 2015<br />
<br />
On this day I have a new niece or nephew. It is impossible to know which, but I think it's a niece. My sister is wise to hide this from me. I can't know until I bring her a herring, a truffle, and a rainbow roll.<br />
<br />
The 11th of September had few birds. More birds than nieces/nephews, but not by much.<br />
<br />
In their stead, here is the large yellow underwing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_yellow_underwing" target="_blank">(</a><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_yellow_underwing" target="_blank">Noctua pronuba)</a>, </i>a widespread Palearctic species that was introduced to North America in the 1980s and has rapidly colonized the continent. This character (in part) was <a href="http://tpadsefi.blogspot.com/2014/09/dan-thats-my-hat-dont-do-that.html" target="_blank">featured on TPAD last year.</a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GwFaXKARbeHs8tLaPhBuT4zh-xxSpkAVmr_Vtho91DQ8TQRPOeoM_Jl8TmmDASjhCGLDfJ_DhzsIJRXj3Ua0mnEqTlj13qiYc5p552yIyXgToqxdTJ4LF9H5pgihQKBldho6wyuEbUM/s1600/Moth-8921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GwFaXKARbeHs8tLaPhBuT4zh-xxSpkAVmr_Vtho91DQ8TQRPOeoM_Jl8TmmDASjhCGLDfJ_DhzsIJRXj3Ua0mnEqTlj13qiYc5p552yIyXgToqxdTJ4LF9H5pgihQKBldho6wyuEbUM/s640/Moth-8921.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large yellow underwing (<i>Noctua pronuba)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIEjxq2icbZBmBIpx_Lmugwwece5WfkrZllTyY_32SmjHLptUWcOW1NB5c_HWJtmb_b7HVMtFBIsIKybcj-mkW0fUUqNIHfYDvtPEk_c6DCweIl2mlUU9zBuyC34UaPVLQUKbxPeCP0E/s1600/PECO-8545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIEjxq2icbZBmBIpx_Lmugwwece5WfkrZllTyY_32SmjHLptUWcOW1NB5c_HWJtmb_b7HVMtFBIsIKybcj-mkW0fUUqNIHfYDvtPEk_c6DCweIl2mlUU9zBuyC34UaPVLQUKbxPeCP0E/s640/PECO-8545.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keeping up the babe theme, here are two Pelagic Cormorant chicks. This cliff ledge is typical nesting habitat of this species. Look at that neck-fluff.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-83060122129986993082015-09-15T23:08:00.000-07:002015-09-15T23:12:39.411-07:00The Crushed Vacuum10 Sep 2015<br />
<br />
Another day dogged by fog, the tenth was. Birds remain slow. Weather remains less'n ideal.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"> </i><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">“They walked out in the gray light and stood and saw for a brief moment the absolute truth of the world. The cold relentless circling of the intestate earth. Darkness implacable. The blind dogs of the sun in their running. The crushing black vacuum of the universe. And somewhere two birders trembling... Borrowed time and borrowed world and borrowed binoculars with which to sorrow it.” </i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"> --</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">Cormac McCarthy, in part</span></div>
<br />
My days on SEFI grow short (for this season) whilst a companion's days grow long--Don Mastwell's 1st island birthday will take place this Sunday night, his 365th spent on the island. This is exciting, no?<br />
<br />
Until then, here are some birds:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2WwbHH3ZCUdsvHfd18ImesEeTF6NX7JjTNHUs2CcG02Kk-fvI-QsuytdoCxEl_DSyqfDxg1x3drVtlJ-HosblGyChcwUDmr3zr-LuB1riqA74p_nXjDFO5gVzwQyCT_g9obXyjSTUWE/s1600/NOHA-2202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2WwbHH3ZCUdsvHfd18ImesEeTF6NX7JjTNHUs2CcG02Kk-fvI-QsuytdoCxEl_DSyqfDxg1x3drVtlJ-HosblGyChcwUDmr3zr-LuB1riqA74p_nXjDFO5gVzwQyCT_g9obXyjSTUWE/s640/NOHA-2202.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Harriers (and other raptors) frequently fly in from the south (as this one did). Why? No one knows.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDL41s9T6fCxHU2zLU8yVyBBNiCcxz9Gi4FsdPAK22mnEuP1URIIcssMeI8Cgm0i-DyrTMikcsPwkVchmHL09fCP55fZiIiQM4rda8GAiSoJ6v38JHlKKAN8HFCANdygt4nTUxCbaSSM8/s1600/WHIM-2373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDL41s9T6fCxHU2zLU8yVyBBNiCcxz9Gi4FsdPAK22mnEuP1URIIcssMeI8Cgm0i-DyrTMikcsPwkVchmHL09fCP55fZiIiQM4rda8GAiSoJ6v38JHlKKAN8HFCANdygt4nTUxCbaSSM8/s640/WHIM-2373.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a Whimbrel. Any questions?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
CURRENT TALLY:<br />
<br />
SCI: 89<br />
SEFI: 86<br />
<br />
UghhhhhAdam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-7753893419202398362015-09-13T23:56:00.001-07:002015-09-13T23:57:43.322-07:00On Dasher &c.9 Sep 2015<br />
<br />
Our eBird checklist might be too embarrassing to share so I'll sharen't. I added (finally?) "subscribe" gadgets (look over there-->): I wouldn't but you're already here so something must be wrong. Just roll with it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
The Lead of Stahl has lessened but remains dense. Weather forecasts have been difficult to assess, and migration activity on the island remains pitiful. At least we have each other. And an occasional bug. And harbor seals. Witness:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfSHbcWh8z1s_Atb1ceTqi7zQ0pHYO2usOxQTFMb6wS11YhpLg6-gRiM26c5Y5cLiXYunOADRQ3St1tBQneX5c8g7-_jjYAzuXDrlQgKX_6i2ESLTI1POqiN45l3HnC-F4GRAMqira90/s1600/Dasher-2632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="622" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfSHbcWh8z1s_Atb1ceTqi7zQ0pHYO2usOxQTFMb6wS11YhpLg6-gRiM26c5Y5cLiXYunOADRQ3St1tBQneX5c8g7-_jjYAzuXDrlQgKX_6i2ESLTI1POqiN45l3HnC-F4GRAMqira90/s640/Dasher-2632.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of two Blue Dashers (<i>Pachydiplax longipennis</i>) who dropped by Twitville for a one-day visit, delighting all observers (not a common creature here). They are a dainty and most attractive dragonfly.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJTP_LCPIQ20-tUHbPTUBxxEmsyk964j0SXoJQS7EzH-aZKCjhy1qApfEUVLh6lo-G92fSFzqAocK0bXVut5U-aq-1gFRAjO_UVR-STzVH-jbAvHNOfAJ8mMN-d8huGFWAN2L3dvAUhk/s1600/Phoca-2658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJTP_LCPIQ20-tUHbPTUBxxEmsyk964j0SXoJQS7EzH-aZKCjhy1qApfEUVLh6lo-G92fSFzqAocK0bXVut5U-aq-1gFRAjO_UVR-STzVH-jbAvHNOfAJ8mMN-d8huGFWAN2L3dvAUhk/s640/Phoca-2658.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Need I caption this photograph? No, I needn't.</td></tr>
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<br />Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-71078132498026891102015-09-12T19:04:00.002-07:002015-09-12T19:13:09.012-07:00Insular Potentates8 Sep 2015<br />
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Few birds on this day and fewer in the immediate future. San Clemente has pulled into a hearty lead and the weather has turned poor. Some new birds were found on this day (many thanks to Don Mastwell, Emberizid Whisperer)--a Clay-colored and Brewer's Sparrow. To find out how many days go by until our next arrival is recorded, keep reading. <br />
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Until then, potentates:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJUNaeWqNLsIrJO8yIQtkt8cJ_aXKgsaeqkz9iQdrDCWRf8fXRs5NJSK_-dVl0zrTIWmAq5uwIB28wTxw2crWs3ywznHXq1TRoS4KKZbO08-EYy7oQitm4J-mfasEbtGCfvtZOujWtuVU/s1600/Alli-2561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJUNaeWqNLsIrJO8yIQtkt8cJ_aXKgsaeqkz9iQdrDCWRf8fXRs5NJSK_-dVl0zrTIWmAq5uwIB28wTxw2crWs3ywznHXq1TRoS4KKZbO08-EYy7oQitm4J-mfasEbtGCfvtZOujWtuVU/s640/Alli-2561.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Commander-in-chief, Major Tietz, accompanying Corporal Curry down the cart path.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcQ_kmxg-6AQI16jCoIB6b7MdZJamIupyGNaiCRi1a5rmPGlIET03qUUQ8mhSNIVfs3GA0xqo_NF-jpxTJGFwAL7zhPLgpBpf8ZPimc120CUA1aLh8uPlQcLvYoIsqsrVwi68YdFI4bI/s1600/Monarch-2495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcQ_kmxg-6AQI16jCoIB6b7MdZJamIupyGNaiCRi1a5rmPGlIET03qUUQ8mhSNIVfs3GA0xqo_NF-jpxTJGFwAL7zhPLgpBpf8ZPimc120CUA1aLh8uPlQcLvYoIsqsrVwi68YdFI4bI/s640/Monarch-2495.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Monarch of the Isle. This lovely butterfly showed up after some strengthy northwest winds. We've had 2-3 this season. Strong fliers they are--and they are in trouble. Plant milkweed, buy organic, and don't use pesticides.</span></td></tr>
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SCI: 89<br />
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SEFI: 73<br />
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<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24956069" target="_blank">eBird Checklist</a> (they only get worse!)</div>
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Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-45496208605352698852015-09-09T18:25:00.000-07:002016-09-27T23:38:43.759-07:00√144PAD2-7 September<br />
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I'm cheating and posting six days in one--a 12PAD. It's never been done. What might happen? We simply can't know. I've fallen behind and this is the way things must be.<br />
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Birds have been painfully slow but we've had plenty to do with shark watch (one seriously injured elephant seal is our only indication thus far of great white customers), whale surveys, pinniped surveys, shorebirds, gulls, sea-watch... etc. Winds looked real good for lots of bird movement this week but suddenly look not so good. If you see any migrants please tell them we have many flies and a large forest within which they may live. Please do high overcast dance. Thank you.<br />
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Current battle score:<br />
SEFI: 73<br />
SCI: 72<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlMGmsQsyg3-ngDf6p-51F51RWU_46DD-PdIBYrw35_ZpSg57fCkVnO3XcuA7N63zRDXm1jtdoH02m7wm2c5i9AtXozLiVa6QV3xIlqLR0Tb9zgNfXYseAd8KWajB0fM_zh9pK2WmbPs/s1600/CAAU+chick-8953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlMGmsQsyg3-ngDf6p-51F51RWU_46DD-PdIBYrw35_ZpSg57fCkVnO3XcuA7N63zRDXm1jtdoH02m7wm2c5i9AtXozLiVa6QV3xIlqLR0Tb9zgNfXYseAd8KWajB0fM_zh9pK2WmbPs/s640/CAAU+chick-8953.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banding a Cassin's Auklet--this little guy should have fledged by now and should be on its way to eating the same food as Blue Whales (and occasionally being incidental Blue Whale food).</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BU7keyfYINGrj-d-IAQWNN55-qz1UO3X49ixSYRlgg9Sm6IDpz3ZqPCWlQxs19hatP_a1OZ_Jq90UWHnGWdI9qx-7V6CahyWzTEyD3n2uJxc7NDhUYoSjwlicZG6g-EX_tVGx9pO7PY/s1600/CAGU-9182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BU7keyfYINGrj-d-IAQWNN55-qz1UO3X49ixSYRlgg9Sm6IDpz3ZqPCWlQxs19hatP_a1OZ_Jq90UWHnGWdI9qx-7V6CahyWzTEyD3n2uJxc7NDhUYoSjwlicZG6g-EX_tVGx9pO7PY/s640/CAGU-9182.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a California Gull.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCq0QeSiA9qrlynkzw52CvOKnom2E1o10-ptOI5dhlzdw9K6lYx5tmDYHTThZbcfFAP7IS8fIu7WSZSvZjOZX0he_gkxU-Lfw_goiJ-RX2A8NzDG37NmzIM5g4Tt1hRZd2FDAwNeSg4ww/s1600/Crab-8992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCq0QeSiA9qrlynkzw52CvOKnom2E1o10-ptOI5dhlzdw9K6lYx5tmDYHTThZbcfFAP7IS8fIu7WSZSvZjOZX0he_gkxU-Lfw_goiJ-RX2A8NzDG37NmzIM5g4Tt1hRZd2FDAwNeSg4ww/s640/Crab-8992.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Striped shore crab (<i>Pachygrapsus crassipes) </i>in Jewel Cave</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2BAyJ23ncB8hfGIuZa4RnvHVJ2xHI0L8W6NU1EVLXqKoTsN0en5ZT91DOFD22w9cIIWwAKRIPEOq2fxHenD2pMXxs6USMsyBinZeBooXN6MXxsi7aCFp5CD5BatVG3njuIJ-7RPnSfI/s1600/Lighthouse+Sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2BAyJ23ncB8hfGIuZa4RnvHVJ2xHI0L8W6NU1EVLXqKoTsN0en5ZT91DOFD22w9cIIWwAKRIPEOq2fxHenD2pMXxs6USMsyBinZeBooXN6MXxsi7aCFp5CD5BatVG3njuIJ-7RPnSfI/s640/Lighthouse+Sunset.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Aulon Islets at sunset: Sugarloaf is on the right and is the favored haunt of The Gannet and other Sulid folk (at present totalling eleven Brown and one Blue-footed Boobies)</td></tr>
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<i>Oh! the channel walls are high and steep!</i></div>
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<i>And the channel waves are wild and deep,</i></div>
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<i>And on, and on, they madly sweep,</i></div>
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<i>By Aulone Isle of the Farallones!</i></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>On Aulone Isle</i><b>, </b>Milton S. Ray, late 1800s/early 1900s</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngzQIXslJU10GfoD0asIYO0GR7tyCNpuf8x7ThOOLHkqrIAKOdL9Rj7xke7NbW6WNlfNblCTgEmTMFY0WPUH1F5oVCr6-NYCxx8HClVz7bj_Ntu4Ied-_Str1MMMCJ2iPzhhSp4U-eBU/s1600/MgWA-8884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngzQIXslJU10GfoD0asIYO0GR7tyCNpuf8x7ThOOLHkqrIAKOdL9Rj7xke7NbW6WNlfNblCTgEmTMFY0WPUH1F5oVCr6-NYCxx8HClVz7bj_Ntu4Ied-_Str1MMMCJ2iPzhhSp4U-eBU/s640/MgWA-8884.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The time we caught a MacGillavray's Warbler.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOzvQxDgAxBhxwhcsoLcXLQdNcg6tSBhgp0sS74WnySHM3jDKvoQxflkOBXJCK14-C5lIvZDSmoi9wCVZTCs0eKqiTZsyhvy5WFKSZufkIRz2SNINNe2kqKWs1wzLdksNUwL7j7497p0/s1600/ODE-8869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOzvQxDgAxBhxwhcsoLcXLQdNcg6tSBhgp0sS74WnySHM3jDKvoQxflkOBXJCK14-C5lIvZDSmoi9wCVZTCs0eKqiTZsyhvy5WFKSZufkIRz2SNINNe2kqKWs1wzLdksNUwL7j7497p0/s640/ODE-8869.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dragonflies are difficult to remove from nets. This dragon lady didn't make it.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNiZgoEMCtx8qWofDoCaNHJ7L6_CyMuHYxv2lKLM50XwFvg31SWQCcMZ_HL03FeL1-XH4gG-3E0sb12HY86LFYZ-yOWn-NU8QipHiEd3gFZN3aVB9C_b9Ab8aGtyanCjIKAZSFg5-A_o/s1600/PEFA+WEGU-1232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNiZgoEMCtx8qWofDoCaNHJ7L6_CyMuHYxv2lKLM50XwFvg31SWQCcMZ_HL03FeL1-XH4gG-3E0sb12HY86LFYZ-yOWn-NU8QipHiEd3gFZN3aVB9C_b9Ab8aGtyanCjIKAZSFg5-A_o/s640/PEFA+WEGU-1232.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peregrines like to eat stuff--sometimes they eat Western Gulls (it didn't eat this Western Gull)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKw0HRcaq8dp-5U_cH_HxcXMaCk6uiMDQl1dewUUJd44lEiXuywC5-CELcMcCCf56ObTDAMHsdN0K3MIhvcA3WAuENLuTwGda-ONzVbKzFvW6OXoG7YFvXrTvdaoI7NXLKYGJm6l6RPIs/s1600/PHOCA-9776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKw0HRcaq8dp-5U_cH_HxcXMaCk6uiMDQl1dewUUJd44lEiXuywC5-CELcMcCCf56ObTDAMHsdN0K3MIhvcA3WAuENLuTwGda-ONzVbKzFvW6OXoG7YFvXrTvdaoI7NXLKYGJm6l6RPIs/s640/PHOCA-9776.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuteness incarnate. This photograph is dedicated to Felonious Jive.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxP4zl6m0UVCOgwlVO7MgoslqPd5-RZMHoSk_w3A3H2WxSpmcbCTLThhLgntP7V7Ck3RRONej_wopObZiv-_xAt6DAImr3emfwme47LHNAjnRWJLmRC_CjjGU5Q0sNPMwR5UHIP50pYGs/s1600/PIGU-1872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxP4zl6m0UVCOgwlVO7MgoslqPd5-RZMHoSk_w3A3H2WxSpmcbCTLThhLgntP7V7Ck3RRONej_wopObZiv-_xAt6DAImr3emfwme47LHNAjnRWJLmRC_CjjGU5Q0sNPMwR5UHIP50pYGs/s640/PIGU-1872.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting late--this was one of the last Pigeon Guillemots still bringing food to chick(s)--they have mostly fledged or failed at this point and the island Alcid show has plummeted.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpVY4jrL0rrtTQePDLl12pfrAXy4vH7_h9UOb5zTNHUgz1XXQRk-g8s9XdSGlmCc0BEF2wIM52hBnq-GwBYzS7XKo1GhmXzbWjAQ64Kkm6aqyLTOsHsRaqp_3MehY8WW2X-d5MAT82aQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-09-07+at+22.42.14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpVY4jrL0rrtTQePDLl12pfrAXy4vH7_h9UOb5zTNHUgz1XXQRk-g8s9XdSGlmCc0BEF2wIM52hBnq-GwBYzS7XKo1GhmXzbWjAQ64Kkm6aqyLTOsHsRaqp_3MehY8WW2X-d5MAT82aQ/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-09-07+at+22.42.14.png" width="604" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paleo-portrait of Don Mastwell (L) who arrived on Saturday to reinforce us. Yesterday he found a Mourning Dove.</td></tr>
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"<i>The gulls are the virtual rulers of birddom on the Farallones, and that they live on the best the islands afford, those long-suffering subjects, the murres, cormorants, and rabbits, will testify</i>."</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Western Gull species account, page 82 of <i>The Farallones The Painted World and Other Poems of California, </i>by Milton S. Ray<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUTC4Py7kXk_y5tyTADnufCY2gRniQ0uC3Unw03M3ubZRj_ZzQn83nb13PsABD0jfBVukfBwbaIOVV0LZ74Iv77nwCJy7twpyFKAlGuthkgnhprExapjpGlXs0HUTgqdyvU6EjkJGT1I/s1600/WEGU-8970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUTC4Py7kXk_y5tyTADnufCY2gRniQ0uC3Unw03M3ubZRj_ZzQn83nb13PsABD0jfBVukfBwbaIOVV0LZ74Iv77nwCJy7twpyFKAlGuthkgnhprExapjpGlXs0HUTgqdyvU6EjkJGT1I/s640/WEGU-8970.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Western Gull? Western Gull.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
"<i>And they, too, howl like dogs in the freezing storm,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>turning and turning from it as if they thought</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>one naked side could keep the other warm</i>."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Inferno</i>, 3rd Circle</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy54aPFcXBKviygkVZQtl-djVI2qttRixyeF09P9khBTo1hZrJXOf6RvUcowhZby-EZKh1dtZsm21dduwQy9a12WedzNnx-VzvaAm1SAQjTt9psJg5ggh0z7yihPwO5L30Lko_xL3KIko/s1600/Zaloph-1902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy54aPFcXBKviygkVZQtl-djVI2qttRixyeF09P9khBTo1hZrJXOf6RvUcowhZby-EZKh1dtZsm21dduwQy9a12WedzNnx-VzvaAm1SAQjTt9psJg5ggh0z7yihPwO5L30Lko_xL3KIko/s640/Zaloph-1902.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <i>Zalophus</i> invasion continues. They own the terrace.</td></tr>
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<br />Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-82412359917810843542015-09-06T09:06:00.000-07:002015-09-06T09:07:46.307-07:00Zalophus Tango1 September<br />
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The drought worsens. Land birds are dwindling, winds are increasing, and minimal reprieve is in sight. San Clemente Island has pulled into the lead. We are desperate for reinforcements.<br />
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Here I present a portrait of <i>Zalophus</i>. They are battling (mock-battle? play?) over sleeping space on the marine terrace. Bizarre and amusing creatures:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xi0wBNBWVx6xOL6K6A7ygr6xMRrTICwNXwCvl67QTlURLCHjh_cSPf5X8npGmnc-vvCDJStckhXEge39HfkLhPBL__0gmbuYyyO7l4iMKo3T-p2-SSN60ZsU0-IUpjQ5LIyt8bCZT4g/s1600/CASL+Dance-1616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xi0wBNBWVx6xOL6K6A7ygr6xMRrTICwNXwCvl67QTlURLCHjh_cSPf5X8npGmnc-vvCDJStckhXEge39HfkLhPBL__0gmbuYyyO7l4iMKo3T-p2-SSN60ZsU0-IUpjQ5LIyt8bCZT4g/s640/CASL+Dance-1616.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And one of very few land birds on the island this day was another Least Flycatcher. This is a difficult bird to see on the mainland but they occur here with alarming frequency. This is the 4th found by yours truly. I think my GBRS score must be trickling up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix98ckldnOEJF9X2aoA-pQVcgRJH5LmM1nvjvRGwzOIqSfv-c-ntBop3JKlovAOsKU8CyvIDqDIW2dPygnoirfY69sU7yYlVVJqt4BaxaUYKXh2fAfXMIe20x3YKq1J9DpBM1YFZtJt20/s1600/LEFL-1399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix98ckldnOEJF9X2aoA-pQVcgRJH5LmM1nvjvRGwzOIqSfv-c-ntBop3JKlovAOsKU8CyvIDqDIW2dPygnoirfY69sU7yYlVVJqt4BaxaUYKXh2fAfXMIe20x3YKq1J9DpBM1YFZtJt20/s640/LEFL-1399.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24856958" target="_blank">eBird checklist</a><br />
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SCI: 67<br />
SEFI: 63Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-48743957404690752692015-09-05T20:58:00.002-07:002015-09-05T22:32:57.442-07:00Peregrines31 August<br />
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Peregrines are regulars on the Farallones, both residents and migrants. They eat whatever birds they can catch, including stuff that we want to see--great photos were taken last year of an Acorn Woodpecker (a rare bird here!) in the talons of a Peregrine.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUrY1qv3RFS5VnSOVR8GIHIJ24riOnjQcg94IUn5ED4wdjdT-26lcQ2UjIuEzoOnd-6Qa38v1bWHuMMw53ticdt-3tAF1qRGghDP-Z1vPnHaWZ2Ah0Ypo6A8b94fIr9GiTQ82j6jiKpc/s1600/Pefa1-1206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUrY1qv3RFS5VnSOVR8GIHIJ24riOnjQcg94IUn5ED4wdjdT-26lcQ2UjIuEzoOnd-6Qa38v1bWHuMMw53ticdt-3tAF1qRGghDP-Z1vPnHaWZ2Ah0Ypo6A8b94fIr9GiTQ82j6jiKpc/s640/Pefa1-1206.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Peregrine Falcon below North Chute on the north side of Lighthouse Hill. "Oh look, an ape."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMX_TUXzQ2lfmS651B0angKslc0mqhta_VWL55dLe-pxSnQVP3in3Kj6c55CUAnOWaCPtUz_yw_KQOp-08bnShSrHrQ70kXKYz-VWkDDkvgy3hipAY6WozRnqGSCCZnK9yPcJn5qzRS0/s1600/Pefa2-1183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMX_TUXzQ2lfmS651B0angKslc0mqhta_VWL55dLe-pxSnQVP3in3Kj6c55CUAnOWaCPtUz_yw_KQOp-08bnShSrHrQ70kXKYz-VWkDDkvgy3hipAY6WozRnqGSCCZnK9yPcJn5qzRS0/s640/Pefa2-1183.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes Peregrines go after Tufted Puffins--a very difficult target. We almost never find Puffin pieces that show signs of Peregrine depredation. This puffin escaped--barely.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24892689" target="_blank">eBird checklist for the 31st</a>...26 species...ugh<br />
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Ahhh! We've been surpassed!<br />
SCI: 67<br />
SEFI: 63Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-38749454295578515872015-09-04T22:08:00.001-07:002015-09-05T19:51:15.173-07:00Haven't Face, Will Portrait<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Sunday, 30 August:</div>
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Sometimes, there just aren't very many birds. This gives one (as if one needed it) an excuse to go tide-pooling.</div>
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One of the best Farallon tide-pools is located in Jewel Cave. The sea life is diverse and lovely to behold but at least one creature was very poorly represented (with only two small individuals): <i>Pisaster</i> sea stars. They are suffering from a brutal affliction called <a href="http://www.eeb.ucsc.edu/pacificrockyintertidal/data-products/sea-star-wasting/updates.html" target="_blank">sea star wasting syndrome</a> and have declined dramatically along the west coast. We also saw an unidentified eel, lots of sculpin-esque characters, and loads of shrimp. My advice? Go tide-pooling.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VKqS8Hx54pfCmzL2F9RjNRve1JcsUtEFMCENvYc1WvWwXiqxpm0i9qeYjbUcJmsv4Hlgp-TjFfWlRsf1BaxIs4KjClKDCdEvYz94BI5J06Wz_u6kTccCwqAJD_tgGap1ivkR3gNxU2o/s1600/Straw-9010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VKqS8Hx54pfCmzL2F9RjNRve1JcsUtEFMCENvYc1WvWwXiqxpm0i9qeYjbUcJmsv4Hlgp-TjFfWlRsf1BaxIs4KjClKDCdEvYz94BI5J06Wz_u6kTccCwqAJD_tgGap1ivkR3gNxU2o/s640/Straw-9010.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strawberry anemones (<i>Corynactis californica</i>), a colonial Anthozoan. Just add cheesecake or toast and butter.</td></tr>
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<i>On island marges everywhere,</i></div>
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<i>Save the narrow beaches walled and bare</i></div>
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<i>Of pebbly shingle, shell or sand,</i></div>
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<i>Swayed by the sea tides to and fro,</i></div>
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<i>The dreaming gardens of the ocean grow.</i></div>
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<i>With the wide retreat of the war-like wave</i></div>
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<i>From rock-bound basin, cove, and cave,</i></div>
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<i>What hidden beauty lies revealed</i></div>
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<i>That the foaming tides before concealed!</i></div>
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<i>More verdant than the April mead</i></div>
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<i>That skirts the island's southern strand,</i></div>
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<i>Are these banks and beds of curious weed!</i></div>
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<i>With graceful ferns and subtile moss,</i></div>
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<i>As fine as webs of silken floss,</i></div>
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<i>Sway blooms grotesque of rare hue</i></div>
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<i>Than hang empearled with glistening dew!</i></div>
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<i>And here are myriads of dainty shells,</i></div>
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<i>Asleep on the banks of weedy dells,</i></div>
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<i>Or cast adrift on the sandy bars.</i></div>
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<i>Like thistles huge amid the vines,</i></div>
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<i>Cling the sea urchins of unnumbered spines;</i></div>
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<i>And strewn on rocky bank and bed,</i></div>
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<i>Purple, dark, and richest red,</i></div>
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<i>Lie forlorn, forgotten, fallen stars.</i></div>
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<i>Sea Gardens</i>, Milton S. Ray</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVrKuBljHruICHLa25t0hdoLjPW55tXlzNN95H2jsH1rBrBk3jhivT9j48FmvuycB9Os9a-jWIpcyUF7vAZIYw110ucoz5Xevn2UdgMuH_L2zcb8v2b23z3O2cXJP70Vg2fN29YASnMs/s1600/PacGiant-9001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVrKuBljHruICHLa25t0hdoLjPW55tXlzNN95H2jsH1rBrBk3jhivT9j48FmvuycB9Os9a-jWIpcyUF7vAZIYw110ucoz5Xevn2UdgMuH_L2zcb8v2b23z3O2cXJP70Vg2fN29YASnMs/s640/PacGiant-9001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant green anemone (<i>Anthopleura xanthogrammica</i>)</td></tr>
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<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24838493" target="_blank">eBird checklist</a> (worse and worse!)<br />
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And the battle rages on:<br />
SEFI: 63<br />
SCI: 55</div>
Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-46153930000793603042015-09-04T12:53:00.002-07:002015-09-04T21:35:59.956-07:00"The murre's shrill pipe, the puffin's low bassoon..."Saturday, 29th August<br />
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<i>And now a flashing, jeweled tower crowned</i></div>
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<i>These lofty, time-worn granite locks,</i></div>
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<i>Across the circling waters wide</i></div>
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<i>The ever-coming fleet to guide.</i></div>
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<i>And exiles, lone, a loyal band</i></div>
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<i>(Fate wills for every task a crew be found)</i></div>
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<i>Made their abode on this lonely strand,</i></div>
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<i>Alone 'mid jagged, towering rocks,</i></div>
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<i>Wild haunts of screaming sea-bird flocks,</i></div>
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<i>Beside bold seas of restless mood,</i></div>
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<i>In bleak, sea-island solitude.</i></div>
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-Milton S. Ray, <i>Farallon Light</i>, 1855</div>
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SEFI is home to many breeding birds: Western Gulls are abundant and are joined by a handful of California Gulls which attempt to breed each year (nearly always failing due to Western Gull hostility, hunger, and heinousness). They are joined by Canada Geese (weird), Black Oystercatchers, Brandt's, Pelagic, and Double-crested Cormorants, Common Murres, Pigeon Guillemots, Cassin's and Rhinoceros Auklets, Tufted Puffins, and Ashy and Leach's Storm-Petrels. This makes The Farallones one of California's most diverse seabird breeding colonies approached in diversity only by Prince Island off of San Miguel in Santa Barbara County (pictured below as a guest portrait)--and the largest seabird colony in the coterminous United States. Common Murres and possibly Tufted Puffins have re-colonized Prince Island in recent years--possibly as a result of their protected refuge on the Farallones NWR. </div>
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Are piping Murres and bassooning Puffins coming to an island near you? You should certainly hope so.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZ8MWYoCqIJmHQ0nErO5-SL6XCzV6v5dvWr4c6gI2Kt1NjIeWW34EWmrwgiSTRMkT7Wmmrd2bun4bmANgl-OaCDIxIacmfYSx3RmGhla4wjYRk7lMUzO8ocRFga8OAxF9aXCOHf1eAvU/s1600/Prince-51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZ8MWYoCqIJmHQ0nErO5-SL6XCzV6v5dvWr4c6gI2Kt1NjIeWW34EWmrwgiSTRMkT7Wmmrd2bun4bmANgl-OaCDIxIacmfYSx3RmGhla4wjYRk7lMUzO8ocRFga8OAxF9aXCOHf1eAvU/s640/Prince-51.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prince Island from San Miguel Island during inclement weather in 2013. Go here if you can.</td></tr>
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It's always a pleasure to see these birds on land, as my views of most of them (save gulls) are normally distant via scope or at sea on a rocking boat, such as in the below (not distant) photographs taken at sea near the island.</div>
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Below is a portrait of one of Milton Ray's 'sea clowns', at sea; will they successfully and permanently re-colonize Prince Island? With high counts of adults reaching 190-200 birds this year on SEFI, perhaps the answer is yes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVxBWQ0INHpTKSCicf_3UMKCugjOuhWAMZ5E6l652QxPIKwdAW1XtsACj-lhJNFv8FugrxMqRQ4V06kmNON6xU5FY31ES5DbcEuGzK5Ij_a8OV7rrLUlqR85DQ6TYNA-ETU62xR0_yv8/s1600/TUPU-0998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVxBWQ0INHpTKSCicf_3UMKCugjOuhWAMZ5E6l652QxPIKwdAW1XtsACj-lhJNFv8FugrxMqRQ4V06kmNON6xU5FY31ES5DbcEuGzK5Ij_a8OV7rrLUlqR85DQ6TYNA-ETU62xR0_yv8/s640/TUPU-0998.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's a Northern Fulmar, several of which have graced us with their tubular presences. These are seabirds that breed far to the north (British Columbia and Alaska) but visit the rich waters of the Gulf of the Farallones:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zIojefI4Yn-rlGXJtIogRVI9iI-i9N5-IaskVoi_MyGv5dZAS71KHcI-RvH1T03BReqjnKKR1v1gpgtIl5dfDH8gEtdgPE2n-Z75B75wH-h7vzlesT9CKsINpp0ZNLWQr32VRtpWDXY/s1600/NOFU-1017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zIojefI4Yn-rlGXJtIogRVI9iI-i9N5-IaskVoi_MyGv5dZAS71KHcI-RvH1T03BReqjnKKR1v1gpgtIl5dfDH8gEtdgPE2n-Z75B75wH-h7vzlesT9CKsINpp0ZNLWQr32VRtpWDXY/s640/NOFU-1017.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24813843" target="_blank">The dwindling eBird checklist</a><br />
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SEFI: 63<br />
SCI: 54Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-89161204522660831732015-09-02T19:43:00.000-07:002015-09-02T21:19:15.699-07:00MiltonFriday, 28th August<br />
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Milton S. Ray collected many an egg from the Farallones and elsewhere in the west. He also took photographs and wrote poems, including many about this island. Below is a caption from <i>The Farallones The Painted World and Other Poems of California</i>, Vol. 2. The photograph is of adult and young Western Gulls perched beside the rocky shore on West End:<br />
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<i>"...the dreary solitude</i></div>
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<i>Where towering cliffs ever sullen brood</i></div>
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<i>Beside a barren, desolate sea,</i></div>
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<i>Whose rough surf roars monotonously..."</i></div>
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--excerpted from the poem Destiny</div>
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We must disagree with his assertion that the sea around the Farallones is barren--perhaps "...beside a fecund, desolate sea..." Less fecund, though, than during Milton's days. Overexploitation and environmental change threaten to make true Ray's poem--the seas filled with plastic and devoid of fish, the skies barren. A prosaic future. A foregone future? One can certainly hope not.</div>
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I'll be adding more poems from Milton Ray over the next few weeks on the island--and not all so bleak!</div>
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Until then, here is a portrait of a Common Yellowthroat:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdwwA0aa9HmNSzQaUaxj2AcXgRg2Z-QNT4a_A6qRuO9WCDk6juOx_lutmTS194VAq1VFThzrqlJ6dmig84Yue48rn6YJ69ut10QX5yiWyi5Ug74W1SEWrosj8sjlD594BC_JaznfyvGw/s1600/COYE-8891.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdwwA0aa9HmNSzQaUaxj2AcXgRg2Z-QNT4a_A6qRuO9WCDk6juOx_lutmTS194VAq1VFThzrqlJ6dmig84Yue48rn6YJ69ut10QX5yiWyi5Ug74W1SEWrosj8sjlD594BC_JaznfyvGw/s640/COYE-8891.jpg" width="630" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A young male Common Yellowthroat. What route did this bird take to get here? Where is it from? I wish that we could know.</td></tr>
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And here's a commissioned portrait of a bull California sea lion:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosilHlsfn0Voc8Du7sU6eW6ET_jFHSHym78g6GAg3gTqhK0ePDsfc0FO7dqwKuT0SEZTFmBlUMCsqHudKJkqBpuK3aZMezE4gPk-UnNXEQsU_ZxjqGckf2Lr6Cn5yhyphenhyphenQ9XLG0oUFwknA/s1600/zalophus+bull-9037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosilHlsfn0Voc8Du7sU6eW6ET_jFHSHym78g6GAg3gTqhK0ePDsfc0FO7dqwKuT0SEZTFmBlUMCsqHudKJkqBpuK3aZMezE4gPk-UnNXEQsU_ZxjqGckf2Lr6Cn5yhyphenhyphenQ9XLG0oUFwknA/s640/zalophus+bull-9037.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I own North Landing."</td></tr>
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The drought worsens...<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24796738" target="_blank">here's our eBird checklist of only 27 species.</a><br />
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SEFI: 63<br />
SCI: 54Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-74162516809428620332015-09-01T22:26:00.000-07:002015-09-01T22:41:54.534-07:00Die Brücke Nach NirgendwoThursday, 27th August<br />
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Here we have a favorite <i>Zalophus</i> (California sea lion) perch:<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtL9RijpyGgmTV33DnAeouKgUYubbzSD86gU9ER1zXXDiNQ7Q9H4tYfa_KS5mZAbMxfqjZNxBgXvsbRGAxiMa1ufEdAxw-3DAQDjPuzkh_rzJCPHNHLxLYUHHJOQl1HABmW-01a7szVY/s1600/Bridge+to+nowhere-0580.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtL9RijpyGgmTV33DnAeouKgUYubbzSD86gU9ER1zXXDiNQ7Q9H4tYfa_KS5mZAbMxfqjZNxBgXvsbRGAxiMa1ufEdAxw-3DAQDjPuzkh_rzJCPHNHLxLYUHHJOQl1HABmW-01a7szVY/s640/Bridge+to+nowhere-0580.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Representative Ted Stevens (R-Farallonia) helped secure funding for this bridge</td></tr>
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They fight over it and it's nearly always occupied. Why do <i>Zalophus</i> like bridging to nowhere? Difficult to say but perhaps it will be easy to say once I finish reading <i>The Natural History and Behavior of the California Sea Lion</i> by Richard S. Peterson and George A. Bartholomew.<br />
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Here are some scientists working with a Cassin's Auklet chick:<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhas4zohji37Mzqu0k40W4T_lAS_Gn2avQsfqsR6Kbaca3iLw-rcwtzc2kJosz2L90e0WCcAomKNQ7FtLYCSpQQOVsTWlUAznT3ei2kQTm7dbaXBPvRAqZONk6YJmvNCb3J9S08era2pMg/s1600/Cassin%2527s-8947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhas4zohji37Mzqu0k40W4T_lAS_Gn2avQsfqsR6Kbaca3iLw-rcwtzc2kJosz2L90e0WCcAomKNQ7FtLYCSpQQOVsTWlUAznT3ei2kQTm7dbaXBPvRAqZONk6YJmvNCb3J9S08era2pMg/s640/Cassin%2527s-8947.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Boo Curry(L), Cassin's Auklet(M), and Eva Gruber(R) performing the science</td></tr>
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They are weighing him/her to track rate of growth (= are its parents finding enough food?) and placing a leg band to allow tracking of future reproductive success, longevity, etc. Monitoring breeding success and survival by marking birds in this way is fundamental to our understanding of the basic biology and life history of birds--and allows us to track changes that result from changing climate.<br />
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The nesting seabird season is just about to wrap up with only a handful of Alcid nests and Ashy Storm-Petrel nests still being monitored--and we will soon lose Eva Gondwana and gain one Don Mastwell. A worthy trade? Too early to tell.<br />
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<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24784659" target="_blank">eBird checklist</a>--not too shabby but the drought approacheth...<br />
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Battle Score...<br />
SEFI: 63<br />
SCI: 54Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872343407936667170.post-11712911832167224162015-08-30T23:59:00.000-07:002015-08-30T23:59:48.226-07:00Neighbors<div>
Wednesday, 26 August</div>
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Yet another tardy-PAD. Remiss in my duties, as per usual. <br />
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SEFI is currently covered with California sea lions. They are on the terraces, north and east landing, and sometimes the main path across the island. We avoid disturbing them as we go about our daily tasks (and avoid areas that they have been frequenting--the stench is bold, to say the least) but occasionally our jobs bring us near enough to catch some fun or adorable behaviors. For example, here is a sea-lion napping atop two elephant seals--and nuzzling continuously (and adorably) until the elephant seal put its flipper over the sea lion (adorably, but not caught on film):<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirWiTQaq62O5CTzhMLBb_7JJCfJEYMGUHy5Fm8F_olzNdoWWr48SBHGmZr0Ju_-4_Kg3eoRBsHqkDJXm5vxOJAfslxBMQ1K4k0sYjQbZW2AofkljQ1WLnQn14bO3A9g7mIm6xbr5ZkpA/s1600/Mixed+flock-0518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirWiTQaq62O5CTzhMLBb_7JJCfJEYMGUHy5Fm8F_olzNdoWWr48SBHGmZr0Ju_-4_Kg3eoRBsHqkDJXm5vxOJAfslxBMQ1K4k0sYjQbZW2AofkljQ1WLnQn14bO3A9g7mIm6xbr5ZkpA/s640/Mixed+flock-0518.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Napmate portrait.</td></tr>
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And here is a portrait of a bird--before the bird drought really set in (it's currently blasting 25-30 knots outside--poor weather for migration. Good weather for waffles).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1oHUoyho_V2BdlDQH-zR9xzL89Z5wWdlvtyc3IGZbPIS7ElP1P1LdYw_20lfLUQ12KDwrgswNWJg9uCKmal6t2XaDoVLCFSmVo_SfZkmwpgRSY7tBIH1NL9yBztZYqPkxWAn81Y-ohE/s1600/WIWA-0463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1oHUoyho_V2BdlDQH-zR9xzL89Z5wWdlvtyc3IGZbPIS7ElP1P1LdYw_20lfLUQ12KDwrgswNWJg9uCKmal6t2XaDoVLCFSmVo_SfZkmwpgRSY7tBIH1NL9yBztZYqPkxWAn81Y-ohE/s640/WIWA-0463.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Punch a Wilson's Warbler and it'll pop right back up again</td></tr>
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The current Island Battle score: </div>
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SEFI 63</div>
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SCI 50</div>
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<a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24800936" target="_blank">26 Aug eBird checklist</a></div>
Adam J. Searcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09074481602098532911noreply@blogger.com0