Insular Potentates

8 Sep 2015

  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.

  Until then, potentates:

Commander-in-chief, Major Tietz, accompanying Corporal Curry down the cart path.

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.

SCI:   89

SEFI: 73

eBird Checklist (they only get worse!)

O Captain! My Captain!

25 August

   Unfortunate for our battle-standing, the past two days have been slow with new arrivals.  We are hoping that an upcoming front will let loose some heavy movement in its wake--time will tell.

   Here we have The Chieftain, El Dictador, The Man:  Jim Tietz.  He's holding court over an adult female American Redstart that has been slinking around (she's been amazingly cryptic) for the past few days.

What if this American Redstart were banding Jim Tietz?

   And a portrait from the lighthouse of a Black-throated Gray Warbler feasting on a fly:

Today's eBird checklist is dedicated to #7, Filo Joliet.

Current battle stats:  SEFI 63, SCI 50

Who needs enemies...

   Good evening dear readers--and welcome back to the land of TPAD.

   Rob Rockly has arrived safely on Southeast Farallon Island (hereafter, SEFI) after an uneventful trip under the Golden Gate and a much-better-than-expected sail (forecast 7-9 feet at 8 seconds and 20-30 knot winds...less-than-pleasant).  He is accompanied by the inimitable James "El Jefe" Tietz, Laurel Ann "Boo" Curry, Jonathan "The Shoe" Shore and Coulter "Coltrane" Cook.  They were met on the island by the outgoing seabird crew and will be joined for the first three weeks by Eva "The Pollard" Gruber.

This is a Tufted Puffin.  The first few weeks of the Fall crew are blessed by the constant presence of these wonderful creatures--and the population on SEFI is increasing.  This is objectively good news as no one wants fewer Puffins.  No one.

   Day 0.5 and 1.0 are now over (I'm writing this on day 2.5, don't tell, thanks) and have been busy getting things ordered, organized, and ready for the waves of migrants which are surely in our future. The species list is low but is slowly crawling upwards and onwards--the first land-bird spotted was a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (not a common bird on the island, ~60th record) followed by Bullock's Oriole and Lark Sparrow.  The slow trickle, God willing, will burst forth into a deluge over the coming weeks.

"I want a mustache."

   WHICH BRINGS US TO: The Battle of 2015.  An unexpected declaration of war was made by various inhabitants of an island to the south.  Emperor Stahl of San Clemente Island sent a carefully worded diplomatic dispatch that read, more or less,

"San Clemente Island will rise to claim the Crown of Fall Migration.  Let the battle begin!"

What does this mean?  It means that the two island crews will tally their respective daily lists and see who comes out on top.  Updates will be posted (along with the usual eBird checklists) on each blog post (Current score: 31:32, SEFI in the lead).

A final note: the posts this year might come out the day after actual events.  It is too difficult (usually) to get posts out at a reasonable hour at the end of a long day.  All of this is done with The Readership's best interests at heart.

I will leave you with further Puffin.  Things could be worse. Much worse.

Star Wars? What in Hell is Star Wars?

"My life feels, week to week, incomplete to the level of being pointless if I am not in preparation for the next play or, ideally, into it."

--Tom Stoppard

The View Going In: soon to be The View Going Out.  [this is not a portrait]

     Here we are, dear readers, the 22nd of July, 2015, Anno Domini. I promised you a final post from The Farallones, one last day of portraited glory, beauty nearly too beauteous for mortal eyes to view-teous. Apologies to all of my deceased readers who never got to see this glorious day in portrait--it is their loss, not ours.

     "Why now?" some of you ask. 20 September, 2014 was so 2014. Why? Because today is 22 July, 2015.  And because TPAD is coming back to an island near [those of] you [who live in the Greater Bay Area.] That's right. TPAD shall rise from the ashes to bring you something-to-be-determined from SEFI. Stay tuned, because starting in mid-August you'll all have a reason to go on laughing, loving, and living. 

For now, here is 20 September:

     The day dawned as most days do, with the sun rising in the east. High overcast. Light winds. Boat day. North Landing. Ideal conditions for a total shit-show.  It was to be a day of birds, boats, and lightning strikes.  The Bird of The Day was a Plumbeous Vireo at the lighthouse, found by one Jim Tietz--the rest of us scrambled up the mountain amidst throngs of warblers to see this third island record and the only one ever photographed and/or banded (P. Pyle, pers. comm.)

This was followed by a flock of 10 White-faced Ibis--that's right. Lightning. Strikes. Again. Ten. Times. If White-faced Ibis keeps this up, White-faced Ibis will someday be the rarest bird on the island.

     Later that short day (for your dear writer) a call came in from the mountain top--Jim had seen a warbler walk inside of the lighthouse. That's right. Walk. He closed the door and coaxed us up--Oliver J. and I headed up the trail, again, with nets in hand and hopes against hopes that we'd be greeted by the eye-ringedest of walking warblers. After much wrangling with mist-nets inside of lighthouses, we came out, victorious:

Here we see Daniel Maxwell, Avian Hypnotherapist, PhD, holding our quarry in thrall.  This Connecticut Warbler got its lifer Oliver James inside of a lighthouse.  Think about that.

Connecticut Warbler.  White-faced Ibis.  Plumbeous Vireo.  Blackburnian Warbler.  Tennessee Warbler.  Vertical Siskin.  74 species were seen on SEFI that day and here is the eBird list to prove it.

     In summary: the day was ridiculous. A boat day. A wave day. Birds, banding, loading, unloading, a harried tour of the island, and then, dear readers, as you are all too painfully aware, a departure. Goodbye, Jim, Daniel, Boo and Ollie. It was bittersweet and, to be honest, I've been too hurt to go back to TPAD. Until today. Tonight I will sleep for the first time in 305 days. Say that out loud: 305 days. The closing of 2014's TPAD season has weighed heavily upon me--but now that season is behind us. Ahead of us: Men in gray suits. Birds. Pinnipeds. TPAD 2015 is just around the corner. 

You're welcome.

I'll see you all on 15 August, 2015.