The ride out to the island was a two hour boat ride from Ventura California. On the way out we saw about 5 grey whales. The highlights for me though were definitely my first Cassin's and Rhinocerous Auklets, as well as Xantus' Murrelets and a Northern Fulmar. Most of the people on the boat were headed to Scorpion Anchorage, on the National Park Service owned section of the island. Only a few of us stayed on for the final docking at Prisoner's Harbor. From there it was a very bumpy half hour truck ride to our cabins.
And I met my first Island Scrub Jay! Bill Clinton we affectionately refer to him as. (Since he's the breeding male on the territory we've named Clinton.)
The next day it was up nice and early to start nest searching the Island Jays. We have three areas of the island that we visit on a three day rotation. My first day was up at Portezuela, where the territories are named after beers. The second was at Coches, where all the territories have constellation, or otherwise mythological names. The third day was a "field station" day. Basically we just step out the door and can walk to our territories. Field station territories all have political names. (Hence the Clintons. I am also responsible for the McCains, the Kennedeys, Schwarzenegger, or Arnie as I call them, and the current first family, the Obamas. There is also another suspected territory a little further up a canyon, behind the McCains. I haven't decided whether I should go with Perot or Churchill...)
My first day out I "re-found" a nest that we thought was abandoned. The Jays in this particular territory are just glacially slow builders. I'd say that two material carries to the nest confirms that it's still active. I found the Obama's nest a few days later. Again, by chasing down a material carry. (Over rotting logs, under snags, and through curtains of poison oak. No prickly pears on that plot though! Score!) I've been skunked the past few days. Not for lack of trying though. I've been slipping and sliding and scrambling all over the slopes of the canyons my territories are located in.
As a crew we've been attempting to "peanutify" the jays so we can catch them in our traps and band them. We had a very successful day with 4 birds a few days ago, and caught 3 today as well. Scrub Jays love their peanuts. It's an addiction.
I've also seen my first few Island Foxes. They are about the size of a house cat, and incredibly curious. They're not really that scared of people. On the contrary, if you call them, they will come closer to check you out. This is cute when you're up at the cabin, just hanging out. But not so cute when you've just found a nest and you spot a fox swimming through the grass behind you. (That you thought you lost a long time ago... this time you will throw rocks in its general direction to get it to leave.) The foxes have been seen on our videos predating nests, walking on pencil thin twigs, climbing trees. They are cute. But a terror nonetheless. They are also fond of pooping on our deck in the middle of the night, right in the path to the kitchen from the cabins. Needless to say, walking in a half asleep state in the morning to breakfast can be hazardous. It is also not advisable to leave your boots out overnight. The foxes are like little puppies, carrying everything off, somewhere into the scrub oak of the island, most likely to never be seen again.
Life on the island is good. And you can't argue with the backyard view...
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