LIFES A BEACH!

In this video you’ll see “Fran” standing on top of a Sea Lion carcass. Fran is a teenager about to become an adult. Eagles get their adult colours at 5 years of age. You can still see some streaking in her head feathers.Dead give away she’s around four and a half years old? She’s also the offspring of Frank and Frieda. So she is tolerated. If she was a stranger she would most likely be chased away. If she kept coming back,she probably would be attacked! But because she’s part of the family she has a life long membership to come back any time! Fran see’s her father coming over and backs off. Frank is telling her to EAT and go.

Turn the sound up and listen to the sounds Fran makes.

In this video it shows a immature eagle eating. Its early, (5:38am) so I guess its breakfast. This male eagle looks around 3 to 4 years. Another Immature comes in to attack! I recognize this eagle. Its one I’ve called “Ruffles”. I call him that because of the ruffled feathers on his back. He’s a bully. I’ve seen him do false charges at the Ravens.

In this video it shows Ruffles just a few minutes after attacking the other Immature eagle. I think the other eagle is one I’ve called “Rusty” but am not sure? There are half a dozen Immatures feasting on the carcass. Ruffles takes exception to Rusty(?) hanging around waiting for a bite…..so he chases him off!

I’m not that familiar with Frank and Frieda to be honest. What I do know is If it was Frank or Frieda they wouldn’t walk slowly up to the carcass. This male eagle is taking his time,so that tells me he’s not Frank. I suspect this male is poaching,so he’s very alert!

There is one thing I found odd with this video? This eagle did not trip the cameras motion sensor. The camera began shooting way before this eagle arrived. So what tripped the sensor?

I like the light in this video.

MY TURN!!

As some of you already know, I have been documenting the feeding behaviour of eagles on a dead Sea Lion out on Chestermans beach (Frank island). The Sea Lion is a young female Stellar Sea Lion and she was pregnant.

To help them to get at the meat I cut the carcass open. Later when I swapped the card I saw the remains of a unborn pup inside her. I could see whiskers and wondered what it was? I looked closer and realized it was the nose of the pup. Poor thing never had a chance.  I still do not know why this Lion died? I just hope it was from natural causes.

I set up a trail camera station. It took me a lot of work and about three days of figuring it out,but I think I have it now.

In this video an adult eagle has been feeding too long…..according to another eagle and It was persuaded to MOVE!

After the attack you can hear the attacker scolding the other eagle and than hop over for a bite.

BEARLY POSING

I haven’t been able to get close enough to tell if this bear is a boy or girl? I suspect a female as the fur around the head is large and rounded. She was suspicious of me as I had to beach the boat and walk on land to get closer. Whenever she bent down to get a mouthful of grass,I’d move silently towards her. When she looked up I froze.  Bears get nervous If they see movement. She’ll get use to me after a few months.

THE DAREDEVIL’S SUNSET

DROOLY

This bear found a branch full of barnacles and mussels! I think he needs a bib.

GOING LOONEY!

ROMEO AND JULIETTE’S FLOWER MOON

This months moon is called a “Flower” moon. You can see what happens when the clouds snuff the light. The birds are silhouettes but If it was in golden light this shot would be excellent.

Juliette was coming over to say hello! I was glad to see her up and about!

ROMEO’S MOON

A CLOUDY ROMEO

It was sunny all day,so I thought I’d go out for a evening shoot. The almost full moon was coming up and it was low tide so I knew the bears would be out and about too!

So I headed out into the sunshine! It took me 45 minutes to get up into Fortune Channel where the bears are. I found a bear almost immediately! I got two shots off and the light went bye bye! I looked to the west and saw a huge cloud bank moving in and knew my gorgeous light was history!

If I do not have the light,I do not have the shot. Its as simple as that! So I basically made lemonade.

A FURRY FRIEND

I came across 4 bears tonight but only got shots of two. Bears never seem to do what I want them to do……it’s unbearable!

This bear knows me from last year. It hardly looked at me and was more concerned with eating a crab dinner!

OUTSTANDING IN ONES FIELD

SOCIAL ISOLATING THE HARD WAY

THE DAREDEVIL

SUNSET FLY BY

ROMEO’S HEAD IS UP IN THE CLOUDS

DINNER TIME

I was done the evening shoot,so headed back to the dock. I was pleasantly surprised to see a young River Otter chowing down at the dock! The best time to get close up shots is when a animal is eating. They tend to zone out.

Unfortunately the sun had already set so the lighting was poor! I bumped my ISO up to 1600,slowed my shutter down to 1/125 and opened the f-stop wide open and that still wasn’t enough. I hate poor lighting conditions with a excellent subject!