Activity Watch at YHONA

During the month of July, one day a week, we do what we call activity watches at Yaquina Head. These activity watches are 2 people on scopes on certain birds that have chicks. For four hours we observe specific birds and report any time the mate comes and goes, and anytime they feed the chick with a fish. So, there's a lot of shouting, "Fish on the Plot!" haha. 2 people do the observing/recording on data sheets, and a third person is our interpreter. This interpreter answers any questions about what we are doing there, so we are not distracted by the public. This person is sooo necessary. Yaquina Head is very popular and tons and tons of people come through there everyday. So last Monday, and tomorrow, I will work a shift. This means, I do my field work in the morning, then drive 3 hours to Newport, do a 4 hour shift, and then drive 3 hours back home. Yeah, its an exhausting day. Last Monday, they had two disturbances by the same subadult Bald Eagle while I was there. Disturbances are sooo normal there, and not normal at all at my spot. Anyways, I got some photos of the subadult in a tree nearby our spot.

 Far away view of Yaquina Head

 It's hard to see it, but the eagle is in the tree

 The gulls kept mobbing it while it was in the tree

  Very young subadult.

 As you can see, he doesn't have really much white at all on his crown/nape.