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164 Vol. XIII AN EARLY SPRING TRIP TO ANACAPA ISLAND By HOMER C. BURT V?'ITH ONE PHOTO ITH a week's supply of provisions on board, the writer, in company with Mr. Sidney Peyton, brother of a fellow Club member, and Mr. Walter Harrison, left Ventura harbor Tuesday morning, March 14 of this season (1911) on the launch "Aria Capa", owned by Mr. Ray Webster of Ventura. Our plans were to spend a few days on Anacapa Island that we might get better ac- quai.nted with the several pairs of Bald Eagles (IYaliceetus leucocephalus) that make the island their home. We had planned'on getting away earlier in the month but owing to the long siege of rain and stormy weather we have had this spring, Mr. Webster was unable to bring the launch up from San Pedro where it had been in anchorage for the winter. ? The day was fine and we had a very pleasant trip across the channel, making the run to the harbor in a little over three hours. After landing our provisions and blankets on the beach we all got busy making things comfortable in the little shanty up under the cliffs, which Mr. Webster kindly gave us the use of during our stay on the island. A good dinner was soon fixed up for us by "George" the boat's engineer, who proved to be quite a chef; and we afterward enjoyed more than one fish and mutton dinner fixed up by him and Mrs. Webster, who came over two days later to stay until the sheep shearing was over. The tide being low, Peyton and myself decided to spend the afternoon explor- ing the south side. of the west island, while the rest of the party were going up on top to see how the band of sheep had fared for the past several months. We suc- ceeded in working our way well around the island, a feat which can only be done at low tide, owing to the high cliffs towering above one all the way around. Cor- morants and Western Gulls (arus occidentalis) were common flying about or sit- ting on the rocks off the shore. A pair of Black Oyster-catchers (IYaemalopus bachmani) were flushed from a mussel bed on the rocks, but xvere too wary to al- low us to get within gun-shot. We also flushed a Wandering Tattler ([-[eleraclilJ? incanus) from among the rocks, which was knocked down by Peyton. Another Tattler was taken later near the same spot, both birds being males. There was much to interest one on all sides, so the afternoon quickly passed, and it was get- ting late when we got back to camp. The other party arrived soon afterwards with good news which put us all in high spirits. They had located an eagle's nest on one of the high cliffs of the north side of the west island, with the old bird on the nest, so things certainly looked promising for the morrow. We were up bright and early the next morning, Wednesday, and, loading our- selves with camera, shot-gun, lunch, and 130 feet of rope, we started up over the rough trail for the nesting site. Traveling was comparatively easy after reaching the top of the island, where there was a surprisingly heavy growth of clover and fox-tail grass, making a delightful home for the Island Horned Larks (Olocoris a. insularis) and Meadow-larks (37urnella neg?lecla) which were common on all sides. No time was lost in reaching the top of? the cliff above the nest, which turned out to be on one of the highest cliffs of the island. It would have been impossible to pick out. a wilder or more commanding site than the one selected by this pair of birds. One hundred and forty feet down from