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NEXT UP from the CAT-e-GORY division: 1-seed Sea Lion vs. 5-seed Tiger Owl (narration co-written with @TCastanea) #2019MMM 
Tiger Owls, aka Great Horned Owls, occur throughout the Americas & are well suited for many habitats from sea level up to 11,000 ft. They live in forests, grasslands, deserts, swamps, marshes, & mangroves. (Smith 2002) #2019MMM
Tiger owls also adapt well to human ecostystems & can help control pest populations, but are sometimes killed when humans use poison on owls' rodent prey. apnews.com/9766f9f7d94045… #2019MMM
Tiger Owls may also be injured or killed by car collisions & power line electrocutions: "The Great Horned Owl is the most commonly electrocuted owl in North America." #2019MMM nrc.gov/docs/ML1224/ML…
Despite their name, California Sea Lions range as far north as SE Alaska, & have become more common in Alaska as populations in their southern breeding range have increased (Maniscalco et al 2004). #2019MMM researchgate.net/profile/Shanno…
One reason for this increase? Sea Lions are protected under the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act. But this does not mean that sea lions & humans have no impact on each other. #2019MMM
Human activities & environmental disturbance are associated with lower Sea Lion reproductive rates (French et al 2011). ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P… #2019MMM
Sea Lions, meanwhile, can disrupt commerial and recreational fishing activities, decreasing catches & damaging gear (Cook et al 2015). oceanconservation.org/research/publi… #2019MMM
Today we are near Petersburg, Alaska. Sea Lion is again lounging: different beach, same activity. This sea lion knows what's good & it's going to keep on keeping on. The air is chillier here, though, & defending the territory requires more food. Time to go fishing! #2019MMM
Sea Lion isn't the only one interested in fishing. This area is important for sport fisheries, & a group of friends at a remote cabin has decided to go salmon fishing. They cast in the EXACT spot where Sea Lion saw winter kings jumping. (pics courtesy of @TCastanea) #2019MM
Undeterred, Sea Lion dives down to hunt & sees a glint of silver. Surely this is a delicious fish, right? RIGHT?? #2019MMM
As it lunges to attack, Sea Lion discovers it's a fishing lure, & swerves away. #2019MMM
The anglers see the sea lion & roll up their gear. They decide to move to a spot up a nearby river to avoid a conflict. westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/protected_spec… #2019MMM
Sea lion eats his fill & retreats to the beach to digest. He parks it right in front of the fishing camp, which has a nearby pit toliet. #2019MMM
Flying overhead, Tiger Owl's attention is drawn to the beach by the boat's engine noise & the Sea Lion's movement. #2019MMM
Tiger Owl finds a perch out of view to suss out the scene on the beach. The tall black ventilation pipe of the pit toilet looks like a nesting cavity (aka snag), & it flies closer and lands to investigate. The pipe feels slippery under foot.... #2019MMM
Tiger Owl descends into the dark void. It lands in something.......sludgy. Sticky. This is NOT a good nesting site! The owl attempts to fly away, but its wings are mired in foul grime, & it cannot break free of the excrement that surrounds it. #2019MMM
(This happens more often than you might think! Often enough that @tetonraptor started the Poo Poo Project to prevent it: tetonraptorcenter.org/our-work/poo-p…) #2019MMM
Tiger Owl remains trapped in the filth of the toilet vault as Sea Lion continues to bask on the beach. #NoShawshankRedemptionHere #2019MMM
SEA LION ELIMINATES TIGER OWL #SeeWhatWeDidThere #2019MMM
