Thursday, June 26, 2008

Rochester: lots of fledge-fun



















The juvies are having lots of fun together with Kaver and Mariah. They both join in the play. Talon-tag, climbing, diving, tumbling, squawking. It must a fantastic to watch them flying around for the Falcon watchers.
There are 4 in the air: Zephyr, master of flight, Quest, mistress of flight, Diamante fills the sky with diamonds and SuzieB is the beauty of the bunch. Little Seneca still takes it easy, she spents her time hop- flapping and taking short flights. Good for her. Better be sure of yourself girl before you really take off.
Last year with the 4 beauties, I noticed how special their headmarkings where. Sacajawae had very light markings, compared to the other ones. This year Susan has kind of same markings as her last year sister. Seneca however has very dark features. When you look at Kaver and Mariah, she looks like her father. Mariah is always very distinct with the little white row of feathers above her cere.





I have seen for many years and many nestsites this strong bond between the nestlings. A bond that continues during fledging. They love to touch eachother, lay angainst eachother sleeping, preening eachother's feathers, touching bills. They find eachother very attractive and interesting.
Jim Pisello managed to catch this in a series of 4 photo's with Diamante and sis Suzie. Very, very wonderful!














All photo's are courtesy of mr. Jim Pisello

Jim Pisello has made a lovely series of terrific photo's again. A few are posted here, with many thanks to mr Pisello. Go to his Blog Peregrinations to read his great report and watch many more wonderful pics.
http://marchlords.com/birdblog/2008/06/morning-fun-for-fledglings.html

And read the Falcon Blog of Imprints:
http://www.rfalconcam.com/falconwatch/

Derby Cathedral today










A beautiful bright early summer morning, with first the falcon and later on the tiercel up the pud. Preening, perching.
One of the juvies tried to join, but as soon as they appear the adults are off! Wonder why: feed me more, that's why!











Later this morning 3 juvies where enjoying themselves together up the pud. It took some manoeuvring but the bunch did settle down there. Just 3 not 4.

All day there have been peregines in front of the cam, whether juvies or the parents so a lot to see. Or not, because not much happened.











It was not until 6 in the evening before a big fresh pigeon was brought in by the falcon. And within and hour a second one. The juvies must be very well fed, because they do not attack the food. One can see they have full crops all the time. Lots of food around! The family stayed together up the pud till the evening set in. Beautiful skies again today! Derbyshire ones! Hope to see them with my own two eyes next season.











Read all about the Derby Peregrines on the Derby Blog:
http://derbyperegrines.blogspot.com/

To visit the Derby Photo Blog of Jon Salloway, with amazing photo's of the Derby peregrines.:
http://derby-peregrines.blogspot.com/

De Mortel
















Columbus Ohio: Boomer and Justice crashed.




Yesterday Donna Daniel got a call from the highway patrol at the Statehouse reporting that Justice was in a window well on the 1st floor. Although she appeared uninjured, it can be difficult for an inexperienced falcon to get from the ground back up to the building tops, so Division of Wildlife personnel retrieved her. She was checkes out by Donna and she appears to be fine so she was returned to the ledge early this morning.





Since her return this morning, Justice seems content to stay on the nest ledge. She's regrouping before she tries flight again. There are observation windows on the 40th floor of the Rhodes Tower that allow a great view of north, east and south so after putting Justice back out the downtown building roofs where scanned and 2 fledglings and both adults where seen.








Around lunchtime I got a report of a falcon that had crashed into a window of the Riffe Tower (southwest of the Rhodes Tower) and was on a narrow ledge on the 26th floor. Thanks to Dena Harris who saw him and let Joe Vaughn know. Joe took some pictures and notified us. He was able to provide me with the band number which confirmed the bird was Boomer. The most recent information from the Ohio Department of Development is that Boomer is up and moving around from corner to corner of the ledge.

Read more on teh Columbus Blog of Donna Daniel:

http://ohioperegrinefalcons.blogspot.com/

X Cell Alan King Plant













Nijmegen
















A beautiful sunny summersday in teh Netherlands. @ Juvies back in teh nestbox for a while. They are doing just fine. Happy to see them every once in a while

Xcell Black Dog