New River Gorge

Photo's are courtesy of mr Gary Hartley.

http://falcoperegrinus-froona.blogspot.com/2008/07/new-river-gorge_04.html

New River Gorge

One of the first nestsites that had little eyases this season was the one in James River Bridge.
This nestsite is part of the 3 VA Center for Conservation Biology ones in Virginia. The survival rates of the chicks that reared in bridge nests is very poor. Peregrine falcons however keep on nesting om those dridges no matter what. Many eyases fall down and die or drown at fledging.
Because of this these eyases are excellent candidates to be hacked. And so the 3 JRB eyases where not returned to teh nestsite after banding.





The stress of the parents was very disturbing and horrible to watch. But many dead eyases is no option either. The eyases where taken to the New River Gorge. And I'd love to tell you a bit more about this project.
National Park Service (NPS) and WV Department of Natural Resources (DNR) biologists are ‘hacking’ peregrine falcons within New River Gorge National River as part of a restoration program for the species.

Hacking

Hacking is the process of placing young falcons in a structure and caring for the birds in a manner that minimizes human exposure until they are mature enough to fly,” explained Matt Varner, NPS wildlife biologist. “The artificial aerie or hack box simulates nesting and feeding conditions on steep rock cliffs – prey is dropped into the box through a tube so the birds don’t see or associate people with the food. This cage-like structure protects the birds from predators during the pre-flight period while allowing them to acclimate to and imprint on the Gorge. When they are ready to ‘fledge’ (fly), they are released from the box, but will return for occasional feedings until their hunting skills allow them to survive on their own.”





To begin the restoration project at New River Gorge National River, young birds will be taken from nests built on bridges in Virginia, New Jersey, or Maryland. Hacking experts from the Center for Conservation Biology at the College of William and Mary (CWM) in Williamsburg, Virginia (VA) will perform the nest removals and transport of the nestlings to West Virginia. “Now that the young falcons are in the Gorge, biologists, rangers and volunteers are staffing a daily feeding and observation schedule. The Three Rivers Avian Center and the Access Fund are also providing assistance.”





“Our ultimate goal is for the released birds to become imprinted on the New River Gorge and, once they are sexually mature, to return here to nest. The returning falcons may also attract other migrating falcons, allowing the gorge to become a center of peregrine falcon nesting activity and a source of falcons to re-colonize other portions of their historic range in the central-Appalachian region.”






History


The New River is like a ribbon tying together all the people, places and events sharing its course through time. New River Gorge National River protects a rich variety of this history: from the subsistence lives of the native peoples and the later pioneers, to the coming of the railroad and the many peoples involved in the ensuing boom and bust of the coal mining and logging industries. You can visit the remains of the former boomtown of Thurmond, retrace the path of pioneer Mary Draper Ingles amazing journey, learn of the legend and the facts of the "Steel Driving Man", John Henry, or read the oral history of an immigrant coal miner from the 1800s.





Nature

The New River within New River Gorge National River flows from below Bluestone Dam, near Hinton, West Virginia, to just north of the U.S. Highway 19 bridge near Fayetteville, West Virginia. On its journey through the gorge, the New River passes through an extensive geological formation. Emergent rocks, rock outcrops, trails and coal mines are found to provide diverse habitat producing rich and abundant flora and fauna species. In the gorge, there is typically a 1000 feet difference in elevation between the river bottom and the adjacent plateau. The New River dissects all physiographic provinces of the Appalachian Mountains, and therefore is believed to be a corridor facilitating the movement of southern plant and animal species into West Virginia. In addition to serving as a refuge for some species, New River Gorge provides a geographical barrier that limits the east-west distribution of other species. This portion of southern WV falls within the Mixed Mesophytic Forest Region. Recognized forest types in the three park areas include oak-hickory, mixed oak, oak-maple, oak-yellow pine, hemlock-hardwoods, northern hardwoods, cove hardwoods, and bottomland and floodplain hardwoods.





2007

In 2007, 24 nestling peregrine falcons were released over the course of three separate hacks. This effort marked the largest release of peregrine falcons from a single site in the species’ recovery history. A 100% success rate was observed using the 14-day criteria, which is phenomenal given the number of falcons that were released. In fact, only two falcons dispersed before being on the wing for 30 days (i.e. 27 and 29 days). Additionally, one falcon from the 2006 release was observed in NERI for nearly a week before dispersing out of the area.




Photo's are courtesy of Gary Hartley who is one of the Head Park Rangers.
Thank you Gary.

James River Bridge: goodbye

Today the James River Bridge eyases where banded and taken from their parents and the nestsite to a hackingbox. That is a very sudden unexpected goodbye from these 3 little chicklets.

This nest box is on a very busy bridge. The nest box is situated on a catwalk on the side of a building approximately 160ft above the water. The cat walk does not have any thing on the sides to keep the chicks from falling into the water and drowning. A few years ago, when Virginia was the female at this site, they would move the chicks to the roof of the bridge, which at least had a side to keep them corraled for a bit. Then the problem became that they would get up on the wall and tempt fate by walking what was essentially a tight rope. When there are gusty winds in the area, more than one of the chicks was blown off. The falcons chose this nest site, and a couple of years ago, they chose to forego the nest box and nest on the other bridge tower. That didn't turn out too well as you can imagine with the height involved and the winds that blow here in the Spring.

Read more about the hacking progrem in Virginia

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/birds/peregrine-falcon/

Cobb Island: 23 days old

As The Cobb island eyases demonstrate, they alternate between standing on their feet and resting on their tarsi.

James River Bridge: 34 days old

Our 3 little Virgina chicklets are 34 days old today. We can see how there is a size difference between them. By the looks of it, 1 male and 2 females. They are getting browner by the day.

Cobb Island: mobile eyases

This Cobb-cutie has gone exploring the outside world. Sitting on teh ledge in the mild sunshine. Way to go girl!

James River Bridge: 33 days old

the patches of remaining down feathers are becoming restricted to the base of the legs, parts of the wings, and perhaps parts of the back, as well as the crown. They are also becoming increasingly vocal and active around the nest area, to the extent that the adults rarely visit except to drop off food for them.

James River Bridge: 32 days old

The wonderful thing of this nestsite is that the three chicklets are of the same birth-day. They all hatched within hours and so are all three in the same stage of transformation. Real triplets they are. And very cute.

Cobb Island: 20 days old already

James River Bridge: 31 days old

Look at this little guy, isn't he adorable. They have been sweet from their hatching on and still are. Very will visible is the brom that is braking through. The patches behing the eyes are very distinctive now. The brown coverts will be growing very fast now. The changes per day will be enormous.

Cobb Island: growing very fast

The lens is a bit blury, but nevertheless we can see them . Yesterday it was impossible to catch them, and seeing them today: how they've grown in just one day! 18 days old they are now, with very big feet.

James River Bridge

While watching for a second how these 3 where doing the camposition moved. And we could see the situation where the nestbox is. Of course water nearby. Peregrines always nest in the direct vicinity of water. One of the parents was sitting in front of the cam and it sures makes a nice shot.
The juvi's are changing rapidly now as we can see, more brown coverfeathers are beginning to show. Our little eyases are growing bigger and bigger.

James River Bridge: 29 days old

The chicks are nearing the midpoint of their transition from down-covered chick to juvenile-plumaged fledgling, and are nearly full-grown in terms of body size and weight.

Cobb Island

Not much of an entry today. No eyases in sight and the main camera was stuck. SO maybe tomorrow we will be able to watch them again

James River Bridge: changing fast

Cobb island: 16 days old

Flat out, they are spending their day flat out. It is very warm on Cobb Island. So the eyases are flat with legs stretched and panting to cool off.

Cobb Island

James River Bridge

The James River Bridge eyases are transforming rapidly. Very well visible now are the brown patches around their eyses and the dark flightfeathers growing. They are standing very well on their instead of sitting on their tarsi. The juvenile feathers on their breast will appear more and more in the upcoming days.

Cobb Island: 15 days old

The Cobb eyases are 15 days old. And very well fed. Look at the big crops, full of food. In the front part of the neck the crop (or ingluvies) is found. It is actually an outpouching of the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. Many people think that all birds have a crop, but some do not, including the gull and penguin. The crop, in eyases, is very large, and shrinks down as the eyas grws older.
The crop should always be well filled. The eyases need a constant supply of nutrients, so the parents feed the little ones several times a day.

James River Bridge: 26 days old

In their fourth week of life, the chicks undergo significant changes almost daily. Around day 25, the brown tips to the secondaries become clearly visible, and the number of coloured feathers visible on the breast increases noticeably. Behaviourally, they are rarely resting on their tarsi anymore at this age.