Quest of Rochester

Our beautiful young falconlady is having a great time. And she is doing just fine.

Quest is still at the Massachusettsshore and does not seem to have any plans to move.

She spent the past week exploring State Route #6 on Cape Cod, where she is presumably dining on tasty shorebirds. She seems to be an excellent hunter and no signs of hunger what so ever. Good for her!

Our Quest was seen and photographed by Shawn Carey, a professional wildlife photographer and a member of the Massachusetts Audubon Society. On August 17th Shawn Carey was photographing at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary on the cape, when he came across our Quest! Shawn took some fantastic photos of Quest:

Watch them here, they are amazing!

http://shawncarey.zenfolio.com/p971267549/?photo=h02FC1E9F#50077343



August 22


Quest continued her eastward trek reaching the Massachusetts coast in the first week of August. She was visiting tony Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and Cape Cod. Data indicate that she’s having a great time exploring the far eastern reaches of the US. Most of Mariah’s offspring whose locations are known– and all that previously had transmitters– went north or west. So Quest’s eastern movement is an unexpected surprise.

Read more on Imprints:
http://rfalconcam.com/imprints/

Derby Peregrine falcon

A very early breakfast. A huge prey was delivered on top and one happy hungry youngster was enthousiastic coming closer. But what a disappointment.
Gone it was, taken away to the breakfasttable that apparently was somewhere else. The youngster did not look very happy, protested loudly and went after prey and parent.











After breakfast on of them returned. It must be lovely and warm up there on a summermorningm perching. Not only the peregrine falcon family enjoys it up there. To my big surprise and pigeon landed on teh plucjplace. The falcon stood in the background and she looked at the pigeon. The pigeon koekoeroekoekoered over it's shoulder back to the falcon and was not scared to death but stayed put. Enjoyed himself and the sunshine and must have thought, as long as I do not behave like a pigeon ahe won't harm me. Right on little dove.











A sitting pigeon is not a pigeon to peregrine falcon. The peregrine reacts to a flying, flappering, panicking pigeon. Scientific research also indicates that a peregrine has an imprint on the appearance of the pigeons in it's hunting territory. For instance completely grey, or with white marks. If a pigeon with other markings is introduced in a group of "standard" pigeons, that one will not be hunted after. So what will evolution do? Right. Change the appearance of the pigeon. The peregrine will adapt, and so on. Fascinating!
This one this morning sat there for a while.l The falcon turned aways and went to sleep. The pigeon was able to fly quietly away.











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/

X- Cell Black Dog

X- Cell Black Dog

Rochester: Seneca has fledged!

Mr. Z also known as Zephyr, master of flight!














Breaking news: our last juvie has fledged! This morning at 08:00 when Lisa arrived for her fledge watch at the Rochester Kodak Tower Seneca was out of the playpen perched between the Kodak Letters; Way to go little girl! What wonderful news.



Little Seneca
Photo courtesy by Lisa

Lisa reports on Imprint Falcon Watch:

Seneca was still on the column between the “K” and the “O” on the 20th floor. She kept running, and hopping and flapping her wings, trying to get Kaver’s attention.





Both Mariah and Kaver took turns flying around the tower, coaxing their young into flight. Which they did 3 of them, but it was warm so they all settled down.





Kaver brought in food. That woke up some of them. Mariah took off from the tower and attempted to take the food from Kaver. Kaver had other ideas. He kept the food and landed on the southeast corner of the 17th floor. After about a minute of preparation, I saw one of the fledglings come around the tower, walk up to Kaver and snatch the prey. This is why Mariah wants the food. She has better control of which fledglings receive the food. Kaver just gives it over to whichever one takes it. Mariah is the boss!





Next Quest had appeared just below Seneca on the 19th floor, southwest corner. That’s all it took to get Seneca flapping again. As we watched, Seneca took off and headed towards the High Falls Smoke Stack. She was coming in too low, so she turned and headed back to the tower. Seneca attempted to land on top of the peaked metal roof, east of the playpen. We watched as she clung to the edge and flapped, trying to pull herself up to the peak. No such luck. She let go, slid down the metal roof, spread her wings and took flight, again heading for the stacks. Still low, she turned and headed back to the tower, missed a landing on 17 and flew around to the north side of the tower, where we couldn’t see her land. It ain't easy girl, a first flight, but you'll get there!





Quest took off and fly around to the northside in search of her sister. By the time I arrived at the north side, I spotted Seneca sitting up on the 19th floor. Quest was on the 18th floor, top of the Philadelphia Tower. They were very close to each other. It always amazes me when the fledglings seem to support each other.




All photo's are courtesy of Jim Pisello, unless stated otherwise

Now that all eyases are airborne the show can begin!!

Read all reports:

http://www.rfalconcam.com/falconwatch/

Read the great reports of Jim Pisello with all his excellent photo's of the juvies on his Blog Peregrinations:

http://marchlords.com/birdblog/2008/06/mischief-and-mistakes.html

Rochester: Seneca's day

Finally this morning shortly after 6 Seneca left the nestbox and around noon she left the ledge beside the nestbox as well. She flapped her wings and gone she was. Wonder if she fledged, could not see her in the playpen.
The nestbox is empty, they have gone. But we will keep on following them of course!








A lot has happened in the past 24 hours. Diamante did fledge and Quest as well. Zephyr showed off his rapidly improving flight skills. Mariah was up on the High Falls stack keeping an eye on something. Quest was on a low building. She alternated between hopping around and letting the breeze fill her outstretched wings. She finally took off and did fly quite well.
The watchers found Suzie B on the ground. Not wounded fortunately. But she manouvred herself in a dangerous position so the watchers decided to get her out of there. And so they did.
She turned out to be tired, so they decided to release her from one of the Kodak buildings.
Not long afterwards they saw her fly away. So she was and is OK.

To read the whole story please go to Peregrinations of Jim Pisello. His pictures of the flegdlings are awesome!
http://marchlords.com/birdblog/2008/06/exciting-evening-for-girls.html

And check Imprints:
http://www.rfalconcam.com/falconwatch/

Xcel Energy Falcon Cam

Introducing a new nestsite to this Blog: Xcel Energy Falcon Cam. The Allen S. King plant is located on the St. Croix River in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota. King plant is a model for a successful and growing peregrine falcon restoration effort, as the first plant in the nation to place a falcon nest box on it stacks. Several other Xcel Energy plants have joined the effort, along with other generating facilities worldwide. The plant also maintains an osprey nest box, and the land around the plant is home to other waterfowl and wildlife.








What happened so far. The resident female is Belinda. Her partner Doug did not return from migration, So she was courted by Brent, a bird who fledged from a cliff in southeastern Minnesota in 2006. On March 17 there was no sign of Belinda's previous mate, Doug. At the Black Dog Plant two adult male falcons where seen at the nest box throughout the winter. Two female falcons have been spotted on the property. None of these birds have been identified.



Belinda at the Allen S. King Plant laid her first egg of 5 on Friday, April 11. Untill now 2 eyases have hatched.

Italian updates

For weeks we have been following the Italian nestsites of Bologna and Rome. In Bologna 2 out of 4 eggs hatched on April 4. The 2 eyases grew up to beautiful juvi;s who fledged on May 12. The Bologna juvies are doing very well. A couple of friends living nearby go to the towers every day and spotted them. A bad moment for the female who put one talon into a nest and was unable to get free for a while.. then she succeded to fly away safe.



The 2 Rome eyases, so very dear to my heart, who we have all watched by live webcam, have fledged as well. How good for those two proud juveniles. We all remember two very fluffy adorable little eyases who hatched on April 10. It was so sweet to watch them so very moving how fragile. We saw the transform to chicklets and into juveniles.



Giovanna from the Italian Forum writes to me:

The male in Roma fledged on May 21rst.
The female on May 22nd.

We were very concerned about Ponentino (the male): nobody was able to spot nor find him after he fledged.
Tati (the female) fledged successfully and was spottted many times on the roofs around the nest, also fed by her parents.
Finally, yesterday in the evening Niseema was able to see both the juvies together on different ledges of the University's building.



Also the parents were visible around there, so NO DOUBT the two juvies are both safe and sound!!!
The guys in Rome really did a good job! They never left until they could find the "little one".

Thank you Giovanna for the update!

Eyas to Juvenile development

Click the pictures to enlarge

Condition At Hatching

The peregrine falcon eyases are semialtricial, nidicolous; covered with off-white (prepenne) down. Semi altricial means: Covered with down, incapable of departing from the nest, and fed by the parents. In species like the peregrine falcon we speak of semi-altricial 2, hatch with the eyes closed.
The bill and feet pinkish to pale gray with eyes closed. They weigh about 35–40 g. If eyes open with food-begging first day, they are slitlike. The eyases obtain 2 downy plumages.



Growth and development

At 5 days after hatch, their mass has doubled. The eyas can sit with relative ease, and the open eyes are more round.
At 6–8 days of age the second down (mesoptile or preplumulae) starts to emerge, first on humeral and alar tracts but no down visible on belly at 6 day, although on the legs and belly at 8 days.
Also second down is well out on the wings and looks a bit blueish and sheaths of primaries breaking skin on wings.



By 10 days of age the second down is complete and uniform and outer rectrices are breaking skin. At 10 days, primaries growing at 2–3 mm/d, rectrix sheath not yet split.
At 14 days the second down is dense and long, rectrix sheath about 2 mm and typically ninth primary emerges from sheath.
By day 17 the contour feathers start to push out prepennae and only pale (buffy) tips of rectrices have emerged but growing at about 2 mm/d (since day 13).


By 10 days of age the second down is complete and uniform and outer rectrices are breaking skin. At 10 days, primaries growing at 2–3 mm/d, rectrix sheath not yet split.
At 14 days the second down is dense and long, rectrix sheath about 2 mm and typically ninth primary emerges from sheath.
By day 17 the contour feathers start to push out prepennae and only pale (buffy) tips of rectrices have emerged but growing at about 2 mm/d (since day 13).


At 20 days while still with heavy coat of second down, brown contour feathers are visible on margins of wings, tail, and faintly around the eyes.
By 30 days young appears about half down-covered and half feathered; while side of face well feathered, crown still covered with down.


At 35 days while mostly feathered, large conspicuous patches of down around legs, under wings, and on crown.
At 40 days almost fully feathered with traces of down on crown and under wings and outer several remiges; rectrices not fully grown but bird capable of weak flight.

From my Peregrine falcon website:

http://www.falcoperegrinus.nl/

Copyright Froona
All Rights reserved

De Mortel: 32 days old

Our own De Mortel eyases are transforming very rapidly. Both eldest eyases are almost completely brown now, however the male is even a bit more brown then his younger sis. The 3th eyas who is male is coming next and little sis still has a long way to go.
I expect the eldest eyas, the male to be the first to step out, perhaps even as soon as teh end of next week.
They are very beautiful and we are so very proud of S2, formal intruder but now very much loved by al of us, and Pa. They produced 4 amazing eyases, with whom i fel very deeply in love last week Friday when I saw them and touched them at the banding.

Ohio Columbus 9 days

These birds really grow fast. A little over a week old and already they've grown such that Scout has a hard time fitting them all underneath her when she broods them. Their growth progress, combined with somewhat warmer temps in Columbus, has resulted in less need for her to keep them covered. They spend a lot of time leaning on each other which also helps to keep them warm.

They aren't too mobile yet but have definitely gravitated to the right side of the box (as we are looking in) mainly because that's where the food comes from! It'd be a better view if they were closer to the camera but in the long run it's actually better if they keep their distance from the cam. Why's that you ask? In order to relieve themselves, they put their rumps up into the air and shoot their feces as far away from the nest as they can. If you haven't noticed yet, the back wall of the nest box is starting to accumulate feces and it's only a matter of time before the camera gets the same treatment!

Read more on the Columbus Blog:

http://ohioperegrinefalcons.blogspot.com/