Monday, May 26, 2008
Indianapolis
The eyases are growwing but we can't see it. After banding they repared the cam. But as soon as the four eyases where back in the nestbox one aimed at the cleand and repaired lens and covered it with poo. Well thank you very much. All in blurr. So we will have to wait untill they have grown so much they will climb on the ledge. Now they can just take a glimps over the wall.
New River Gorge Project.
On April 10 3 beautiful eyases where born at the James River Bridge nestsite. They grew up to wonderful and adorable chcklets. Many hundreds of images I posted here on my Blog of them growing up. Both parents Sir James and Elizabeth where with the 3 constantly, guarding them feeding, protecting.
And then all of a sudden they where gone. They did not return from banding.
They where transported to the New River Gorge where they where hacked together with eyases from 2 more nestsites. The panic and stress of the parents struck me intensly. It does trouble me, it still does when young animals are taking from their parents.
But today I saw pictures of the 3 JRB juvi's who have fledged from the hackbox and are in this garden of Eden over at the New River Gorge. Pictures made by mr Gary Hartley who is Chief Park ranger in the New River Gorge Park. Mr Hartley gave me permission last year to use his fabulous pictures of juveniles in the Park om my website.
So this story continues in a very joyfull meet again with the 3 JRB juveniles who are so amazing, and look very happy. They landed in paradise. It is a fantastic Park, it looks like the Amazone. I'm sure they will have a great life over there. I wish them all the very best there is, a long and prosper life. Dear 3 take the chance you where given and live a great life full of joy in one of the most beautiful places there are on our blue planet. May the Great Spirit light your paths through the skies. Climb the highest mountains of clouds, tumble and dive, pull up to the sun and fill the heavens with your honor.
Here they are:
Both females
The male
Heidelberg: first fledge
One of the Heidelberg juveniles fledged, but not without troubles. Mr Hans Martin Gäng writes in his diary about Jurgen. He did fledge but could not fly up. Juveniles very rarely can. He landed on the rooftop of a building nearby. He started wailing but Aurora just acted as if she did not hear him calling. It was a warm day in Heidelberg and it got 27 C on a hot roof and he did not like it. He got company of two pigeons who loooked at him in a way of what's this guys, what a strange bird. But when Aurora came flying around the corner the disappeared very fast in all directions. Mr Gäng saw him late in the afternoon fly away to a nearby building. I'm sure the story will continue. Gerd is still in the nestbox.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Terminal Tower Cleveland.
I am quite used to the fabulous photo's of Scott Wright of the TT chicks. But this year he is not able to make as many as he would like. But now Chad and Chris Saladin made these great shots of the chicks. They are awesome, so amazingly beautiful are these 4 TT chicklets and SW and Buckeye. Thank you so very very much Chad and Chris!
The instincts both Chad and Chris have of when a PF is going to "go" is startling!! They cover MANY nests in Cleveland, and it's a big bonus that they are taking over fledge duties for Scott this year. When fledge starts is when Chad and Chris really get going. They are both taking 3 weeks off in june just to cover fledges everywhere!! Incredible people with vast knowledge!!
They are very devoted when it comes to these birds. They shape their life around them and also give many presentations and lectures with pics and vids that are unreal!! Plus, they are great people!! Thanks for sharing this beauty with us.
All pictures are courtesy Chad and Chris Saladin ©
Derby Cathedral Peregrine Project on Sunday
After weeks of nice weather, the rain started falling today. And our Fab Four where getting wet all over. Ahh gosh, look at them. They didn't like it one little bit. The female did stay with them for a while but the rain was not that hard, so she left.
When they are older and have their juvenile plumage, rain in no problem at all. They preen their feathers with this very special oil from the preengland just above the tail. This is a kind of balm for the feathers and makes the plumage waterproof. This oil is very special, it contains as well some kind of provitamine D, which transforms into Vitamine D by the UV light from teh sun. When the peregrine is preening he/she zips the barbs of the feathers with it's beak and digests at the same time the oil from the feathers which has been processed by the sun.
The chicks will be ringed this week. Then we will know if we indeed have 3 ladies and one little guy.
Read about that on the Derby Pages:
http://derbyperegrines.blogspot.com/
Rochester
The 5 eyases are doing fine overhere. Kaver and Mariah bringing them lost of nice and tasty bites of birds. The 5 are looking very healthy. Clearley visible are the canges in everyone of them. Around the eyes the first brown patches appear. It's going so fast. Something else very clear is the difference in size which has nothing to do with the agedifference. So I think we have 3 ladies and 2 lords of Rochester overhere. I wonder.
De Mortel: wings and more wings
Our beloved 4 eyases, better juvies are growing very fast to the point of leaving the nestbox. The eldest one, the male is standing in the opening looking into destiny, longing to go. But his body is not ready yet to carry him through the sky. S2 watches the growth and is stepping aside more and more. The parents now bring prey to the nest en leaving it there for the juvies to eat alone. The one manages it better than the other.
The eldest female, second in birth is huge. She was 955 grams at banding day, but she has grown more since than. Her mother our beautiful S2 is very huge as well.
It's an exciting time now, waiting for the step on the ledge of the male. It cannot be far away.
We tape everything live in the Tower From 6 in the morning till 10 at night. I am making clips of this feed. You can watch all clips on the De Mortel You Tube video channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/demortel2008
Check in daily for new clips.! You can subscripe to the channel as well and receive daily updates.
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