U of Alberta - 2010 / ? & Radisson

[bev.]

The last couple of days have been a real treat.  We did lots of running  but the kids are giving us a lot of laughs.

I thought after the loss of Yellow Band , I would not be able to enjoy the rest of the season,     but seeing her gave me the closure I needed and Red and Blue restored my faith.

Red could  fly from the first flap of his wings. He is a tease and all boy.  Blue ,for the most part , is more reserved.

She does enjoy her siestas.
 
Yesterday, we had a lot of laughs at her expense. She had a huge piece of prey on the ledge at College plaza. When mom came in to either, help her , or try and get a few bites, Blue mantled and screamed . There was a standoff for over and hour and a half.
I think she even nipped mom at one point, as Radisson seemed to limp for a bit.
 After Peter watched  Radisson beak feed Blue this evening, I think Radisson was trying to help her yesterday. Radisson was very patient.

Today , Blue grew leaps and bounds. Her flying was great. She  went way up, soaring , and she gave Red as good as he gave. She put the chase on him a few times.   
'It is so exhilarating to hear them cacking as they play. 

Last night Peter thought a young hawk needed rescuing but it flew off and hit heart building , a bit, and so he tried again and it flew off to a tree by where we watch. It  may have been a young coopers hawk. After thinking about it today, we have had a coopers hawk hanging around(adult) .I think the young one may have just been seeking the pigeon leftovers. But Peter was not sure if it was O.K. or not.

I t was unusual ,as far the adults went ,today. Only ever saw mom , but Peter saw another tonight , just before leaving. I will keep my eyes open as we did have an intruder 2 nights ago. both adults took aim at it for quite awhile until it left the territory. Nothing is safe around our kids. they escort the ravens out also.
We better be careful, or they will be ushering us out as well.

the kids have been spending a lot of time on balconies at Windsor Park, but they go to the nest box also. Red was on the black mesh today.

How can one not admire these wonderful raptors.   

[Linder]

Bev thanks for your update. Definitely a busy weekend for you and your team. Take a breath, sit down and relax. Look forward to your reports when you have had some time to yourself.  

[bev.]

Thanks Bob and Elaine. You certainly helped me out, being there and reporting. Now I can concentrate on picutres

sorry you locked your keys in the car Elaine.

Peter is enjoying himself down there while I came home to do chores.

Someone asked me how I roped Peter into this. He started off jsut watching occasionally but he got hooked. He is not a cam man, but he does love watching them one on one.

[Linder]

Thank you so much Bob and Elaine for the fanastic reports. Wonderful to hear that all is going well and Red and Blue are flying strong. 

[bev.]

I will have a nice report tomorrow with more picutres. We were doing double duty yesterday, babysitting my grandson and watching the birds so no time for reports.

Kids are flying well. Peter just phoned and Red just took food from moms talons and flew off.  .  He had no camera as my daughter borrowed it for a wedding  :-(
Peter is down there alone as he wanted me to come home. So I cut the grass :roll:

I was so proud of Blue today for the way she was flying. Way up and giving red as good as she got.
If I have time tonight I will come back in.

I also went to banding of Miss Edmonton's chick and will do a slide show later also. (in a few days)

[Kinderchick]

bob & Elaine, thanks for your very intense and thorough reports, full of much peregrine drama!

[Elaine L]

Bev, Peter and I were down at the site all afternoon.  When I arrived, Blue and Red were both sitting on the edge of a balcony on Windsor Place, but shortly after, they apparently decided that despite the heat today, they wanted to race around the skies, as only the young can do, and we were all treated to a wonderful flying display.  Red is a real show-off who enjoys jumping all over his sister in flight and scaring her, but Blue is now getting her "legs", and she is able to play with him. Now, she is doing "pay-back", and she was up and over him like a pro.  Although she is still not as adept as her brother, give her a couple more days, and she will be showing him a few in-flight tricks. 

A little later, we were again treated to the Mexican stand-off on College Plaza, but this time, it was between Step-dad and Red and a piece of food.  After all the testosterone settled down, the two of them seemed to be content to call it a draw, with Step-dad on one ledge, and Red on the ledge below him.  Blue was over on a balcony at Windsor Place, ignoring all these proceedings, and mom was around, but not showing herself. 

At one point, while Blue was resting on the balcony, some people came out on a near-by balcony, and Bev was the one putting on the display this time; I think they decided it would be a better idea to stay inside instead of face the wrath of Bev.

My day there ended with me locking my keys in the car, so the dogs and I had some extra time to watch the falcons; alas, the falcons were not interested in putting on another show for my benefit.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Regarding the fight with the intruder peregrine.... Is it because it is no longer nesting time, but parenting time, that both male and female were involved?

Defense of the chicks tends to be an all-hands-on-deck thing ... and I assume that is the case out in Edmonton as well!!  Nice to hear Radisson & her new mate seem to be such a very good parental team!

[bcbird]

Regarding the fight with the intruder peregrine.... Is it because it is no longer nesting time, but parenting time, that both male and female were involved?

[carly]

Exciting report Bob!  I'm glad the other peregrine was not killed, I hate those fights but thankfully the intruder didn't feel it was worth dying for either!

[bob]

Hi LinderLou
We do, indeed, have good news concerning Ms Blue and Mr, Red. Carol and I watched the festivities during our Friday evening shift with Mr. Bev, Becky and Dave. The excitement that night included an episode where mama flew towards the chicks with food dangling from her talons. Mr Red jumped off his perch and started to chase her. He's turned into a very strong flyer and he is using his games to learn how to hunt. Then we watched as an intruder (another peregrine) came within range of the nestbox and the two parents took off after it and engaged in an aerial dogfight: the parents attacked, dive-bombed the intruder at least eight times until the intruder gave in and left the area. Had it not given up, the parents would have killed it. There were other flights where all four peregrines were on the wing.
We dropped our daughter off at work at the UofA hospital and took advantage of being in the neighbourhood to drop in on Elaine and Bev who were doing the Saturday afternoon shift.  Miss Blue was over on College Plaza engaged in a Mexican standoff with her mother over some food that we sitting on one of the ledges while Mr. Red stood on a balcony of a nearby apartment building. We didn't witness any air time but Bev indicated that Red and one of the parents were riding thermals earlier in the day and went so high they were out of sight.
Bob

[Linder]

The saying is "No news is good news". Have been waiting for reports. Guess I've been spoiled and will have to have more patience.

[The Peregrine Chick]

While I was hunting through my Google Alerts I found this news story about Radisson & the family ... I hope you haven't already posted this somewhere Bev, I tried to find it, but if I am duplicating your efforts, sorry!! 

http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/edmonton/2010/07/13/14700776.html


Viewers flock to watch falcons

Baby peregrine falcons are being watched from around the world, as the chicks learn to fly near their University of Alberta nest.

Each day hundreds of viewers from as far as England, Germany and the United States have been watching the three five-week-old falcons online, born atop the clinical sciences building.

"It's popular. A lot of people get very attached to these birds," said Ian Moore, of the Students' Union at the U of A.

The webcams offer three views, one inside the nest and two outside.

Since Sunday, volunteers have also been keeping a close eye on the birds -- born June 5 and 6 -- as they begin to fly, said Moore.

If the fledglings run into trouble learning to fly, a volunteer contacts a biologist who then returns the falcon to the nest.

Peregrine falcons -- capable of reaching speeds of more than 320 km/h, making it the fastest animal in the world -- were nearly extinct due to the use of now-banned chlorine pesticides such as DDT.

Populations have since recovered but are still threatened, with about 50 peregrine falcon mating pairs in the province.

Last year, more than 14,000 people viewed the webcam, which helps educate people about urban wildlife, said Moore.

"Not a lot of people know about the extent and diversity of wildlife that exists in Edmonton," he said.

[RCF]

 I'm glad they are doing so well, wonderful pictures too! 

[bev.]

slideshow from july22(yesterday) we have videos but they will come last as they take longer to process