West Winnipeg - 2010 / Beau & Jules

[bcbird]

Hey, WWW, great reports!  It's like being there.  Thankyou, and to TPC, for sharing.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Here's a later report from WWW:

At around 2:30pm today I got to enjoy quite a little show at West Winnipeg.  I just had my naked eye so couldn't identify anybirdie but enjoyed anyway.  First I saw one juvenille enjoying the view towards the south.  I also heard a lot of cacking so scanned the sky until I found what had to be another juvenille doing circles around the building.  I could tell that this bird was a young one just based on the motions in flight - a little erratic and not nearly as smooth a flight as the adults.  This little one appeared to be coming in for a landing but didn't have enough height to land on the roof.  For a minute it looked like s/he was going to land on a lower level ledge but pulled away at the last minute.  (thump went my heart!).  S/he then did another circle at very low altitude (another heart-thump as I thought s/he was going to hit some trees!).  It was very windy at the time and I could tell that the bird was having difficulty getting altitude.  On the third pass we had success, little one landed right on the camera arm!  The entire time there was non-stop yakking & squawking.  At first it sounded a little like "hey, look at me, I can fly!!!"  Then it sounded like "crap, how exactly do you get yourself back up that HIGH!!!!"  Once landed, the complaining continued - sounded a little like "who knew flying would be so much fun, but such hard work!" 

[The Peregrine Chick]

We have a viewer who is in the area around the West Winnipeg site frequently each day and she has started to send me updates which I have promised to post her.  So here is our first post from the West Wpg Watcher:

Wow, sounds like I missed all the action over the weekend!!  Thank goodness for the dedication, quick thinking and heat resistance of our dedicated fledgewatchers.

I was just at the site around 1:30pm and noticed two of the kids enjoying the view looking southwards.  One of them was sitting just a foot or two away from the cam, chillen & enjoying life.  The other had wandered all the way to the far end of the ledge.  Happy wanderer was doing constant wing stretches - stretch, gengle flap gentle flap, tuck.  Repeat.

I was at a bad angle so couldn't see leg bands but am confident that both were juveniles.  No one flying around that I could see.

[bcbird]

Wow, another great story.  Thanks, TPC!
Go Nero, Go!

[The Peregrine Chick]

Hate hot and humid weather when I'm looking for chicks - have to move slowly carrying bucket, blanket (thanks Gail) and there is just no way I can stop until I've exhausted all my options.  So, eventually had to give up on my second search of the day after my meeting for work.  Made it back to my 'puter and started trolling through the recorded video and almost exactly half-way between the end of my first search and the start of my second, I caught a bird in the nestbox eating "old" food like it hadn't eaten in weeks.  Wondered if it could be Nero, then reined myself back and said a) they all eat like that these days, b) hadn't seen any of the chicks in the box at any other time of the day, c) Nero had been 25 stories lower last I saw him and d) usually don't get a clear look at either band when the chicks are in the box because they aren't there very long.

In the end, a) bird was very hungry, b) had a 1 in 3 chance of it being Nero, c) true, but one must always be optimistic, d) bird walked right up to the box cam and hopped up on the ledge showing me its black coloured band.  And the answer is, Nero dropped into the nestbox for a late lunch of leftovers.

[Doreen]

It would have been a lot more fun if we were allowed to wear our Speedos and play with the hose 

S'nausages and tea bags will have to do

made me laugh out loud.   

Me too! I was at work reading it and laughing out loud, then everyone was looking at me.

[bcbird]

Thanks, Rose, for confirming that.

And before everyone panics, Hurricane was the first of our chicks to fledge at the Radisson in 2007 and we didn't see her again after day 2.  And she's the only one from that nest we've "seen" since.

This is just such a great story!

[Rose]

This is the Hurricane that was a gender change kid, right?

Yes   this our Hurricane in Brandon, 2009 and 2010 turned out she was a girl

[bcbird]

This is the Hurricane that was a gender change kid, right?

[The Peregrine Chick]

The wind is up significantly from the last week or more, and the West Winnipeg site is very affected by the winds.  Two of the chicks are at the nestsite (though just out of view of the cameras  ) but Nero is off adventuring somewhere.  Found him again last night just where I left him, but he wasn't around this morning.  Hunted for him a few hours this morning but no luck.  Now the temps are going up (its 32 with the humidex at 1100hrs CDT) and the winds increasing and getting gustier and the two chicks at the nestsite haven't moved all morning - they are tucked down low out of the wind.  Heck even Jules & Beau weren't flying.  So I've given up on the hunt for now, will go back out later in the day and try again.  He was a smart cookie yesterday and found himself a quiet, sheltered, shaded spot, so I'm sure he'll do the same again today.  He can fly, so who knows, next time I'm out he may have worked his way back and up to the nestsite like the Radisson chicks did. 

Will keep an eye on the cams and keep you all in the loop.

And before everyone panics, Hurricane was the first of our chicks to fledge at the Radisson in 2007 and we didn't see her again after day 2.  And she's the only one from that nest we've "seen" since.

[Saoirse]

What an eventful weekend! With everybody fledging and two of the three causing some anxious moments, I'm sure all of you were ready for a good night's sleep at the end of Sunday. Glad to know that, despite a few minor hitches along the way, all three are doing well!

[Mother Hen]

so glad that you guys were there to help and all the WW babies are doing good.

[msdolittle]

Glad to hear all the WW kids are all doing great.

[allikat]

Wow, what a report! 
Well, a big thanks is in order to BccS, Eye-spy and Gail for their quick thinking on Saturday morning!  Still can't believe that a female fledged first! 

Today sounded much more intense!  Again, thank you to who was present to help out our falcons! I write it again, still am very surprised that the females went first, but things happen for a reason. 

Great job everyone and another big thanks goes out to the  "Fledge Watcher" ! 

As TPC wrote, a good night's sleep is in order and well deserved! 

[sami]

Kudos to the watchers. I wouldn't last long out there in the heat and humidity, just standing still, never mind chasing after little birds. Would just be a puddle of grease on the sidewalk! So glad the group of you managed to be out there.