AB / Red Deer - Telus Tower - 2010-13

[carly]

Thanks to Alison for alterting us to this story!  And kudos to the people for not giving up and saving the little guy  

A chick in the chimney

By Paula Trotter Advocate staff
Published: July 30, 2010 6:33 AM

One of Red Deer’s juvenile peregrine falcons found himself in a tight situation Wednesday night.  Nadira, the youngest of the three raptors that hatched in the Telus tower nest, was rescued from the chimney of a Highland Green home in the late evening after spending an estimated three days in the smoke stack.

“He’s a little dehydrated, a little thin and a little bit darker than before because of the soot, but generally he’ll be OK,” said Carol Kelly, executive director of the Medicine River Wildlife Centre.  Centre staff will spend a few days getting Nadira’s weight back up and provide him with a bathing area so he can remove the excess soot himself, she said.

Judy Boyd, wildlife community liaison with the Medicine River Wildlife Centre, responded to the incident Wednesday and cared for the young falcon at her Red Deer home, which is a designated first aid station for the wildlife centre. Nadira was taken to the centre Thursday for a thorough examination. “He seems OK,” she said. “He’s feisty, he’s grabbing at us, he’s screaming at us.”  Boyd was not sure how Nadira ended up in the chimney of Lori and Kevin Stelmaschuk’s house, but noted the residence is very close to the tower where the birds hatched.

The Stelmaschuks first heard what Lori described as a scratching noise coming from the chimney on Monday.  After hearing the sound briefly on Tuesday and again on Wednesday, the couple decided to call for help to free what they assumed was a bat or squirrel.  Lori said they originally called Alberta Fish and Wildlife in Red Deer and were disappointed after they felt it was implied that they should leave the animal to die inside the stack.  “We just wanted it to get about and be able to live,” Lori said.

Chris Kelly, district officer of Fish and Wildlife in Red Deer, confirmed the couple called but said they were given options on how to get the animal out, such as to contact someone more familiar with chimneys or the wildlife centre. The Stelmaschuks did contact Medicine River Wildlife Centre, a call which Boyd and a volunteer responded to around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday night.  Boyd said they also assumed the stuck animal was a bat but visuals from a camera positioned to look up the chimney showed it was a bird, which was believed to be a sparrow at first glance.  Once Nadira spread his wings, however, Boyd knew they weren’t dealing with a sparrow.

The young falcon was eventually freed around midnight, but Kevin and his neighbours Jeff Suitor and Johnny Willis had to remove the lining of the wood-burning fireplace and feed a hose down the chimney from the roof to help free Nadira in order for the rescue to happen.  “They’re kind of heros in my eyes,” Boyd said. “Those guys were up on the roof dropping a hose down into their chimney when they thought it was a sparrow. Kudos to them. They really care. They weren’t just going to let this thing die.”

It’s not the first time Nadira has caused concern since hatching on June 13.  The runt caught the attention of worried individuals shortly after fledging from the nest as he decided to a break from flying and instead spent three days walking around under the Telus tower. 

Kelly from the wildlife centre said she needs to connect with the Fish and Wildlife biologist in charge of threatened species to determine when Nadira will be released.  Boyd said anyone who sees a bird in distress should call the Medicine River Wildlife Centre at 403-728-3467.

Article with photo here: http://www.albertalocalnews.com/reddeeradvocate/news/local/A_chick_in_the_chimney_99621249.html

[The Peregrine Chick]

Thanks for pm-ing me Bev, reminded me that I had found this in the Red Deer Advocate  

http://www.albertalocalnews.com/reddeeradvocate/news/local/Falcons_fledge_99014444.html


Falcons Fledge

Webcam viewers are finding a nesting perch noticeably quiet after three peregrine falcon chicks fled the coop on Tuesday.  The chicks, named Scout, Telli and Nadira in an Advocate-sponsored contest earlier this summer, left the nest on top of the Telus tower mid-afternoon in Red Deer’s Highland Green neighbourhood. 

Judy Boyd, spokeswoman for the Red Deer River Naturalists, said the three young ones and their parents should be hanging in and around the nesting box until they fly off to South America this fall.  “The parents will still be feeding them and teaching them to hunt here,” Boyd said. “I’m not sure if they’ll travel together (down south).”

The naturalists group is looking for a secure webcam location where people can see the birds flying around in Red Deer. If there is anyone who has a good view of the nest box, they can call the naturalists at 403-347-8200.  Since April 24, thousands of people from around the world have been logging onto various websites, including the reddeeradvocate.com, to watch the peregrine falcons. The Advocate website has received 59,488 page views, making it one of its most popular online features.

“We had people from every continent, but the Antarctic, watching,” said Boyd. “The talk is (on chat rooms), ‘What are we going to do now?’ ”

Perry, the female, and Windsong, the male, began incubating five eggs, but two went missing, likely because the parents knew they weren’t viable. The three eggs hatched in mid-June.  “Nadira was born a day later and was always the runt but is doing quite well,” said Boyd. “I think he’s a male, just because he’s smaller.”  Once they get their adult plumage, it should be easier to tell whether they are male or female, Boyd said.

Viewers were aflutter when the parents brought in mice or birds they had just killed. As the chicks, officially known as eyas, got older, they no long had to be mouth fed and so the parents would leave the kill inside the nest.

“There would just be this mad mob and they would attack the food and the parents would let them eat for a while, until they became disinterested,” Boyd said. “Then the parents would come back in and feed them the rest.”

The Red Deer River Naturalists invested in the webcam while Telus provided the manpower for installation and will pay for the power source. Alberta Fish and Wildlife invested in a new and improved nest box — one keeps owls and ravens out.

Boyd said they will consult with Telus about future plans prior to the falcons’ return next year

[The Peregrine Chick]

Every project has its own reasons for or against Bev, I'm sure it works best for Red Deer for many reasons and they have a good survival rate, so that's proof they are doing the right thing for the Red Deer birds.

[bev.]

I cannot comment here on why Red Deer does not have a watch. but there are reasons.
and I am going to jsut step back. there were reasons why I made my comments,  

[The Peregrine Chick]

Not sure I agree Bev, how else does anyone learn what all the objections/obstacles are for a particular course of action?  That Red Deer does not have fledgewatches is of course their decision and will be the right decision for their project.  For the last 20 some years, they haven't had watches - or have they?  Do we know?  If they did, why did they decide to stop?  If they never have, why?  The answers to those questions, if they wish to share, can provide some invaluable information for the layperson on the obstacles faced by recovery projects.  Particularly now when most folks watch/follow a project's progress via the internet and are therefore removed from the real-world issues facing a project.  I don't have fledgewatches to save peregrine chicks - I have them because a) they are excellent educational opportunities, b) they allow me to coordinate the efforts of people who would be out on the street watching anyways and c) they may provide an opportunity to prevent the death of a chick in the first week after fledging.  I don't do it because its easy to oversee, it takes alot of behind-the-scenes work, some of which may never be needed but which need to be in place nonetheless.  I feel that this type of information is important because it can ensure that viewers/supporters have realistic expectations of what can and can't be done by a project AND why it is important for folks to step away from their computers (as you have done) to help support initiatives they are committed to.  But how does a potential volunteer know what they could or couldn't do?  One way is to read Forums like this one.  So knowing that (and perhaps why) a person's local project doesn't have a fledgewatch might encourage that person to volunteer in some other capacity or look to find a similar kind of project has volunteer opportunities available to it.

Just my opinion, as a long-time volunteer with a variety of organizations and as a recovery project coordinator.

[bev.]

I am choosing to remove my comments, in case someone thinks I am being unkind. Was not my intention.

I am just here for the falcons best interests.   

[Kinderchick]

There's a story in the red deer advocate today saying that the chicks are flying. I question this as they wouldn't all start flying on the same day  

The wording is vague ie the title says they're flying and the writeup says the chicks "fled the coop" and "left the nest". This doesn't necessarily mean they're flying.

I guess that's journalism talk, peaches. But all of us "Phanatics" know what it really means.

[horus]

Peaches, thank you so much for keeping us up to date for this site

[peaches123]

Cam chat person reported seeing one still on the platform with the other two chicks gone off somewhere. I suspected the female might still not have fledged.

[peaches123]

There's a story in the red deer advocate today saying that the chicks are flying. I question this as they wouldn't all start flying on the same day  

The wording is vague ie the title says they're flying and the writeup says the chicks "fled the coop" and "left the nest". This doesn't necessarily mean they're flying.

Famed falcon chicks spread their wings and fly

 

[msdolittle]

good point .. it would be like listening to a few vuvuzala"s in a small place

[peaches123]

The parents have a hidden motive - it's an incentive to fledge. If i had to listen to their whining and screaming all day, i'd stop cleaning house too.

[allikat]

This nest is disgusting!  I thought Alberta's nest was bad, but this one.......

[bev.]

they have a big platform outside  to flap wings on , if you go back and look at pictures I posted. So they will provably flap there and get strong before flying.

[peaches123]

One returned from his/her adventures to get some sleep