AB / Red Deer - Telus Tower - 2010-13

[Alison]

The two brand new hatchlings:

[Kinderchick]

Newsflash !!! 2 chicks have hatched !!! First at 7:53 this morning, the second at 10:53 AM. Third chick will hatch soon hopefully. Waiting to grab s'caps.

Great news, peaches!

[peaches123]

First peek at the 2 hatched chicks at the hancock website  - sorry i can't see how to post pics here

[peaches123]

Newsflash !!! 2 chicks have hatched !!! First at 7:38 this morning, the second at 10:53 AM. Third chick will hatch soon  - pip hole spotted.

[ballywing]

Just as a side FYI...This is about the bird who lost the fight this year for this nest.....

Judy Boyd, spokeswoman of the Red Deer River Naturalists, said Georgeanne was a smaller, older bird that had been banded with metal rings around its two legs in the 1990s.  She was born along the Red Deer River, banded in Red Deer and recorded by Fish and Wildlife as the breeder at the Telus tower last year.

“When she went to go back into the tower, she and Perry had a fight,” Boyd said. Georgeanne ended up on the ground with one wing twisted up. Perry won the nest, and Windsong the male peregrine falcon.

Gordon Court, a biologist with Fish and Wildlife in Edmonton, picked up Georgeanne at the Medicine River Wildlife Centre where she was recovering. He has since given her to a falconer to help Georgeanne get her strength back to fly.

[ballywing]

HATCHING EXPECTED ANY TIME NOW!

Falcon eggs soon to hatch
Telus tower web cam offers global view
Jun 09, 2010 06:00 am

A local Peregrine Falcon will soon be a mom as her three eggs are expected to hatch within a week atop the Telus Radio-Relay tower in Highland Green home. Every routine of a pair of Peregrine Falcons has been monitored by a growing international audience since a web cam was installed in late March on the 332-ft. tower.

Telus staff had been approached by representatives with the Red Deer River Naturalists about installing a web cam on top of the tower so the birds could be monitored and enjoyed by a world-wide audience.  Judy Boyd, secretary with the Red Deer River Naturalists, said the falcon had initially laid five eggs but two have since disappeared.  She believes there was something wrong with two of them and the mother may have gotten rid of two of them or possibly eaten them.

“I don’t see it as being a predator,” she said, adding that two of the eggs were laid before the recent snowstorm and could have been affected by the cold. It’s also very rare for a Peregrine Falcon to lay five eggs,” she said.

Meanwhile, she said staff are trying to get the web cam in recording mode for the upcoming hatching. It’s been streaming live video but not consistently in recording mode since it was set up, she said. That’s why the mystery of the disappearing eggs will never be conclusively solved.

Since the web cam was set up, Boyd said more and more people have been tuning in and chatting about viewing the Peregrine Falcons. She said chats show at least one person from everyone continent – except for the Antarctica – has been checking in on the falcons, which have been calling the top of the tower home for about a dozen years.

[bev.]

I finally found the Red Deer picutres

They will just give you an idea for the area around .  Just across from nest box to south of it is a nice quiet residential cul-de-sac, to the north of it is all treed and a quiet green space, and to east is another quiet residential.  so it is a very nice site.

But we saw lots of ravens and so that is probably where eggs went. I guess the bars will not keep ravens out. they probably will not nest inside with bars but can get inside and someone told me , they had been off them at times for as long as 15 minutes,so.... You can see there is a nice platform for them to flapercize on

 

  

[bev.]

I just got an e-mail for m someone in Red deer ,and they said Gord told them that the bars would not prevent ravens from getting in.  I guess we were both told different things.  I as told they were for ravens and geese but it does not matter.  so maybe ravens , but the falcons are never off long enough and they would see the ravens. But nothing can be done now, so there are still 3 and not long to  hatch date.  so fingers crossed

[bev.]

Well, I guess that is why you need an archive system with the cam. I have been trying to get that at Edmonton since I have been following. the biologists have been trying to get it but...

I saw the site and there is no way anyone would get up there without being detected. there are a lot of ravens there but that is why there are bars.

It is a wonderful site.

[carly]

They didn't mention dates but perhaps this explains the 5 eggs...maybe the first female laid 2 and then the new one 3.  Just pure speculation on my part.

[carly]

Article on the territorial battle and the names of the pair included - Perry (female) and Windsong (tiercel).

Peregrines battled for right to nest box

Peregrines battled for right to nest box
By Laura Tester - Red Deer Advocate
Published: May 31, 2010 10:23 AM

Red Deer’s highest and tiniest nursery has become one hot commodity for a couple of female birds.  The Telus tower in Highland Green is home to a popular Internet webcam on a pair of peregrine falcons and their five yet-to-be-hatched eggs. But earlier this year, when no one was watching, the telecommunications perch was site of a real catfight, or in this case, bird fight.  A female peregrine falcon dubbed Georgeanne returned to nest on top of the tower this spring. Another female, called Perry, was interested too.

Judy Boyd, spokeswoman of the Red Deer River Naturalists, said Georgeanne was a smaller, older bird that had been banded with metal rings around its two legs in the 1990s. She was born along the Red Deer River, banded in Red Deer and recorded by Fish and Wildlife as the breeder at the Telus tower last year.

“When she went to go back into the tower, she and Perry had a fight,” Boyd said.  Georgeanne ended up on the ground with one wing twisted up. Perry won the nest, and Windsong the male peregrine falcon.  Boyd’s husband Larry, who helps provide first aid assistance for the Medicine River Wildlife Centre, was called out. With the help of some bystanders at Bower Ponds, he caught her.   The bird didn’t have anything broken, but its wing was injured enough that it couldn’t fly.

Gordon Court, a biologist with Fish and Wildlife in Edmonton, picked up Georgeanne at the Medicine River Wildlife Centre where she was recovering. He has since given her to a falconer to help Georgeanne get her strength back to fly. Court brought Georgeanne on Friday during a talk on peregrine falcons at the Kerry Wood Nature Centre.  “As soon as she has enough strength in her wings she will be released in the wild again,” Boyd said.

Countless people have been watching real-time video of the Telus tower’s parents to be. It can be found through www.reddeeradvocate.com and www.rdrn.fanweb.ca  “We’ve got so many people following the webcam that this is just another facet of the story,” Boyd said. The eggs are expected to hatch soon on top of the 111-metre-high tower.  Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, another pair of peregrine falcons has returned to the top of the Capri Hotel and Convention Centre. No word yet as to how many eggs they have.

[kittenface]

Falcon eggs go missing
Here is link to the story

http://www.albertalocalnews.com/reddeeradvocate/news/local/Falcon_eggs_go_missing_95253039.html

[bev.]

Peter an I visited the site and as soon as he gets home fromm out of town we will post a few shots. I cannot find what folder he put them in. Very nice spot for the falcons. I wish all could have such safe places.

talked to a nice gentleman who was delivering papers and we were discussing what he should do if any are spotted on the ground or in trouble. I am sure he will be discussing with people in area.
He was very pleased that they had a cam.

[Alison]

All five eggs:

 

[Alison]

Still haven't been able to see all the eggs: she was turning and adjusting them earlier, but without allowing them to be seen.

A partial view: