Manitoba Peregrines > Radisson Peregrines

Radisson - 2008 / Trey & Princess

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Liz:
Three, thank you for that amazing description!  I could totally imagine it.  You should be a writer.  Maybe you are... 

And if we haven't said it already, welcome to our little den of kookie-ness!  Oops (Loriann smacked me with her wing), I mean -- closet of kookie-ness! 

bcbird:
We watch Osprey fish on Shuswap Lake.  Just as you describe, Three, the spectacular catch is followed by that juggling of the fish before the flight back to the nest.  Last summer we saw one osprey, possibly a juvenile learning the technique, lose the hard won prey during the foot flip.  It's quite a show!   

Three:
Hi TPC and all,

Thanks for keeping those of us outside Winnipeg up-to-date on Princess and Trey's daily activities. Though I have not been logged in, I have been lurking about the forums getting my fill of sightings, gossip, peregrine health reports (I was very worried about Princess after what she weathered trying to protect her chicks), and the related links - loved the National Geographic speed video.

Here in the East we do not have peregrines, but we do have osprey - a fishing raptor (http://www.avianweb.com/ospreys.html). Within a few minutes' walk of where I live there are two nests. This year's babies have recently fledge. They can be distinguished by their colour and their vocalisations - they chirp rather than screech.

We have also been witness to some wild fights between the osprey and the bald eagles in the area. The eagles will steal osprey babies form the nest. Barn owls are another predator, but we do not seem to have them in this area of NS, though they have decimated nests within an hour's drive.

Watching osprey fish, like watching peregrines hunt, is fascinating. They glide over the water looking for schools of fish and, once spotted, start doing tight spirals upward to gain altitude and select their final target, and then they dive. Just like the peregrines, it is a bullet-like drop from the sky to the water and an incredibly loud smack when they hit. They stun and grab their prey, rise to the surface, and do a "flutter" a few feet above the water where they flip the fish from a horizontal hold to forward-facing to make flying more aerodynamic, and they are off.

Hope you are all well. Thanks for keeping me in the loop (and entertained). Cheers.

Mother Hen:
Not raining as yet today.......I think my toes are starting to web........OH NO! Supposed to rain later today,my what a surprize! No sighting as yet today and I didn't see them at all yesterday. Any one on the East side spot the peregrines? I wonder if the noise from the hydro building scares them? Every now and then I can hear the banging myself. Should be over soon enough. Talk to you later

winnipeg_gal:
ROTFLOL!!!! right mouse forgot that... see we have one more day to look forward to before the dreaded four letter word shows up again.!!!  :D

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