Author Topic: Radisson - 2011 / A Death in the Family - Vesper (Read 20922 times)

cocoa3c · « **Reply #34 on:** April 16, 2011, 14:31 »

That is so sad...after watching her and wondering if she would mature...she was so slow in leaving the nest. Poor dear girl.

wingnut · « **Reply #33 on:** April 06, 2011, 14:21 »

Wasn't expecting to read this news when I returned this year. So sad.

RIP Vesper

The Friesens · « **Reply #32 on:** March 20, 2011, 18:34 »

That is sad news

bev. · « **Reply #31 on:** March 19, 2011, 21:12 »

Sorry to hear of Vesper. I remember her well. A feisty one.

At least she had a band and you know where she was.

Liz · « **Reply #30 on:** March 13, 2011, 13:26 »

My first check-in to the site. So sorry about the news, but thankful for the bands.

LouLouBelle · « **Reply #29 on:** March 10, 2011, 13:02 »

My first time checking in for 2011 and sad to hear the news of Vesper. Looking forward to hearing news of a return, a nest on the roof and a successful year!

Mother Hen · « **Reply #28 on:** February 07, 2011, 12:45 »

Sorry to hear the sad news. I have already started watching for a return and it is only Feb 7,2011,not very impatient.

moka · « **Reply #27 on:** January 27, 2011, 13:06 »

Beautiful Vesper, your memory lies warmly in our hearts.

Reminds me of what a difficult life these birds have. The miracle of those that make it to adulthood is remarkable.

Good luck little ones.

Alison · « **Reply #26 on:** January 26, 2011, 18:12 »

I am so very sorry to read of the loss of Vesper. I remember her so well - she was a very beautiful juvie, and I'm sure she was just as beautiful in her adult plumage.

It is even more sad because she had survived the crucial first year and beyond, and was obviously doing very well, in the middle of her second winter down south. She was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I know that a number of peregrines winter along the south coast of Texas, especially in the area of the Padre Islands; it seems a little more unusual for Vesper to have been wintering inland.

I am glad to know that Ty was spotted in October. I would not be surprised to hear of a sighting of Tupper.

Vesper was a very special peregrine, and she will not be forgotten.

RCF · « **Reply #25 on:** January 25, 2011, 21:00 »

It is so very sad to hear about Vesper's passing.

allikat · « **Reply #24 on:** January 25, 2011, 20:50 »

Extremely sad news to hear about our Vesper!

I still remember when I found her hanging out on the south side window ledges of the Radisson!!!
She has indeed touched many of us with her 'charm'.

You will be missed Vesper! Fly Free!

Kinderchick · « **Reply #23 on:** January 25, 2011, 18:44 »

Quote from: The Peregrine Chick on January 25, 2011, 14:30

So not an aircraft strike but rather a slightly in the wrong place at definitely the wrong time...

Aw... that is really too bad!

Doreen · « **Reply #22 on:** January 25, 2011, 18:44 »

RIP Vesper

bccs · « **Reply #21 on:** January 25, 2011, 14:36 »

You are welcome for the pictures TPC.
If any member would like a copy for their files, pm me with your e-mail address and I'll forward them on.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #20 on:** January 25, 2011, 14:30 »

Managed to talk to the biologist at the airport where Vesper was found:

The falcon was just found in the runway safety area. There were no reports of a strike so I do not know what hit her. This is the first time to see this bird and did not think they were in the area. I don’t think the falcon was hit by a plane I think it could have been on the side of the runway when a plane came by and flew up and the jet blast knocked her to the ground. I think this because the bird was still together and very little damage to the bird.

So not an aircraft strike but rather a slightly in the wrong place at definitely the wrong time.

carly · « **Reply #19 on:** January 25, 2011, 13:28 »

Thanks for the photo link reminder TPC and Dennis. I'll always remember TPC , Vepser and the bucket. To this day I think of that and chuckle.

Kinderchick · « **Reply #18 on:** January 25, 2011, 13:15 »

Well, our little Vesper certainly was a feisty one and who can ever forget her St. Regis Hotel visit?!

That's certainly one of my fondest memories of her!

Still, very sad to lose her.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #17 on:** January 25, 2011, 12:43 »

Here are some great photos Bccs took of Vesper when she fledged on July 7th, 2009

http://www.pbase.com/speciesatrisk/radisson_0907

Thanks for passing these along Bccs!

msdolittle · « **Reply #16 on:** January 25, 2011, 11:24 »

That's very sad. Little Vesper landed TPC on the news too.

Moonstar · « **Reply #15 on:** January 25, 2011, 10:05 »

Such sad news. She was so cute to watch. Always made me smile. RIP sweet Vesper.

dodobird · « **Reply #14 on:** January 25, 2011, 07:59 »

Well said, GCG.

GCG · « **Reply #13 on:** January 25, 2011, 04:08 »

Although the following verse is often said when we lose someone, it can be also said for our Radisson Royals, "When a loved one becomes a memory, that memory becomes a treasure". R.I.P, Vesper.

bccs · « **Reply #12 on:** January 25, 2011, 02:58 »

So sorry to hear this. I loved watching her knock Princess and Trey off the Radisson sign, yelling at them the whole time. Still makes me smile.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #11 on:** January 24, 2011, 23:19 »

We now know that two of the three 2009 Radisson chicks have survived at least 18 months - another feather in Trey's & Princess' caps. There has been at least one chick from everyone of their nests spotted and usually nesting - a record that none of our other resident pairs has matched (you can see which/who on the first post on this thread).

Ty was spotted here in October, now we have a report on Vesper. If we are lucky, we will see Ty again this year somewhere. Maybe even Tupper if we are very very lucky ...

sami · « **Reply #10 on:** January 24, 2011, 22:56 »

Poor little Vesper. Not the kind of sighting that we really want to hear about. I'm not sure but what I'd rather be left wondering "what happened to".

bcbird · « **Reply #9 on:** January 24, 2011, 22:14 »

Very sad news. As Carly said, at least this is confirmation that Vesper survived past her first year.

Helen b · « **Reply #8 on:** January 24, 2011, 21:56 »

rest in peace

photosbydennis · « **Reply #7 on:** January 24, 2011, 20:51 »

Sad news indeed...on a positive note, that's why they have bands not only to track their migration but to ID birds.
A few photos of Vesper can be seen at this link, near the bottom of the gallery...just look for the bright pink shirt that TPC had on that morning

http://www.pbase.com/photosbydennis/peregrines_2009

Cheers !

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #6 on:** January 24, 2011, 20:26 »

I don't have any details, don't even know if the plane was in motion when she fit it/it hit her.

One thing is that it does seem like an odd time for her to be hanging out in Texas, as far as we know, our kids go much further south. May have to go check my sightings records and see when we've had other observations/deaths in the winter.

And as far as we know, this is only the second time we've had a confirmed aircraft strike since 1981 - the other report was at an airport in New York City back in the early 1990s if I remember correctly.

susha · « **Reply #5 on:** January 24, 2011, 20:10 »

That is just too sad! %^&*$# planes!

R.I.P. little Vesper

Pam · « **Reply #4 on:** January 24, 2011, 19:54 »

Can still see her marching around the roof of the St. Regis.....RIP, Vesper!

carly · « **Reply #3 on:** January 24, 2011, 19:29 »

Oh I"m so sorry to read this news

.

There is a positive in this though - she made it this long and were it not for man made planes - no doubt she'd have gone on to nest somewhere. Fly free little Vesper, so glad we got to know you

Kinderchick · « **Reply #2 on:** January 24, 2011, 18:55 »

Aw!!!

Very sad news about our little Vesper!

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #1 on:** January 24, 2011, 17:12 »

A Death in the Family - Vesper

Hate to start off the 2011 Radisson with sad news but we have had a report from the/a state biologist in Texas that one of our Radisson chicks was struck and killed by an aircraft at San Antonio International Airport in San Antonio, Texas on Tuesday, January 18th. The band number confirms that the bird that died was Vesper from the 2009 wild-hatch at the Radisson Hotel. And the last female chick hatched to Trey and Princess.

Her siblings:
2004 - Infinity (f unknown), Alley (f nesting in Lincoln, Nebraska) & an unnamed male sibling
2005 - Ivy (m nesting at the Radisson), Lucy (f unknown but did nest once unsuccessfully in West Winnipeg) & an unnamed male sibling
2006 - The Little Daredevil (m died at fledging), Bandit (m unknown), Radisson (f nesting in Edmonton, Alberta)
2007 - Hurricane (f nesting in Brandon), Chinook (m unknown), Mistral (f unknown), Taku (f died before fledging)
2008 - The Lost Chicks (died before fledging)
2009 - Ty (m observed at the Radisson Oct 2010), Tupper (m unknown), Vesper (f died in San Antonio, Texas 2011)

Vesper just before being re-released at the Radisson in July 2009 - (photo by Dennis Swayze)