U of Alberta - 2011 / ? & Radisson

[bev.]

6am to 6pm july18,2-11


Today was day 44 for our oldest which meant all the kids were at least 43 days old.


It was a day of many emotions.

When I got up at 5am ad saw the e storm and skies in St. Albert , i got ready as quick as i could and headed out. Had to check the kids.

It was pouring rain and only one in view. then one flew around top of clincial science and I knew it was YB. That is where he stayed during storm.  I saw GG on right ledge of lower roof of nest building.  and then on careful looking around  I found RG on lower roof of Maz(heart building). but no BB. This means RG had taken a second flight.   I checked all around the grounds in area. Got a bit wet 

around 9am(3hours later)up pops BB. Radisson brought a food drop for RG on Maz. then she came back with a small bit for BB. BB boy got some bites , when GG popped up from pillar and stole it.

BB had enough of this and poof, he flew over and half way around front of Maz, with yellow guiding him, and then back and up on jut of clinical science. After a few minutes, he decided , the food was on Maz , so back he went and once again YB guided him and he dropped on lower roof of Maz, YB flew back to jut of Clinical science.
 We are finding it very interesting that YB is taking on duties. It is as if he has been appointed babysitter. amazing to watch. I learn so much more every season.

Now we only had GG to fly.
 
BEtween 11am and noon  dad came over to YB and off they went. He was giving YB his first soaring lesson. It was amazing to watch and we had an audience behind us watching in awe as Dad guided YB. I took a lot of photos and these I will get posted tomorrow. Just so little time.   YB is a natural. I t just fills my heart  every time I watch this.

Part 2 in nest reply

[bev.]

Oh bev, what wonderful descriptive details of your day! Thank you! I really enjoyed reading it and look forward to photos. I am so glad to hear that they are all doing well. Also glad to hear that the hawk in your freezer has also finally "fledged".

So re my daughters kinderchick. they would not go into freezer. On second thoughts I should have left it in there

[Kinderchick]

Oh bev, what wonderful descriptive details of your day! Thank you! I really enjoyed reading it and look forward to photos. I am so glad to hear that they are all doing well. Also glad to hear that the hawk in your freezer has also finally "fledged".

[bev.]

I forgot to say that if you look at cam 1, that is the roof she flew to. It is a little further than it seems. She was probably on cam

She is at corner of that roof right now by nest box.

all the  others are cuddled together  on ledge under nest box ,on nest box roof. so they can see each other. So cool

[bcbird]

Thanks for adding this update at the end of your long day out.
How great that Miss Red had success.
Hope your sunburn doesn't interfere with a well deserved night's rest.

[bev.]

I will post picutres as soon as i can.

[bev.]

part 2july17, 2011(sunday)

Afternoon

We go from rain to heat. we are a little burned . the mornings start cool and then it continually heats up.

After yellow dropped his prey, he stuck around for a bit and went up to keep Red company. then he flew off and spent a few hours cooling off on west side of College plaza. He missed a ledge and just gently slid down on lip below him. It was wide enough for him to chill. Dad was right above him and mom was on the other side of building.

Green and Blue slept in the sun on ledge below nest box, and Red was smart enough to get in shade , at back of netting. Green and blue eventually moved onto roof  below nest box and cooled down.

After his siesta, Yellow band flew back over to net with Red band .

About 4pm, mom flew onto top aerial of jut, of clinical science. Red had  been flapping for a bit  and of course, screaming. Then she just lifted herself up and flew over to jut of clinical science , adjacent to her.
Not a long flight but she moved . And she is huge. I keep calling her Froona , because 2 years ago we had Froona , who was huge. She is just gorgeous. Yellow followed suit. Then yellow flew over to Windsor apartments , on roof below aerial , and then he flew back to clinical , onto net.

yeah REd band feamle

As you can see Yellow band is just flying up a storm.

Mom came in about 5pm with a huge prey on roof below nest box. I thought she was going to beak feed blue but she just defeathered a bit and then left to  perch on  aerial on Jut of clinical.
no one touched the prey, which was unusual. Eventually yellow hopped down onto roof and started eating.

When I left , yellow was eating, Blue band male was chilling way on west end of roof ledge and  green band female was on ledge right below  nest box  and Rd band was  on corner of jut , close to green but not on same ledge( wish i had time  to  show you with pictures.)

These 4 are very close.

BEcky and DAve came back so I could go home. I am so grateful to them.
Becky and Peter are still there.

And we finally got rid of our frozen hawk in my freezer. 
Gord made a meet with Peter today. Dave came and stayed  with me for a bit ,till Peter went home to get bird and make meet.


Jean came and brought us banana bread. so good.   
Barb came for about 20 minutes so we could get a cool drink.


Been another long day and even longer for Peter so I am out.

I think other 2 will fly tomorrow and I hope Red does not try any long flights , as she is so big.

 

[bev.]

Sunday july17,2011

Before noon

Peter got there a bit before me and he could only spot one of the  kids. My heart stopped . 

I got there shortly after and Red was on box and yellow on Maz roof facing south. Peter thought that was mom. So he flew real early this morning.

Green band female and blue band male finally popped up. they may have been eating leftovers from yesterday. So obviously green band made it up from pillar with no problem

Yellow then flew off and straight over to college Plaza and made it to the roof for the first time.  He chilled there for a bit and then flew over to top roof of Windsor apartments (where mom was) and snoozed for a bit.

then he was off again and flew to back of College plaza and after a bit flew back to clinical and then up on Maz.

Needless to say he did a lot of flying today and Peter has my binder so I cannot account for all of it. He just flies off at a whim.

At one point today, before noon, he was fed by mom over at college plaza. After having a few bites , he flew off with it in his talons to share with kids at Clinical . He dropped it just as he landed. I felt so bad. What a guy he is. I am sure he was going to share, because he would know , that by flying there , the others would want some. But to take of so soon after learning to fly, , with food in his talons ,was amazing.  I went and took a look at what he dropped and it was a whole smaller bird. a bit smaller than a pigeon.

I will be back with part 2 soon.

Oh before I go, a hawk dared to enter the air space and the chase was on by mom and dad. It was just incredible to watch. they hit it at least 8 times, They went out of view so we do not know how the hawk fared.  It was thrilling to see them circle and climb higher and higher until they got to same level as Hawk.

I really do hope hawk was O.K.

Part 2 in a bit

[bev.]

Saturday, july16,2011

Well , it was  fairly quiet day  with yellow continuing to strengthen his flying skills.


After 6pm

Yellow flew around back of clinical science and over top and north through Maz  and clinical and then back up to top of Clinical science. (right at the top.) He looked so proud.   

Mom came in with a big food drop on roof and green and blue proceeded to eat. Red just screamed , as per usual    But she would not leave the box or net. Yellow took a big leap , and flew down onto the roof and he got his share of he food.

Then things went quiet again, and he flew up to visit Red. they are buds. 
9:30pm
Everyone started flapping and we thought here we go.    Yellow band did a strong flight over to College plaza. He was on west side just above last row of windows. He catwalked over to south end of ledge and stayed there. Dad went up to aerial on College plaza and then turned in.


Radisson , then came and dropped Red some food and Red shouted while she ate.    (she could loose a few pounds  )

Red finally finished what she needed and went into box for the night.

Green band female slipped again while cat walking and spent night on pillar below roof ledge again 

It was 10:30pm before they all settled down and we headed home. Long day.

WE met some nice people which i will tell you about tomorrow when I am not so tired.

Would love to post picutres with this but no time.

[Rose]

I hope all is well with the chicks and their watchers, too much excitement isn't good for people or chicks.

[Kinderchick]

So glad to hear that Mr. Yellow and Miss Green are safe and sound and that you all had a relatively uneventful day.

[Doreen]

We had a quiet day down at the CSB.  When I arrived, Bev reported that Mr. Yellow had taken another flight between Windsor Towers and the CSB, and Miss Green had managed this morning, after some effort, to get herself back onto the black netting below the nestbox, from the pillar below the roof edge, where she had been throughout the night  So, from the time I arrived until I departed, the chicks were pretty quiet and did not do anything to really scare us.  Their parents made a couple of food drops, and there was alot of cat-walking, flapping and screaming going on, but everyone was reasonably well behaved and not too adventurous, perhaps because of the heat today.  Bev and Peter were still there with Dave when I left, so I hope things did not go crazy after my departure.  I expect that if anything did happen, Bev will report later.

What a wonderful day you must have had, it's nice when the chicks behave.

[RCF]

Glad you had a quite day with the chicks and happy to hear Miss Green got to vacate the pillar.  It was also very hot here in Brandon........32c  Yikes!!

[Elaine L]

We had a quiet day down at the CSB.  When I arrived, Bev reported that Mr. Yellow had taken another flight between Windsor Towers and the CSB, and Miss Green had managed this morning, after some effort, to get herself back onto the black netting below the nestbox, from the pillar below the roof edge, where she had been throughout the night  So, from the time I arrived until I departed, the chicks were pretty quiet and did not do anything to really scare us.  Their parents made a couple of food drops, and there was alot of cat-walking, flapping and screaming going on, but everyone was reasonably well behaved and not too adventurous, perhaps because of the heat today.  Bev and Peter were still there with Dave when I left, so I hope things did not go crazy after my departure.  I expect that if anything did happen, Bev will report later.

[Kinderchick]

Wow! What fledgewatching adventures you all had. Thanks for the lengthy posts with all the detailed fledging updates, bev & Elaine. Very descriptive and interesting reading and I could almost imagine being there. Blue's flapping and knocking Yellow off the ledge, causing a fledge, perhaps prematurely, sounds just like what haped to Fyfe & Carson, here in Winnipeg. So glad to hear that Yellow is now flying well. Hope Miss Green is okay.