McKenzie Seeds - 2012 / Brooklyn & Hurricane

[RCF]

This morning I watched Hunter fledge off the east wall over to the communications tower building, which is directly across the street. He was on the wall, then moved to the top of a metal chimney (exhaust stack). He would flap a little and get some air and hover.......like a little helicopter.    He moved from there to higher spot on the roof and then moved to the front of the building where Brooklyn brought him a snack.

   

[The Peregrine Chick]

1636h
One of the boys looks like he'll be joining Maya in the dry nestbox ....

[Moonstar]

She is a pretty bird.  She reminds me of Mistral, Hurricanes sister.

[Kinderchick]

Looks as if Maya is awake now, still perched on the edge of the nestbox, trying to keep dry, I guess. So nice to see her up close like that. She really is a beauty!

[The Peregrine Chick]

1215h

Maya is asleep on the front of the nestbox out of the rain ....

[The Peregrine Chick]

Thanks for all the info, TPC!  I'm very glad you're there looking out for the peregrines.  
Do you know if this project is open-ended?  Will it continue until enough fledglings and their transmitters survive over a year or two?  Or is it limited to say a 5 or 10 year period?

The project is limited in time.  Mortality rate is 50% to 70% for first year peregrines so they are hoping to get some data before the young birds fall into this statistical group.  They would love it if all the birds survived, but it is hoped that from the information they glean, then can see what it is that the surviving birds do that those who don't, do.  Perhaps it will help to find ways to reduce mortality in the first year or two.  No one has done this research so everything they find out is new information.

Do you throw nets over the birds and/or "surround" - now there's a challenge - then grab or net? 

No.  No running or chasing or throwing or surrounding or anything like that.  It we could calmly and quietly get to the chick without it moving away from us, then we would consider trying to catch the chick.  If there is a chance the chick would run or jump or attempt to fledge or anything like that then we wait and see if the chance of any of that happening goes down and then we re-assess if we can catch the chick. 

We didn't even get on the roof on Friday before Sol fledged and then we just watched via the cameras to see what the others would do.  We were pretty sure we weren't going to do anything early on, but we kept watching to see if Hunter would follow his brother and what Maya, who isn't far behind her brothers, would do.  If Hunter did fledge and Maya didn't, it might have been safe enough for us to try and catch her, but although it was a warm day for fledging, the wind conditions were good so we just waited and watched and were additional bodies if someone did go down in traffic.

[Moonstar]

No, they weren't chasing them on the roof, they were watching the camera from inside the building.  The birds didn't know they were there, so they weren't stressed or chased.

Thanks RCF for the clarification.  Glad to know they were not chased or stressed.  I misunderstood the whole process.

[photosbydennis]

A few photos of Friday's visit to Brandon have been loaded.

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

[des]

Thanks for all the info, TPC!  I'm very glad you're there looking out for the peregrines.  
Do you know if this project is open-ended?  Will it continue until enough fledglings and their transmitters survive over a year or two?  Or is it limited to say a 5 or 10 year period?
Do you throw nets over the birds and/or "surround" - now there's a challenge - then grab or net?

[susha]

No, they weren't chasing them on the roof, they were watching the camera from inside the building.  The birds didn't know they were there, so they weren't stressed or chased.

Thanks for the clarification, RCF.  I'm confident that, given the outcome, the best interests of the birds were top priority and I do believe that TPC has a great deal of influence in how things play out with the PF's when any form of research is being conducted.  TPC has by far the most knowledge and experience than anybody involved and she's not shy about expressing her concerns I'm sure!

[RCF]

No, they weren't chasing them on the roof, they were watching the camera from inside the building.  The birds didn't know they were there, so they weren't stressed or chased.

[Moonstar]

So...don't mean to be a party pooper here but, I still need to understand the exercises that takes place beyond our understanding.  In my opinion, I consider, for the moment, until peregrine falcons are out of the "species at risk" category, I see peregrine falcon chicks as gifts to our world.  Presently, there is more human interaction than before, but, I feel it necessary to provide these raptors an "urban" home, to maintain their survival.

If Manitoba Conservation wants to risk, "tagging/transmitting" a "gift", then, I really need a lesson 101.  Sorry folks, but as far as I'm concerned, every hatched peregrine falcon egg, is a gift to this species.  So, not too sure why, the Manitoba Conservation, would want to risk that "gift", fledging early, in order to put an transmitter on it.  Sorry, don't understand the balance here...risk vs. reward, isn't worth it, especially when it comes to, a, species at risk.  I understand the science behind the research, but, when it comes to a species at risk, common sense will overrule, especially, when it comes to, a, "species at risk".  I don't get it or understand it, but, in my opinion, why risk a gift?  Sometimes, things are more precious than we think!!!  Maybe one day, someone, from conservation, will actually explain in great detail, what the word, "conservation", by definition, none scientific, means to "them".  

I guess I'm also "A party pooper" because of my reservations about this research right from the beginning.The Peregrine Falcon Recovery Program is not part of it .TPC is there only to advise and make sure the falcons are safe but the  Researcher and Conservation call the shots and don't have to take her advice so it seems that she is between a Rock and a Hard place.On Friday I was down on the street when Researcher came from up top and asked Dennis to stay on the street and watch because they were going to try and catch the female if she should become separated from the male, she could probably be easily caught,so that is the reason viewers were treated to such good viewing all afternoon. I finally came home at 3:00pm and caught some good viewing.Sol fledged between 12:30 and 1:00  and the camera finally stopped following the chicks sometime shortly after 4:00pm. I guess you could say "It was a Mexican Standoff from 11:00am to after 4;00pm" seems the Chicks won.

So does that mean they were up there chasing those poor chicks in this heat for 5 hours.  I think that is horrible.  Those poor little chicks hearts must have been just pounding and the parents must have been so stressed.  Sol's fledge could have been so much worse, luckily he was okay.  I may be wrong but that sounds very cruel.  All this just to put things on the birds that do not belong.  These are wild birds and they should be able to fly free without man made things attached to them.  This is my opinion and I hope I am able to post it here.

[Rose]

So...don't mean to be a party pooper here but, I still need to understand the exercises that takes place beyond our understanding.  In my opinion, I consider, for the moment, until peregrine falcons are out of the "species at risk" category, I see peregrine falcon chicks as gifts to our world.  Presently, there is more human interaction than before, but, I feel it necessary to provide these raptors an "urban" home, to maintain their survival.

If Manitoba Conservation wants to risk, "tagging/transmitting" a "gift", then, I really need a lesson 101.  Sorry folks, but as far as I'm concerned, every hatched peregrine falcon egg, is a gift to this species.  So, not too sure why, the Manitoba Conservation, would want to risk that "gift", fledging early, in order to put an transmitter on it.  Sorry, don't understand the balance here...risk vs. reward, isn't worth it, especially when it comes to, a, species at risk.  I understand the science behind the research, but, when it comes to a species at risk, common sense will overrule, especially, when it comes to, a, "species at risk".  I don't get it or understand it, but, in my opinion, why risk a gift?  Sometimes, things are more precious than we think!!!  Maybe one day, someone, from conservation, will actually explain in great detail, what the word, "conservation", by definition, none scientific, means to "them".  

I guess I'm also "A party pooper" because of my reservations about this research right from the beginning.The Peregrine Falcon Recovery Program is not part of it .TPC is there only to advise and make sure the falcons are safe but the  Researcher and Conservation call the shots and don't have to take her advice so it seems that she is between a Rock and a Hard place.On Friday I was down on the street when Researcher came from up top and asked Dennis to stay on the street and watch because they were going to try and catch the female if she should become separated from the male, she could probably be easily caught,so that is the reason viewers were treated to such good viewing all afternoon. I finally came home at 3:00pm and caught some good viewing.Sol fledged between 12:30 and 1:00  and the camera finally stopped following the chicks sometime shortly after 4:00pm. I guess you could say "It was a Mexican Standoff from 11:00am to after 4;00pm" seems the Chicks won.

[allikat]

So...don't mean to be a party pooper here but, I still need to understand the exercises that takes place beyond our understanding.  In my opinion, I consider, for the moment, until peregrine falcons are out of the "species at risk" category, I see peregrine falcon chicks as gifts to our world.  Presently, there is more human interaction than before, but, I feel it necessary to provide these raptors an "urban" home, to maintain their survival.

If Manitoba Conservation wants to risk, "tagging/transmitting" a "gift", then, I really need a lesson 101.  Sorry folks, but as far as I'm concerned, every hatched peregrine falcon egg, is a gift to this species.  So, not too sure why, the Manitoba Conservation, would want to risk that "gift", fledging early, in order to put an transmitter on it.  Sorry, don't understand the balance here...risk vs. reward, isn't worth it, especially when it comes to, a, species at risk.  I understand the science behind the research, but, when it comes to a species at risk, common sense will overrule, especially, when it comes to, a, "species at risk".  I don't get it or understand it, but, in my opinion, why risk a gift?  Sometimes, things are more precious than we think!!!  Maybe one day, someone, from conservation, will actually explain in great detail, what the word, "conservation", by definition, none scientific, means to "them".  

[Kinderchick]

Thanks for all the updates and photos, TPC, RCF & Rose!