Tower Nest - 2013 / ? & ?

[RCF]

We only saw one peregrine out here today, but we didn't stay all that long either. Miss Transmitter was perched on the catwalk where the Ravens had nested.  We could see the sun reflecting off her transmitter as she preened.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Brandon weather forecast for today

Day - Mostly cloudy in the morning, then overcast with a chance of rain. High of 18C. Winds from the NW at 10 to 15 km/h shifting to the NE in the afternoon. Chance of rain 40%.
Night - Overcast with a chance of rain. Fog overnight. Low of 9C. Breezy. Winds from the NE at 15 to 20 km/h.

[RCF]

I saw both peregrines today, he was up top on the north stack on the catwalk railing and she was perched on one of the lower buildings on the south side.

[RCF]

This is the male from the other day, he was napping.

[RCF]

Well done RCF!!!   *clap*

Kudos on doing such a great job on the photos for the distance you had to work with. Spotting the red as well as whatever is on the antenna, amazing. From your photos I could see as well what you were talking about. Keep up the amazing shots.

Yes, you do take amazing shots, RCF! Can't wait to find out who that transmitter bird is.

Great job, RCF!   

Truely, this is, indeed exciting news. RCF, you are incredible at taking photos and videos. Has a falcon with a transmitter ever nested in Manitoba?

   Thank you!

[The Peregrine Chick]

Truely, this is, indeed exciting news. RCF, you are incredible at taking photos and videos. Has a falcon with a transmitter ever nested in Manitoba?

No - but there very few birds with transmitters on them because of the expense to purchase and for the satellite time.  This female is perhaps the oldest of the birds that were fitted with transmitters and she is definitely the oldest of the birds surviving with transmitters.  It hasn't seemed to have interfered with her life so far (1 fledge, 4 migrations, 1 summer hunting & loitering at wetlands, 1 finding a boyfriend) so it will be interesting to see how she does with this next phase of her life.

[GCG]

  Truely, this is, indeed exciting news. RCF, you are incredible at taking photos and videos. Has a falcon with a transmitter ever nested in Manitoba?

[Kinderchick]

Yes, you do take amazing shots, RCF! Can't wait to find out who that transmitter bird is.

[Shocka88]

Great job, RCF!   

[Linder]

Kudos on doing such a great job on the photos for the distance you had to work with. Spotting the red as well as whatever is on the antenna, amazing. From your photos I could see as well what you were talking about. Keep up the amazing shots.

[The Peregrine Chick]

It's a long way up where she was.  We also noticed she had something like thread or something fuzzy wrapped around the base of the aerial.  It may be covering the solar panel and that could be why it stopped transmitting.   

Who knows, could be indeed.  We'll have to see about getting photos of it if we can - you'll have many more chances than we will before we are next out but I'll make sure our other Brandon spotters know to take photos if they get a chance ... I think you have the best camera skills and equipment but it never hurts to cast a wider net.  I'll also see if the folks on site can maybe get a look at it.

[RCF]

It's a long way up where she was.    We also noticed she had something like thread or something fuzzy wrapped around the base of the aerial.  It may be covering the solar panel and that could be why it stopped transmitting.  

[The Peregrine Chick]

That means that it could well be the female that was released in Neepawa in 2011 ... which would make sense with the reports of Juliet outside of Regina at last download ... am going through photos to see if I have one that shows which foot the Neepawa female's band is on ... will probably get information on Juliet's location tomorrow which should confirm.

It would make sense if it is the Neepawa female ... she spent last year down Minot way but was released in Neepawa and Brandon is pretty much on a straight line from Minot to Neepawa ... not that she would go back to Neepawa when the Tower Site is so much more appealing and it came with a male  


Well done RCF!!!   *clap*

[RCF]

I took some photos today standing below the three towers about a good long block away, looking about 13 to 14 stories up and I think the falcon with the transmitter has a red band on its left leg, which would mean the falcon is a captive bred bird.  

[The Peregrine Chick]

You are quite right, a transmitter that is "off" doesn't necessarily mean that a bird is dead.  However, a transmitter goes "off" because the technology fails or because the bird dies and the transmitter can't transmit anymore.   

Because you are asking after them, Rain's transmitter stopped transmitting in Arkansas in October and Rosser's stopped transmitting in December in Texas after he travelled back up from Mexico.  When their transmitters went offline no bodies - dead or alive - were found so they could be still alive but  7 out of 10 peregrine chicks die in the first year, so it is just as likely that the transmitters went offline because they died.  At this point the only way to know if they survived is for someone to see (or have seen) them alive and to report their band numbers.  And we haven't had any reports but sometimes there is a time lag so we leave their status as "unknown" in our records.