News: Canadian Peregrines

[The Peregrine Chick]

Nothing left of Inco plant now but pieces
Jim Moodie / Sudbury Star / 2 April 2019

A pair of peregrine falcons now has an unimpeded view of the sunset. Late last week the last standing sections of an old Inco plant on MR 55 outside Copper Cliff came down, while the flashy raptors looked on from a nearby roost.

“They’re safely on the stack just behind us,” said Dan Gauthier, speaking from an office at the work site. “You see them in the mornings. There’s a couple of them there that come flying and squawking around.”  Gauthier, safety coordinator with JMX, the contractor on the demo job, said the falcons like to frequent a security shack on the Vale property and from time to time can be seen chasing off ravens.  The birds once inhabited the old kiln building itself, which meant Vale was unable to dismantle it, even though it had sat vacant for years.

The falcons were reintroduced to the Sudbury area in the late 1980s — around the same time the roaster kiln building, part of the ore-recovery plant, was shuttered — and started frequenting the site in the mid-2000s.  At the time the birds were considered an endangered species, although their numbers have stabilized enough now in Ontario to earn them the somewhat more reassuring status of “special concern.”  That means the species “is not endangered or threatened, but may become threatened or endangered due to a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats,” according to the province.

Eventually the raptors were coaxed out of the abandoned plant by a protected nesting box placed on an adjacent smokestack.  “I’m glad they moved out,” said Gauthier, who worked for many years as a miner and subcontractor before joining JMX last year. “Vale wanted to bring the building down in 2005-ish, but they just got the go-ahead in 2017 when the falcons moved out. They built them a fancy box on the stack and they decided, hey, that’s a better house.” 

Planning to tear down the structure began over two years ago, with the demo itself beginning in earnest last spring.  Unlike a high rise reduced to rubble in one detonation, however, the industrial building had to be taken down in careful steps, said Gauthier.  “It’s not the old wrecking-ball days,” he said. “You can’t just blast it. This was an iron ore plant and you don’t want dust from that going in the air or the lake, so you have to do it in sections. The environmental impact could be huge, but we managed to get her down safe.”  He said about 30-40 people were working at various times on the project, with some coming from far afield.  “We have specialized workers brought in from all over Canada, and even from Africa,” said Gauthier. “We fly in guys who are specialized in this kind of demolition.”  Some workers cut steel beams with torches, while others operated excavators with a 120-foot reach. It was essential to keep all the workers safe, noted Gauthier, which also contributed to the measured pace of the project.  JMX provides demolition and remediation services across the country, and Gauthier said it has been an interesting experience to work with this company on the Vale contract.  “I’ve definitely learned a lot from them,” he said. “Me, I’m a heavy machine operator and a miner, but I’ve never taken down a building before. So just to see the process and be a part of it was great.”

In its day, the ore plant was a significant employer, as well as ahead of its time in pursuing sustainability and emissions reductions, according to Vale. The plant recovered slurry byproducts that would have otherwise lingered in tailings ponds and created new products from waste material.  Changes in milling eventually made the operation obsolete, however. “We are now able to extract compounds formerly used in the pyrrhotite (which had previously been sent to the recovery plant), leaving less to remove in subsequent processing,” Vale explained.  Gauthier said the abandoned building had been a magnet for some kids and mischief makers, so it was definitely time to remove the hazard and clean up the site.  While the structure itself is gone, work remains to make the footprint as tidy and pristine as possible.  “It’s not just knock it down and walk away,” said Gauthier. “We process all the material like steel and salvage that, and then we’re doing environmental reclamation of the site.”

At the moment, the roaster kiln building has been reduced to “a million pieces on the ground,” he said. “But we’re going to make it look like there wasn’t a building here when we’re all done.”  The smokestack, meanwhile, continues to provide a useful function for the mining company, and it is expected to remain for some time yet.  So the falcons shouldn’t have to move again any day soon.

source: https://www.thesudburystar.com/news/local-news/nothing-left-of-inco-plant-now-but-pieces

[carly]

Thanks TPC.  I just think it's so cool that we know where she is off-season now.  Hopefully she stays safe down there 

[The Peregrine Chick]

Radisson's continuing adventures in San Antonio have their own thread on the U of A Board
http://www.species-at-risk.mb.ca/pefa/forum/index.php/topic,4552.msg105810.html#msg105810

Apologies for not posting a notice here as well!!
TPC

Actually Radisson is back at her wintering grounds again Dennis...just posted now on Facebook!  Happy to see she made it back safely again!

https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Peregrine-falcon-from-Canada-returns-to-winter-in-13429813.php?fbclid=IwAR1dj_rg-lj0hm-ZvnF1BYCYf0D1F-6pS4ZKzvtH7u2HpdoO3tdXlPDuqb8#photo-15122119

She’s baaack!

Radisson, one of two peregrine falcons who made San Antonio their home last winter — thrilling downtown workers and tourists alike — has been spotted back in the Alamo City in recent weeks.

Attorney John Economidy had just stepped out of the Bexar County Justice Center on Nov. 9 when he heard a sharp cak-cak-cak cutting through the afternoon traffic downtown.

He stopped and scanned the gray sky until he saw the source: a familiar peregrine falcon.

The raptor circled over the River Walk and landed on the sunburst logo of the old Frost National Bank building. A minute later, the falcon was airborne again, touching down on the circular spiral tower atop the 24th floor of the Drury Plaza Hotel.

[carly]

Actually Radisson is back at her wintering grounds again Dennis...just posted now on Facebook!  Happy to see she made it back safely again!

https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Peregrine-falcon-from-Canada-returns-to-winter-in-13429813.php?fbclid=IwAR1dj_rg-lj0hm-ZvnF1BYCYf0D1F-6pS4ZKzvtH7u2HpdoO3tdXlPDuqb8#photo-15122119

She’s baaack!

Radisson, one of two peregrine falcons who made San Antonio their home last winter — thrilling downtown workers and tourists alike — has been spotted back in the Alamo City in recent weeks.

Attorney John Economidy had just stepped out of the Bexar County Justice Center on Nov. 9 when he heard a sharp cak-cak-cak cutting through the afternoon traffic downtown.

He stopped and scanned the gray sky until he saw the source: a familiar peregrine falcon.

The raptor circled over the River Walk and landed on the sunburst logo of the old Frost National Bank building. A minute later, the falcon was airborne again, touching down on the circular spiral tower atop the 24th floor of the Drury Plaza Hotel.

[photosbydennis]

Sorry, now see its old news and on a different thread.

[photosbydennis]

Seen this on Facebook and thought I would share.

    https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Peregrine-falcons-wintering-downtown-from-Canada-12647930.php

[BirdLover]

Very sad news indeed.  She was a beauty all right!

[carly]

Sad news from Windsor, Ontario today.  The resident female has been found dead, hit by a car.  Voltaire was from Ohio and many of her offspring have gone on to nest successfully in Canada and the US.  She was breathtakingly beautiful.

Erie Wildlife Rescue

It is great sadness that we inform you that Voltaire, the adult female Peregrine Falcon which nested under the Ambassador Bridge, was killed today. Presumably she was hit by a vehicle as she was found on the road.

EWR had the privilege to care for Voltaire in the spring of 2015 when she was injured during a territory dispute with a rival female. Since her release, Voltaire and her mate successfully raised 10 chicks. She was a beautiful bird, and is a true loss to the Peregrine population which is considered a species of "Special Concern".

Our sympathies to the dedicated group of volunteers from Canadian Peregrine Foundation who monitor the birds.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Richard Fyfe, whose breeding program saved falcons, dies at 85
Madeleine Cummings / Edmonton Examiner / June 27, 2017



Richard Fyfe, the Canadian Wildlife Service biologist who helped save the peregrine falcon from extinction, died on June 17 after multiple battles with pneumonia. He was 85 and lived in Fort Saskatchewan.

By the 1960s, scientists were linking sharp declines of peregrine falcon populations in North America with the use of pesticides, particularly DDT. Due to bioaccumulation, the toxic substance built up in the falcons’ bodies, causing fertility problems and inhibiting enzymes needed to develop strong eggshells. Fearing for the peregrine falcon’s future, Fyfe appealed to wildlife directors at the Federal-Provincial Wildlife Conference in 1970 for permission to start a captive-breeding program.  Since he had been studying the extent of the problem in Alberta and Saskatchewan and had successfully bred falcons in captivity in his backyard, he was well-positioned to co-ordinate the project. Fyfe and a small team collected chicks from the few nesting pairs left in the wild and kept them on his property in Fort Saskatchewan until a facility at the Canadian Forces Base in Wainwright was ready in 1973.

The recovery program was controversial at the time. Some criticized keeping birds in captivity and others doubted the young would be able to survive after being released into the wild.  Fyfe’s team experimented on species that were less at risk and came up with creative ways — such as monitoring falcons’ behaviour via closed-circuit televisions — to find compatible pairs for mating. The team became the first to see their falcons return from the wild and become parents. This success, Fyfe’s greatest accomplishment, led to the reintroduction of peregrine falcons in places where they had all but disappeared.  By the time the Wainwright facility closed in 1996, his team had raised more than 1,500 falcons for release. Peregrines were taken off the endangered species list three years later.

Fyfe was invested as a member of the Order of Canada in 2000 for his role in the peregrine falcon’s recovery, but this honour came after his retirement and after he was falsely suspected of running an international falcon-smuggling ring.  The theory that Fyfe’s program could be a front for sending endangered falcons to the middle east was based on the assumption that peregrines could not be raised in captivity. An extensive audit and investigations by his own department and law enforcement officials in Canada and the United States found no evidence to support the allegation.

“We could account for every egg,” said Geoff Holyroyd, who supervised Fyfe and took over the recovery program in 1988. Though Fyfe was vindicated and his director apologized for the strife he had endured, the accusations still stung and he sought early retirement.  Though his career with the Canadian Wildlife Service ended in the ‘80s, Fyfe kept busy by working as a consultant for power companies and preparing educational videos for schoolchildren about wildlife.

Fyfe was born in Saskatoon in 1932 but grew up in Kindersley, Sask. According to Lorraine, his wife of 60 years, he loved birds as a boy but understood as a teenager that it was more socially acceptable to play hockey or go hunting. Carrying the gun his father gave him, he would venture into the prairie to shoot gophers but end up watching birds. He picked up falconry and learned how to mimic birds’ sounds. With a gift for patience that later lent itself well to wildlife photography, he could spend hours sitting and waiting for birds to arrive.

“They would come to him, comfortable,” his wife said. “He was just a natural with birds.”  The couple met through her brother and were married in 1957.

After studying biology at the University of British Columbia, Fyfe worked as an elementary school teacher and principal in northern communities. He helped write science curriculum tied to the Arctic region before heading off to work for the Canadian Wildlife Service in Sackville, NB. He and his wife settled in Fort Saskatchewan and raised five children. Fyfe’s eldest son, Ken, remembers skipping weeks of school in June so he and his brothers could float down the South Saskatchewan and Bow Rivers with their father. Spotting falcons, scrambling up the cliffs to band them and camping out at night formed some of their most cherished memories.

Though he was soft-spoken, he was also persuasive. During the eulogy for his mentor, the provincial wildlife biologist Gordon Court explained how Fyfe used his considerable charm to advocate for conservation, adding that he was a “master of the great, slow smile.”

Phil Trefry, who was the first employee at the captive-breeding facility in Wainwright, recalled Fyfe diffusing a heated scene at a conference decades ago. Several hundred scientists were arguing about who should run a captive-breeding program and Fyfe stood up and spoke for 10 minutes about pooling resources and knowledge to work together to save the species.

“Nobody interrupted him, everybody listened, and he basically said that peregrine falcons don’t have time to bicker and fight like this,” Trefry recalled. “It changed the tone of the whole room,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

source: http://www.edmontonexaminer.com/2017/06/27/richard-fyfe-whose-breeding-program-saved-falcons-dies-at-85

We named a Radisson peregrine chick after Richard Fyfe in 2011.  Beatrix is Fyfe's sibling.  Dennis' photo of Fyfe is the profile image I use on our Twitter account.

[The Peregrine Chick]

so an unbanded bird from Alberta can be banded by them, and when it returns here what kind of  a band would we looking for. The biologists try and band as many birds as we can , But it is impossible to get to all nests .

Any peregrine banded in North, South or Central America is supposed to get one of the USFWS aluminium bands at the very least.  If they band with something else, there would be no way to track without a central database of all the bands - and that applies to other species as well.  They could also put a coloured band on - they are considered a secondary marker, like wing tags (large raptors like condors) or neck bands (large waterfowl - swans and the like).  If they have used the USFWS bands, then they would report both the USFWS band and whatever other markers they have used - coloured leg bands, wing tags, neck bands, even transmitters.  From one or another of these markers a bird can be identified by who banded them, when, where and why and then the bander can provide more details.

[bev.]

so an unbanded bird from Alberta can be banded by them, and when it returns here what kind of  a band would we looking for. The biologists try and band as many birds as we can , But it is impossible to get to all nests .

[Kinderchick]

Thank you for this information, Alison & TPC. Very interesting to view the FB link. I had no idea about the Padre Island Falcon Survey. Lots of new learning for me, all the time. 

[The Peregrine Chick]

Some of this will be a repeat of Alison's last post but hopefully with a bit of new info as well 

Peregrines are caught on their wintering grounds on beaches - Padre Island is a giant beach that is a common stop over or final stop for shorebirds and raptors - including peregrines.  Same thing happens in Chile where the tundra birds like Island Girl overwinter. 

When songbirds are caught up here using mist nets, depending on the time oft heyday you will capture unbranded birds (that will then get banded) or you will catch birds hat have already been banded - this is known as a recapture.  For peregrines it isn't mist nets that are used on beaches rather net traps that are remotely launched/activated. There is also a kind of snare trap but I'm not sure they use those in such locations.  The net traps are good on beaches because like snow there is little to get caught on so the trap works the way it is designed which minimizes the risk to the birds.  I should make it clear that the folks that use these nets are very experienced, it is closely regulated by the government - you have to be an experienced permitted bander before you can get a federal or state/provincial permit to capture wildlife and your reason to capture the birds has to be approved by the same agencies and renewed annually.

So back to the peregrines in South Padre, the trapping goes on during migration (don't know how much or how often or if it is just during migration or all through the winter) - migrating birds that are caught on migration are called as "passage birds". In some jurisdictions passage birds are when wild birds can be taken from the wild for falconry purposes - as opposed to raid nests for nestlings.  So unbranded birds that are captured on migration are banded and that is the case in the story Alison posted. If a bird is banded then the bird is considered a recapture and the band information is submitted to the banding agency so the person who banded the bird knows where the bird was when it was recaptured.  This is the same way that songbird population movements are obtained. Easier/faster to catch songbirds than peregrines of course.

[Alison]

What is meant by the statement that this falcon was "captured & banded during her 1st passage south" & then "recaptured"? How does one "capture" a peregrine falcon & for what reason? Do you think hey meant to say "rescued"? Alison or TPC?

The Padre Island Peregrine Falcon Survey is a project which has been ongoing for many years. Padre Island, off the coast of Texas, is a stopover for many species of birds during migration, including a number of peregrines. During the spring and fall migrations, peregrines are captured, banded and then released to continue on their way. Sometimes the same birds are recaptured in future migrations and the information recorded.

The project "maintains a unique archive of peregrine samples to help assess the evolution and progression of emerging threats to numerous wildlife species and habitats." according to their website.

I first read about the Padre Island survey years ago in Alan Tennant's book "On the Wing: To the Edge of the Earth with the Peregrine Falcon".

If you take a look at their main website, you can see what the area looks like, and see some of the peregrines they capture and band.

https://www.facebook.com/PadreIslandPeregrines

I don't know how or why this peregrine was recaptured in Clairmont, Alberta. I had never even heard of Clairmont.

[Kinderchick]

What is meant by the statement that this falcon was "captured & banded during her 1st passage south" & then "recaptured"? How does one "capture" a peregrine falcon & for what reason? Do you think hey meant to say "rescued"? Alison or TPC?

[Alison]

From the Padre Island Peregrine Falcon Survey

July 27 2015

We received a message from Sylvain Bourdages: "I'm sending you some info on a female peregrine that was banded on South Padre Island...that was recaptured in Clairmont, Alberta on 05/06/2015 with the band number 1687-26022. She was released and seemed to be doing fine. She did have a nasty scar on her right shoulder that seemed to have healed well but left quite a mark....here are a few pictures for you."

This falcon was originally captured and banded by Catherine Wightman on October 17, 2012 during her first passage south. It's great to hear she's doing well and probably now tending to her first brood somewhere north of Clairmont. Thanks for sharing the news, Sylvain!

Clairmont is a hamlet 5 kilometres north of Grande Prairie. It is about 2,800 miles from South Padre Island — a very long way to fly. I hope she is having a very successful breeding season.

 

https://www.facebook.com/PadreIslandPeregrines/posts/452374901589265

[The Peregrine Chick]

Falcons steer clear of Nik Wallenda
by Jayme Poisson and Graham Slaughter, The Toronto Star
15 June 2012

Nik Wallenda made his walk across the Falls falcon-free, eliminating the risk of being charged under the Endangered Species Act.

“They’re tucked in for the night at this hour because of all the night predators,” said Mark Nash of the Canadian peregrine foundation, noting that the falcons are especially wary of great horned owls.

Wallenda’s decision to postpone his walk until after sunset boded well for the falcons, which are listed under the Species at Risk registry.

“I guess if there was a best time for this monkey walk, this is it,” Nash said.

Anne Yagi from the province's Ministry of Natural Resources arrived at the Falls Friday afternoon. She, along with counterparts in the U.S., played the role of personal attachés to a pair of rare peregrine falcons and their four hatchlings.

The birds nest in the window of a closed Ontario Power Generation Station in the Niagara Gorge, about 200 metres below where Wallenda walked. The wire was strung up in the airspace the birds use to hunt for food.

“We did not approve this,” says Yagi of the MNR's position on the walk. The biologist said she spoke with Wallenda and asked him to postpone his stunt until September, when nesting season is over, but he decided to go ahead with it.

Yagi was escorted down into the gorge to monitor the birds during Wallenda’s walk. She had a scope and took pictures and notes to use as evidence in case the birds were hurt. New York State park biologists did the same thing on the other side.

Yagi said that when she explained to Wallenda that the birds could attack him, the stuntman responded by saying his parents often threw objects at him when he was training and he still stayed on the wire.

“Just because they're small doesn't mean they don't hit with force,” she said of the two-and-a-half-pound birds that can reach speeds of 360 kilometres per hour.

The female adult falcon is named Diamond and the male, Onyx.


Story & photos: Falcons steer clear of Nik Wallenda

I went hunting for this story because I was watching a YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IURdqj6OSko) and thought I saw a bird fly past and around with a very falcon-like silhouette, but it sounds like must have been gulls or another long winged bird.

[Elaine L]

Edmonton's high level peregrines get new home

EDMONTON — A pair of peregrine falcons that have made their home on the High Level Bridge for the past three years were treated to two specially designed nests Thursday, courtesy of the Edmonton Fire Rescue technical team.

The team of 10 placed two wooden boxes safely under the bridge on the top of the centre concrete pillars. The nests were necessary to give the falcons a safe place to breed and raise their nestlings, said provincial wildlife biologist Gordon Court, who specializes in at-risk species. Since making the bridge's pillars their home, the pair have managed to raise only two nestlings.

"When the birds insist on using a structure and they fail every year, that's when we intervene," Court said. "The hatching success will definitely go up. There will be fewer losses due to snowstorms, rainstorms, that sort of thing."

Made out of simple plywood and some shingles for the roof, the approximately 23-kilogram boxes include a layer of gravel for the birds to rest on. They also feature metal bars across the opening to prevent Canada geese from moving in. Technical rescue team member Geoff Boulton suited up with all the necessary safety gear before making his first trip over the bridge's side.

"We rappelled off a building downtown much higher than this," he said. "This is fabulous, working with the team like this."

Capt. Scott Macdonald called the exercise just another day on the job for the team.

"It's just what we do every day on the technical rescue team," Macdonald said. "We'll send one guy down with all the safeties. He's going to lower that thing down, set it in place, and we'll bring him back up."

The team is deployed a few times a month to assist with technical rescues. Macdonald said the team regularly completes training exercises at a facility in the city's west end and at the University of Alberta. And while he said Thursday's exercise was out of the ordinary, it gave the team an opportunity to practise their skills. During the manoeuvre, at least one of the falcons began circling the bridge as Boulton secured the first box.

"That's a very good sign," Court said of the appearance. "They still want to own this bridge."

Court said that while a majority of peregrines in the province are found in Wood Buffalo National Park, about one-third commonly make their homes on tall buildings, power plants and bridges in urban or industrial areas in and around Edmonton and Calgary.

"The peregrine falcon is a perfect example of a bird that can tolerate an urban environment," Court said. "They like the height these places offer."

He added that the iconic bridge is an ideal nesting place for the birds because it offers them a secure environment where they're unlikely to bother people.

Most of the peregrines in the province disappeared from much of North America during the 1960s and '70s because of the pesticide DDT that damaged their eggs before the chicks could hatch. Today, there are 68 pairs of the birds across the province -- only two pairs away from removing them from their designation as an at-risk species.

"What you're seeing here with this pair on this bridge is an example of what we're hoping for birds breeding in the wild," Court said.

[Alison]

Kingston, Ontario

Injured falcon flies again
Posted By MICHAEL LEA, THE WHIG-STANDARD

An injured peregrine falcon, nursed back to health at a Napanee wildlife centre, was set free into the skies over Kingston again yesterday amid fears one of its main sources of food is being poisoned.

Sue Meech, director of the Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre, brought the female raptor back to the city to release it near where it was injured in late March in a confrontation with an Ontario Street apartment building.

She warned the bird's future health could depend on stopping whoever has been putting out the chemical Avitrol to rid the downtown of one of the falcon's favourite meals -- pigeons.

Meech said two pigeons suffering from the effects of the chemical have been brought to her centre.

"If people have only brought in two that are still alive there are probably a hundred out there that have been killed," she said.

She explained Avitrol is not designed to kill pigeons but to confuse them so they will fly around in circles emitting distress calls.

"It's supposed to scare all the other pigeons away," she said, "(but) if it's not mixed properly or if a pigeon eats too much then the pigeon dies.

"It's a horrible death."

She said the danger to the falcon would come from eating pigeons contaminated with the chemical. "They die," she said.

Meech's fear for the falcon's future was tempered by the pleasure of watching it fly away on two healthy wings yesterday.

The bird was brought to the waterfront next to the Pump House Steam Museum in a cardboard box covered by a small blanket. Once the covering was removed, the falcon swept low over the grass and soared up into the sky.

Another of those watching was Carolyn Teeple, who first saw the falcon coming towards her building at 135 Ontario St. in late March and thought it was landing on her 15th floor balcony.

When she went to check on it, it appeared to want to take off again but couldn't.

"After a while I went out with two oven mitts and a big towel to see if it was injured but it just went down into the crevice between the deck and the glass railing."

"So I started phoning. I was a little bit annoyed because I went through the phone book and phoned everybody I could find."

She said a half hour later what appeared to be the bird's mate came along, sat for a few minutes, and then flew off again.

The bird remained trapped and obviously injured for about two hours, she said.

Connie Black, a Kingston volunteer for the wildlife centre, was called to rescue the falcon after the wildlife centre learned of the situation from the Kingston Humane Society.

"We suspect it was chasing another bird and it probably struck the building and landed on (Teeple's) balcony," said Black.

"It managed to get itself stuck between the concrete and the glass. Luckily I managed to pull it out of the gap."

She said the bird had struggled for at least two hours to free itself.

"It looked worse than it really was. The whole one wing was scraped so there was a lot of blood and there was bruising on the body as well."

Black, who is licensed to care for migratory birds, took the falcon home and then transported it to the wildlife centre the following morning.

"I just made it comfortable and let it rest because she was exhausted. This was the first peregrine I ever handled and I hear they are supposed to be quite feisty but she had been fighting so long she wasn't feisty any more at all."

Meech said the bird had been beating her wings on the stone to try to free herself and badly scraped the leading edge of one wing. The wound was cleaned and the bird was eventually introduced to the wildlife centre's aviary where she soon took flight again.

One exciting aspect to the temporary confinement came when the falcon laid an egg.

"She probably has laid several before she came in and hopefully she will be laying some more now," Meech said. "Then she will be raising some young ones in the city."

But only if she doesn't come in contact with Avitrol, she said.

"As long as people don't put that poison down and the bird doesn't eat a poisoned pigeon then we should be okay."

http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2531195

There is a video and a great photo of the falcon at the link.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Nova Scotia names five new species at risk
The Globe & Mail – 10 October 2007

The Nova Scotia government is adding three birds and two plants to its list of species that are considered at risk in the province.  The birds that were added to the list Wednesday are the red knot, chimney swift and common nighthawk.  The red knot is a medium-sized shorebird whose population in Canada has declined by 70 per cent in the past 15 years – with a similar decline recorded in Nova Scotia.  The chimney swift was added to the endangered list, while the common nighthawk is classified as threatened. 

The plants that were added to the list are the ram's-head lady slipper – a small orchid that grows in open forests – and the rockrose – a herb with yellow flowers.  The ram's-head lady slipper, now found in just six places in Nova Scotia, has been listed as endangered.  The rockrose is also listed as endangered.

Meanwhile, the government announced that the province's peregrine falcon population has successfully recovered, although it is remains on the vulnerable list.  The falcons are now nesting on cliffs along the Bay of Fundy. From 1955 to 1995, no nesting peregrine falcons were seen in Nova Scotia.  “I am encouraged by the interest and concern that Nova Scotians show for species at risk,” Natural Resources Minister David Morse said in a statement.  To ensure their survival, we need to continue to work together, on both Crown land and private land. Downgrading the risk status of the peregrine falcon shows what we can accomplish together.”

A total of 41 species are now listed under the Endangered Species Act in Nova Scotia.  The peregrine falcon remains on the vulnerable list, because it is still too early to conclude that it is no longer threatened.  Federal and provincial law helps protect threatened and endangered species by prohibiting activities that could disturb or destroy the species or their habitat.Laws includes fines for anyone caught harming species or their habitat.  

To view rest of the original article ... Nova Scotia names five new species at risk

[The Peregrine Chick]

Falcons return to Fundy
The Globe & Mail - 7 September 2004

More than a half-century after the majestic peregrine falcon vanished from along the Fundy coast, the threatened species is back and thriving in near-record numbers. Seeing a precious peregrine soaring in flight makes its comeback seem nothing short of miraculous. It was no wildlife wonder that returned them to these parts, but rather a carefully choreographed recovery effort that worked so seamlessly no one really talks about it, said Diane Amirault, head of the Canadian Wildlife Services species-at-risk program. When baby falcons reared in captivity were methodically released into the wild in the 1980s, biologists such as Ms. Amirault prayed that five pairs would nest and reproduce along the Fundy coast, where at the turn of the century peregrines were at their peak with a dozen pairs nesting along the cliffs from Fundy National Park to Grand Manan Island. This summer, Canadian Wildlife Services tallied nine peregrine pairs in New Brunswick and seven across the bay in Nova Scotia.

"Even going up one pair in New Brunswick is a very big deal," Ms. Amirault said. "We are making good progress. We met our recovery target in about 1990, but they are back in the last couple of years like we have really never seen them."  When park warden George Sinclair began working in Fundy National Park in 1975 there was not a peregrine to be seen in the lush, glorious woodland. The park opened in 1950, two years after the last peregrines were spotted at Point Wolfe. By 1955 the falcons had also disappeared from Nova Scotia's Bay area.  Contamination from pesticides that were eventually banned in the late 1970s had wiped them out, making it nearly impossible for peregrines to reproduce. DDT caused females to lay eggs so thin they were often crushed during incubation and the poison prompted parent peregrines to devour their young.  

To view rest of the original article ... Falcons return to Fundy

[The Peregrine Chick]

Environment Minister Jim Prentice Announces Investment for Wildlife Conservation Projects in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
Marketwire/Environment Canada - 20 March 2009

Canada's Environment Minister Jim Prentice today announced an investment from the Government of Canada's Habitat Stewardship Program in four conservation projects in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick that will protect important wildlife and their habitats.

"We have awarded funding to four Maritime organizations for special habitat stewardship initiatives because wildlife conservation remains a top priority for the Government of Canada during the current tough economic period," said Minister Prentice.  "Today's announcement demonstrates our Government's continuing commitment to conserving and protecting our environment for the benefit of all Canadians" said Minister Prentice.

The Nova Scotia Nature Trust is receiving $170,000 for a project to secure and protect critical habitat areas for species at risk in southwest Nova Scotia. The Governors of Acadia University are receiving $135,000 for various initiatives to protect the Blandings turtle and the eastern ribbon snake. The Nature Trust of New Brunswick is receiving $123,000 for conservations efforts regarding the Peregrine falcon. And the Canadian Sea Turtle Network in Halifax is receiving $110,000 for a project for the conservation of the leatherback sea turtle. All of the species the four projects will help conserve are currently listed as endangered, threatened or "of special concern". This represents a total federal contribution of $538,000.

To date this fiscal year the Government of Canada has committed $11.3 million in funding to 205 projects in communities across Canada through the Habitat Stewardship Program. The Program contributes to the recovery of endangered, threatened and other species at risk while also preventing species from becoming a conservation concern. It is a partnership-based conservation initiative managed by Environment Canada, Fisheries & Oceans Canada and Parks Canada.

For more information about the Habitat Stewardship Program and about the four Maritimes projects announced today, please see the related media backgrounders.  

To view the original article including photos ...
Env Min Jim Prentice Announces Investment for Wildlife Conservation Projects in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick  

[carly]

Protecting the peregrine By Jodi Lundmark, tbnewswatch.com  

MNR manager of protection and species at risk, Jason Travers, said the peregrine falcon is found in both urban and natural environments.

New regulations protecting the habitat of several of Ontario’s endangered species, including the peregrine falcon, take effect later this month.

The Ministry of Natural Resources Thursday hosted an open house at the Victoria Inn to share the new regulations with the public and let them know what this could mean for individuals and what can be done to protect the peregrine falcon.

Manager of protection and species at risk Jason Travers said the rules were developed to ensure peregrines are sustained across Ontario’s landscape since the bird is found in both urban and natural environments.

"They nest all over the place in terms of cliff faces in Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury and even in Ottawa and Toronto, you can find them on hotel buildings in downtown," he said. "Those are actually protected as well under the regulations, not just the natural cliff faces you might find in Thunder Bay. Anywhere you find the peregrine falcon, they’re protected."

While the falcon’s habitat is protected, that doesn’t mean people can’t do regular activities in those areas, Travers said.

"It doesn’t mean you can’t re-shingle your roof or put an addition on your house; it just means big items within that area including any activity that’s sort of larger than your space you might occupy already," he said. "It’s about when you change the landscape significantly."

The regulations mean you can’t damage or destroy the habitat, but that can be different depending on the location.

"These sessions are happening across Ontario to work with all affected individuals or interested folks because one activity might not have the same impact in the same location on the same type of species," Travers said.

"It’s about the big pieces," he added. "The little things about what you’re doing around your house or in terms of farming, that’s not the issue."


From the MNR website.

Peregrine Falcon Habitat:
Peregrine Falcons (threatened) nest on high steep cliff ledges close to large bodies of water and on structures such as tall buildings and bridges.  Although Peregrine Falcons now nest in and around Toronto and several other southern Ontario cities, the majority of Ontario’s breeding population is found around Lake Superior in northern Ontario.  The regulated habitat for Peregrine Falcon protects natural cliff faces that are at least 15 metres high and that are being used or have been used by Peregrine Falcon for nesting within the past 15 years, plus a 1 kilometre area around the cliff face.  Nesting sites located on an artificial cliff face (e.g., steep rock cut, open pit mine) are protected while the nesting site is being used.  In addition, nesting sites on structures (such as buildings and bridges) that are being used or have been used by Peregrine Falcon for nesting within the last 2 years, and the area on the outside surface that is within 10 metres of the nesting site are protected, as are areas within 200 metres of these nesting sites that are habitually used by Peregrine Falcon (e.g. for roosting, plucking, or perching).  

[Alison]

Peregrine Falcon Soars to Freedom  (Aug 2009)

After a stint hunting and scaring off gulls at a city landfill, a once-injured nine-year-old peregrine falcon was sent soaring into Edmonton's sunny skies yesterday.

About eight years ago, Val was found in Saskatchewan with a broken wing. Falconer Jim Kroshus worked with her to bring her back to health.  Once Val was rehabilitated, she was used in Waste Management Canada's gull abatement program at the West Edmonton Landfill.

Val, with about a dozen other birds, helped control the landfill's exploding gull population - which last year exceeded 250,000. The gulls became a nuisance in and around the landfill due to their sheer numbers - leaving droppings and molting feathers everywhere.

Val's handlers thought she was strong enough to be released back into the wild now that she has experience hunting gulls.

'BITTERSWEET MOMENT'

"It's a bittersweet moment," said Steve Schwartze, a falconer, before helping to release the bird near the landfill yesterday. "We're getting to let a peregrine be a peregrine rather than be in captivity."

From her handler's arm, Val was released and flew across the field before landing on a hill next to 170 Street. Schwartze said Val would probably sit there and scope out the area for a while.

He was optimistic the bird would eventually find a mate. There are currently nine active mating peregrine falcon pairs in the city, Schwartze said.

The gull program, launched in the spring of last year, sees four to six falcons working at the landfill at one time. Since then, the number of gulls at the site has decreased significantly.

Another falcon, 70-day-old Jenna, is also being trained for use at the landfill.

Lucas Stadlwieser, 3, petted the squawking bird. "I was a little bit scared -- the noise was a bit much," said Stadlwieser.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/edmonton/2009/08/31/10683961-sun.html

Photos of Val's release ... courtesy of Carly who originally posted the story but we lost the link ...
http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/edmonton/2009/08/30/10680866.html

[Alison]

Yes all the organizations that were bequeathed birds were reputable, licenced and had long histories or at least their people did.  And yes, if the bird is to be used for education or as an ambassador or whatever, the organization, centre and staff have to be fully qualified.  Just because a peregrine is in captivity doesn't mean they aren't still afforded legal protection from the various levels of government. 

That's good to know. I do hope that CPF has increased its level of security; I remember a few years ago when one of their peregrines, Tarah, was stolen.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Yes all the organizations that were bequeathed birds were reputable, licenced and had long histories or at least their people did.  And yes, if the bird is to be used for education or as an ambassador or whatever, the organization, centre and staff have to be fully qualified.  Just because a peregrine is in captivity doesn't mean they aren't still afforded legal protection from the various levels of government. 

[carly]

Hope it helped 

Yes it did.  I didn't realize though that you could just give someone - well not someone but an organization a falcon like that.  Admittedly I haven't much knowledge about that - I just remember reading that you had to have a falconers license in order to purchase one so it kind of surprised me.  But maybe they do as they do have a teaching facility and keep all kinds of birds there.   

[carly]

Thanks TPC.   

[The Peregrine Chick]

Wainwright isn't in operation anymore for breeding peregrines unfortunately.  When the facililty shut down, a committee was formed to decide where the breeding birds should go - including the place where we got the two chicks we tried fostering here in 2008.  So CPF would have gotten Nova, and probably Qtesh depending on when they got her, from one of the centres the original Wainwright birds were bequeathed to.  Does that make sense?

As for breeding for the wild, yes, birds are still available for release to the wild, just not as many and they are not inexpensive (and never were).  As for Nova being pure anatum, my guess would be yes, but I don't know enough about him to be sure about that.  I may find out more later as I'm working on a wee genealogical puzzle at the moment and hope to talk to some of the former Wainwright folks this winter.

[carly]

Yes I agree with you on that one.  I didnt' think they were still running a breeding facility out there - maybe TPC could tell us what is going on there?  I know they don't breed them to release in the wild anymore, do they breed them for falconry??  I was confused as well.  And my guess is that he's probably pure Anatum as well as that's what Qetesh was and where she came from all those years ago - Qetesh was originally part of the breeding program when it was running all those years ago.

[Alison]

Alison - not sure if you saw this or not but thought I'd bump it up in case you missed it 

Thank you for the update on Nova, Carly! He is such a handsome little juvie. I hope being a captive bird will work out well for him, but I can't help thinking he would be better off in the wild.

[carly]

Alison - not sure if you saw this or not but thought I'd bump it up in case you missed it 

[carly]

From BigFrank:

Nova was received from a breeding facility..the breeding facility in Wainright Alberta Canada which was responsible for the captive breeding program for birds released to the wild back when Peregrine conservation started. Recently CPF lost their grande dame of their education program Qtesh. She was over 20 years old. She had been in the Wainright facility as one of the breeding birds who produced many young for release. She was retired to CPF some years ago. When they heard of Qtesh's passing,they offered us a new Peregrine to "take her place". Nova was that bird. He was born(I always say that...hatched of course) in captivity and we accepted him happily. He was acclimated to people and is now a full and valuable member of our feathered educational team.

[carly]

Awww...he's adorable Alison, he looks like he's smiling!  I honestly don't know what his story is, save for he came late in the season and he was from out of province.  It reminded me of Tybopra for some reason because the story I heard of him was that he was taken from a bridge in Quebec where the young were in danger of drowning due to the nest location so I thought perhaps it was another of those types of situations and maybe being so late in the season they couldn't find a home for him?? 

He looks healthy though, and that's the cleanest juvie I've ever seen 

[allikat]

A very cute chick turned into a very handsome juvie....

[Alison]

He has fledged already, these are from when he arrived in Ontario.  He is replacing Quetesh, who died earlier this year.  I'm bound to an oath, can't say more  

Yes, I realized that these were photos from earlier this year. I think these early photos make him a major candidate for Cutest Chick of the Year award. Nevertheless, an impression remains that CPF seems a little reluctant to post info about him.

A more recent photo:

[Alison]

An interesting post by Frank Butson on the CPF site:

On Nov 21, Walter and I were down at Humber Bay Park East in Torontos westend. It is right at the lakeshore. The adult Peregrine flew past me as I was searching for other birds. It flew out of my lines of sight,so I thought that was pretty cool and continued my search. As I continued on some time later,I spotted the silhouette of a raptor perched in a tree. Looking into the sun,I was fairly certain it was the Peregrine,but wasnt sure. I ventured abit closer and confirmed it was a Peregrine. Walter and I began a slow approach,not wanting to spook the bird. After 2 ladies walked right under the tree oblivious to the birds presence,I moved as close as I dared. I could not see a band on the birds left leg at all,and it was well seen on at least 2 or 3 occasions.  The Peregrine was likely digesting a meal,as it had a full crop. It sat for at least 10-15 minutes while we watched. It watched various small ducks intently,despite appearing full. It was a great find and really made my day. Please enjoy the video I put together.

http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=dsi11&s=6

And a video from Walter Fisher:

http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=2mo9sav&s=6

Photos by Frank Butson:

[allikat]

What a cutie.....I wish him all the success!!!  Can't wait to hear more news!

[carly]

He has fledged already, these are from when he arrived in Ontario.  He is replacing Quetesh, who died earlier this year.  

[bccs]

What a beautiful falcon. Notice the feathers just coming in on his tail.

[eagle63_1999]

We will find out in time I am sure but man that is one cute falcon!

[Alison]

This totally charming chick, born 2009, is listed as one of CPF's education birds, with a note "biography to come".

I wonder why he (or she) is being raised in captivity, instead of possibly being fostered to another nest. There must be a reason.

 



http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/programs/education/edfoto.html

[Alison]

A wing and a prayer

ARVIAT - Joseph Kablutsiak of Arviat could never have imagined what awaited him when his daughter called him outside earlier this month.

There, standing on the ground near the side of his truck unable to take flight, was an injured juvenile peregrine falcon. The peregrine falcon, also referred to as a duck hawk, is a bird of prey.  It's a large, crowsized falcon, distinguished by its bluegrey back, barred white underparts, and black head and moustache. What many people don't realize about the peregrine falcon is that it's recognized as the fastest animal on the planet.

Amazingly, the peregrine can surpass speeds of 322km/h (200 m.p.h.) in a dive.

The female peregrine tends to be much bigger than its male counterpart, and its breeding range stretches from the Arctic tundra to the tropics. In fact, the peregrine falcon can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains and most rainforests.

Kablutsiak figures his peregrine falcon must have hit overhead wires and fell to the ground.

The bird's benefactor said once he was certain the falcon couldn't fly, he took it inside, put it in a box and fed it with chicken and mice. Kablutsiak said he contacted Renewable Resources, but its officers were all out of town. He was informed the bird would be looked at once they arrived back in the community.

"We decided we could keep it until it could fly again, and we could even provide a cage for the bird," said Kablutsiak. "We looked after it the best we could, hoping it would be able to fly soon and we wouldn't have to keep it all winter."

The falcon began to look healthier every day and started trusting Kablutsiak more as he and his family nursed it back to health. As it turned out, Kablutsiak spent his final moments with the bird this past weekend, when he took it out to look for mice.

"The bird looked up at the sky and then back at me, and then it took flight. I went up to the flat rocks by the dump and watched it soar in the sky, healthy and free once again. I am very happy to have been given the chance to save the bird's life."

[The Peregrine Chick]

Here's a nice story I came across this morning:

Falcon’s release into wild bittersweet for falconer

Same story, bit more detail ...

Falcon earns wings & freedom after helping to control gulls at Alberta landfill

Apparently Val the Falcon was injured in southern Saskatchewan a number of years ago ... going to email the company and see if they have information on her prior to her injury ... who knows, could be a Manitoba bird!  Will let you know what I find out ...

[JL]

Here's a nice story I came across this morning:

Falcon’s release into wild bittersweet for falconer

[eagle63_1999]

The amazing story of Madelaine (Aug 2007)



A peregrine falcon’s call compels attention. Kip McCurdy will say he’s been a bit obsessed with a bird named Madelaine. He watched her as she clawed her kind back from the brink of extinction. This extraordinary story began on a chilly March day in St. Croix Cove. McCurdy had been cutting wood when he decided to take a break and go for walk along the bay to ‘see what was happening in the world.’  He was sitting at the edge of the cliffs when first one, then a second bird drifted into view. They seemed to stop and hover in midair to face him. "They looked at me and I looked at them," he said. "And I thought, those are peregrine falcons."

For years they were considered to be nearly extinct in Nova Scotia, with only rare sightings of lone peregrines. McCurdy said he continued to ask around and check these grim facts against what he was seeing, but his eyes always won. This was the first local sighting of a pair of mating falcons in more than 40 years. The larger one, a female that he named Madelaine, was more aggressive and therefore easier to see than the male. She could be found riding the wind in defense of her nest, and fearlessly charging intruders.

The more he watched and learned about them, the farther out on a limb -- or rather the cliff’s edge -- he went to gather enough proof that Madeline was indeed a peregrine falcon. It took some convincing, but the following spring McCurdy was able to persuade Mark Elderkin, a local species-at-risk biologist to come out and have a look. "He called. Said they’d arranged a helicopter survey," said McCurdy. "They landed in the hayfield to pick me up. At first, I couldn’t see anything in the cliffs, so I had them back off until I could get my bearings." This led to a confirmed sighting by the team of biologists and earned McCurdy a seat on the peregrine falcon recovery team, monitoring the peregrine’s nest on behalf of the Department of Natural Resources. For more than 10 years, McCurdy said he shivered and watched for Madelaine to return each March to her aerie in the rock face that overlooks the Bay of Fundy.

In 1955, a falconer snatched the last two wild chicks from a nest in Cape D’or for use as hunting birds. The number of falcons continued to decline in North America. Finally in 1973, the Canadian Wildlife Service began a series of attempts to reintroduce the species into various parts of Canada.  About 80 birds were released over a five-year period at three sites in Nova Scotia. These attempts to re-establish breeding appeared to be largely unsuccessful, until Madelaine’s surprise appearance at St. Croix Cove in 1997.

From 1998 until 2005, McCurdy kept close watch on the peregrines, counting as each chick became a fledgling, and the number of offspring grew to 23.  During that time he witnessed some amazing aerobatic feats. Peregrines mate for life and Madelaine and her tercel would often exchange food on the fly. They could be seen flying in formation and then breaking off to meet on flared wings to touch talons. Madelaine was also known to fly upside down for extended periods, McCurdy said he couldn’t imagine why she would except as ‘an emphatic statement that no animal sails the wind like a peregrine falcon.’  Over the years he watched as she fearlessly charged larger animals that included a red tailed hawk, a dog, and a team of biologists.  

To this day, Madelaine’s origin is a mystery. McCurdy said she didn’t wear bands, so it’s unlikely that she was a captive release bird. She could be the offspring of hacked parents; or a rare descendant of wild ancestry, perhaps from a nest in Labrador, he said. "It’s a good thing that she was so confrontational," he said. "We wouldn’t have known about her otherwise."

In June 2005, the tercel was found dead on the road, likely struck by a car. The following spring Madelaine didn’t return to St. Croix Cove.  Her aerie is now home to a new pair of peregrines. McCurdy said he thinks it’s likely that the female is one of Madeline’s daughters.  He added that several of her offspring are scattered throughout the Minas Basin. McCurdy said he is far from confident that the species is out of the woods. "DDT is still used in South America, where they spend the winter," he said. "And we continue to introduce pesticides that are contaminating the environment and their prey." He added that since the population appeared to be on a rebound, a recent survey probably hasn’t been taken. "Resources only go so far," he said.

The story has been abbreviated a wee bit to fit here ... http://www.novanewsnow.com/article-129811-The-amazing-story-of-Madelaine.html