Other Peregrine Projects > USA Peregrines
OH / Columbus - Rhodes Tower - 2008-16
bcbird:
Bad luck then, for Swoop, and so sad to hear.
The Peregrine Chick:
Sounds like half the fledges out there ... sometimes they go intentionally and gracefully. Sometimes its a case of oops and off they go. Hurricane who is out in Brandon got blown off the edge of the nestbox and she managed to get a nearby building ... she did fine and is now a second year resident female in Brandon who was happy to take our heads off yesterday when we banded her offspring.
Keep in mind that the chicks don't really fly for the first few days, they are big gliders and so long as they stay high, they are fine. Flying up is tough and takes some practice. Taking off from the ground likewise takes work as it takes practice, skill and strength, none of which the chicks have right away. Luck too plays a part in all fledgings!
carly:
--- Quote from: LinderLou on June 28, 2010, 22:17 ---From watching the video Swoop was visibily upset when they returned Spirit to the nestbox. Scout was definitely kakking up a storm and Swoop headed to the ledge and did wingercize a bit but not enough to take flight. I really don't think it was ready to go yet and probably nothing wrong with it medically. Only my thoughts.
--- End quote ---
I wonder too linderlou. It also seems strange both chicks would fall within hours of each other. I wonder how windy it was and if the area is prone to wind tunnels. I know we have nasty areas here where there are concentrations of high buildings densely pack together and I personally, being as small as a rag doll (as my friends would say) have often gotten caught up in them and literally been blown onto the street into traffic - it feels like a hand is on your back and you have no control at all so imagine a poor little falcon who has yet to have tested her wings.
It can't be easy to make a decision as to whether to return her to the ledge or not at that stage. That's part of the reason they do our releases at night - so the parents don't panic and so the released bird and any siblings up there don't panic fly or fall. They learned that lesson the hard way I'm afraid. Either way, I'm sure Donna must feel horrible.
Linder:
Also checked out the comments on the Ohio Webcam Site:
Possible Fledge This Morning
I haven't gotten any concrete confirmation but a couple of reports indicate that one of the juveniles may have fledged earlier this morning. The accounts indicated that the bird was flapping near the edge and basically fell off the ledge while turning around. Since then only one chick has been observed on the ledge.
At this point they have all of the feathers necessary for flight. So, even if the "take off" wasn't deliberate, once over the edge the bird will instinctively flap. It is important at this point to try and get leg band codes via the ledgecam to help tell which bird(s) are on the ledge.
This was the first one that obviously wasn't ready to fledge that went over the ledge and when it was returned to the nest ledge the second went over the ledge an hour or two later.
Linder:
Decided to check out the BCAW site for comments as they all follow this site closely:
I am with you SGB; I am in total shock; I was out in my yard when my neighbor came up to me and said they were downtown; I am always telling them about our girls; that is when they told me - Patrice was driving down Broad Street and out of the corner of her eye she saw something fall from the sky - she thought it was a chunk of the building but it turned out to be Swoop. She said Swoop was laying intact on her back with her wings spread so she was trying to fly;
Of course everyone has a hard time believing what has happened as there were no visible signs of Swoop having problems.
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