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AB / Pembina (hack site) - 2015

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bev.:
Pembina Hack Site
please read before watching video

I wanted to share with you, my video of our trip to Pembina hack site. I know there a lot who do not believe in hacking falcons but once you take this trip, and witness  these young juveniles, flying with such ease ,and see their majestic surroundings, there is no doubt in our minds, that this is true Paradise for falcons.

Would I not love to have seen black  band female and blue banded male stay at WEber after their rescues , flying with yellow band male. Of course. It was tough, but that is just selfishness on my part. Did I not feel for the adults at Weber, DO1 and Green girl, of course. But when Gord told me how well blue band male was flying up a storm and we saw for ourselves, these falcons landing in trees, on tree tops, on the cliffs and sleeping by the hack site, we knew this was right. When we saw them flying and soaring and gliding, and chasing each other, among the cliffs and wide open sky, it was magical.
 
It was so hard, when Blue band female, at U of A, came to ground second time. WE knew she could fly but she had lost her confidence, you could tell. She kept slipping off metal ledges. Coming to the ground if we were not around, meant possible death by car.  Trying to get higher could mean, collision with a building.

But while we were at Pembina, a young juvenile crash landed in tree and shook it self off and away it went. Landing on the ground, just meant, getting its bearings and flapping and getting to a higher position, with no buildings in the way. Wide open spaces and trees, and rocks etc. This is what Blue banded female needed. She was given all the time she needed to take flight.

Are there risks at hack sites , Yes. But 99.9 percent, are ones of nature. And I can deal with that. WE will not always have this option. It costs money, as our hack sites are monitored around  the clock, the young are fed quail twice a day till no one comes back for any (usually this time of year.) We have one, maybe two years left to do this.

As Gord has put it, our cities have become urban traps for falcons. The adults choose them because of tall buildings, but our young do not do well, typically. anyone living in cities, just have to look at all the glass and skyscrapers that continually go up. Our downtown area in Edmonton, will be brutal in the future.  Not a place for young at all.

If just one or two falcon pair a year, go back to the cliffs, that is one more set of young, that will have a better chance. There are perils, from flash rainstorms, owls, fox, etc.  But these are all of nature.  The juveniles that are put in the hack boxes, get to imprint on the site, and surroundings. Even if they are rescues, they are not just let go. They are held in the box to get used to site.

Steve is going to be working on a newer, bigger hack box for next year, with many good improvements

So, our pictures are not great, no super camera LOL, but you can see how well the juveniles are camouflaged against the trees and cliffs. One cliff, I circled , as it is man made, to give them more protection. There are a few of those around there.  Steve's dog is great   He was a lot of fun. He loves the falcons.

The video starts at the top of cliff, where  the hack boxes are, and then we go below along the river. Great views. We did not get as many shots as we would have liked , as we were just so mesmerized by the spectacles we were seeing. Look carefully at pictures. Where else would you see at least 6 falcons in a tree. They kept coming and going. In one cliff shot, there are 2 falcons and one flying in, but you have to really look. we even saw a sharp-shinned hawk in tree (it is in one of  pictures)

On our way home we stopped to take pictures of an Osprey nest. Jean cleverly superimposed Peter in the nest. That is what he gets for being such a ham LOL now I will let you enjoy part of what we saw.

Put sound on and watch full screen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abzpvm2HwNQ

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