NE / Omaha - Woodmen Tower - 2009-21

[The Peregrine Chick]

2021 NESTING SEASON

[GCG]

2020 NESTING SEASON


this year's webcam link:  https://www.earthcam.com/usa/nebraska/omaha/falconcam/?cam=falcon_omaha

[The Peregrine Chick]

This doesn't exactly belong here, but I was attempting to reply to TPC's Woodmen post from today, and discovered that the "Reply" option is gone.

My fault, I added the summary post and it locked the board.
It's unlocked now.

[Alison]

This doesn't exactly belong here, but I was attempting to reply to TPC's Woodmen post from today, and discovered that the "Reply" option is gone.

[The Peregrine Chick]

In case you missed it in the Tweet below (I agree the photo of Chayton makes it easy to not pay attention to anything else!) - the folks at WoodmenLife are having their annual Name the Chick Contest on now. 

Not sure when voting ends, so if you are interested, do it now

[The Peregrine Chick]

https://twitter.com/mbperegrines/status/1138919269914292224

[The Peregrine Chick]

2019 NESTING SEASON

Chayton (2014 Kansas City, Missouri) with Mintaka (2010 Lincoln NE). 
Mintaka has been at Woodmen Life for a few years now - this is his second year with Chayton. 
Prior to being at Woodmen with Mintaka, Chayton was with Orozco at St Cecilia's in Omaha.

This year they had three chicks who were banded on June 3rd - two females, 1 male.

[Alison]

Hunter from Omaha, now an education ambassador at Teton Raptor Center, studies his photo and article in Beak to Feet, the Center's magazine.

Check out Hunter's spread in our new Beak to Feet!

This is the second edition of our personalized educational magazine that highlights all three pillars of our mission: education, research and rehabilitation. You can learn more about our resident avian ambassadors, read stories from our rehab clinic, enhance your raptor knowledge and discover conservation projects to help wildlife!

You can purchase your personal copy from our store by visiting: https://squareup.com/store/tetonraptorcenter/item/beak-feet



Photo: Teton Raptor Center.

Another photo of Hunter, this one from Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery. What a beauty he is.



https://www.facebook.com/tetonraptorcenter/posts/10155976873299912

[Alison]

The chicks are looking good:

 

The third chick showed up outside the nest:

 

[Alison]

I hadn't seen the chicks for a couple of days, but this evening two were at the nest.

 

 

[Alison]

Now the three chicks have received their names: Liberty, Justice and Freedom.

[Alison]

The three girls when they were banded:

[burdi]

Nice to see three chicks for Mintaka and Chayton!

[Alison]

And now there are three chicks:

 

The little chick who was on his back is now upright again, and the feeding continued.

[Alison]

Mintaka and Chayton have two new chicks:

 

[RCF]

Mintaka’s New Mate Has Been ID’d

We finally know who Mintaka’s been so sweet on for more than a month.

Please welcome Chayton to WoodmenLife Tower.
After we learned Mintaka’s previous mate, Charity, died in a collision in January, falcon watchers have been hopeful he would find a new sweetheart and there would be another clutch of eggs.

https://www.realwoodmenlife.com/following-the-falcons/woodmenlife-ids-mintakas-new-mate

[Alison]

Nice that she's a local girl, too bad we don't have information on her parents - that year none of the identities of the nesting adults in Missouri were reported in the Midwest database.  Who knows, with those speckles on her breast maybe she's one of Princess' kids - or Hurricane's, Joli's, Terminator's, Alley's or Jules' even ... likely not but without IDs anything is possible!     Only a month and a bit until at least one of our birds should be home!!!

I am not at all sure that Chayton is the new female at the Woodmen nest. The only female I have seen there is banded black/red, but although the band is pretty much unreadable, it does not seem to resemble 17/Z. Of course, the female I have seen may be a different bird. Chayton is the one who was with Orozco last year in Omaha, and may still be there.

I can give you some information on Chayton's background.

Her mother was born in 2004 at the Riverside Plaza nest in Minneapolis. She is banded black/green 49/C, and has nested for a number of years in Kansas City, Missouri with her unbanded mate, who was displaced by an intruder last year while she was incubating four eggs, leaving her to incubate and raise her chicks alone.

The father of 49/C is Rocket, banded black/green L/M, born in 2000 at the Riverside Plant in Minneapolis.

The mother of 49/C is Phoebe, an escaped falconry bird from Kansas, born in 1994. After her escape, she headed north to Minneapolis, where she nested at a bridge site for several years before moving to the Riverside Plaza site in 2004, where she and her new mate Rocket raised four female chicks. I think it is interesting that when it was time for 49/C to search for a nest of her own, she headed to the area her mother came from. Kansas City, Missouri is just across the river from Kansas City, Kansas.

Rocket's father is Lightning, banded black/red *3/*A, born in 1998 at the Sherco Plant nest in Minnesota. In 2002 Lightning's mate was Marie, banded  K/*V, from the Monticello Plant.

Lightning and Marie are the parents of Princess.

So you are right, TPC, she does have a connection to Princess.

And one of the 2017 chicks from the Kansas City nest spent part of the winter in Dallas. Her name is Gabi, and she is banded black/blue 69/K.

[The Peregrine Chick]

I believe her name is Chayton. 

This person Chad Steele identified the female 17 / Z in the Midwest Peregrine Database report.

 Female Chayton 17 / Z - born in 2014 in Jackson County, Missouri. Ringed on the American Century Investments building.

http://www.peregrinefalcon-bcaw.net/viewtopic.php?p=452264#p452264

Thanks for this RCF!  Question  - the photo at the top of page 2 on BCAW was from her sighting in Omaha in January 2017 - has it been confirmed that she is back in Omaha now?  Nothing on Twitter yet and I don't Facebook so just trying to get the timeline/IDs straight in case she does in fact hook up with our Manitoba grand-kid Mintaka!

Nice that she's a local girl, too bad we don't have information on her parents - that year none of the identities of the nesting adults in Missouri were reported in the Midwest database.  Who knows, with those speckles on her breast maybe she's one of Princess' kids - or Hurricane's, Joli's, Terminator's, Alley's or Jules' even ... likely not but without IDs anything is possible!     Only a month and a bit until at least one of our birds should be home!!!

[RCF]

I believe her name is Chayton. 

This person Chad Steele identified the female 17 / Z in the Midwest Peregrine Database report.

 Female Chayton 17 / Z - born in 2014 in Jackson County, Missouri. Ringed on the American Century Investments building.

http://www.peregrinefalcon-bcaw.net/viewtopic.php?p=452264#p452264

[The Peregrine Chick]

https://twitter.com/WoodmenFalcons/status/964575727604588544

[The Peregrine Chick]

https://twitter.com/WoodmenFalcons/status/964262212767399937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[The Peregrine Chick]

There is a new female on site TPC...there may be more to the story of Charity's collision than we'll ever know given how comfortable she appeared on cam with Mintaka.

Hmm sounds familiar - we don't know what happened to Joli and we'll never know I'm afraid.  Watching the cam at Logan the last birds we saw there were not Joli or Princess or Faith who had a dust up with Joli in tre Spring.  We could tell who the female was but she was making herself comfortable in the nestbox and with a male - again not someone we could ID - maybe next Spring.

Well I'm sorry Charity's loss.  Hopefully the new female will be a worthy successor.

[carly]

There is a new female on site TPC...there may be more to the story of Charity's collision than we'll ever know given how comfortable she appeared on cam with Mintaka.  No ID yet but she's banded Black over Red as well.

[The Peregrine Chick]

2017/18 was a hard year on nesting adults - particularly females.  It may be that we really find out how hard in another couple of months when the birds return/have returned.  Fingers crossed that Mintaka will a) return and b) find a lady friend.

We may not know Charity's parentage but we do Mintaka's - neat that we can get back to the captive-breeding program birds on both the Canadian & US side.

Mintaka
son of 19K & Alley (Lincoln)
grandson of Trey & Princess (Radisson), US breeding program pair
great-grandson of T-Rex & Madame (Radisson), Lightning & Marie (Minneapolis), 2 US breeding program pairs
great-great-grandson of Pop & Maud (Radisson), 2 US breeding program pairs
great-great-great-grandson of Keet & Jessie (CWS), Billy-Rae & MF-1 (Minneapolis), 1 US breeding pair
great-great-great-great-grandson of 1 US breeding prgram pair (parents of MF-1) and Cdn (SK) breeding program pair (parents of Billy-Rae)

[Alison]

There is very sad news from the Woodmen nest today:

It is with a heavy heart that we announce that Charity, our female falcon nesting at the WoodmenLife Tower, has died after a collision.  Charity arrived in 2015 and mated with Mintaka, our male falcon.

The falcon cam last spotted a bird 11 days ago. It is believed that Mintaka is searching for a new mate. We will know for sure if Mintaka has chosen to keep the WoodmenLife Tower as his home if he returns with his new mate by late February or early March to make their new nest. See how this story unfolds at falcons.woodmenlife.org in the coming months.

Charity was a very beautiful falcon. Although she was unbanded when she arrived at the Woodmen site, I believe that she was a fairly young bird. She was later banded black/red 48/U. She was a wonderful mother to her chicks, and a loyal mate to Mintaka.

She will be greatly missed. 

 

https://www.facebook.com/WoodmenLife/photos/a.10150211390448227.318072.311707243226/10155551417368227/?type=3&theater

[Alison]

The three eggs were left unattended for a while, but then one of the parents returned to incubate.

 

[Alison]

Yesterday there were still two eggs, and then suddenly there were three.

 

[Alison]

Mintaka and Charity have their first egg today:

 

https://falcons.woodmen.org/falcon-cam.cfm

[Alison]

The following day, one of the juvies paid a visit to the nest box:

 



I have not seen any of the three juvies since then.

[Alison]

For some time after Hunter's sisters fledged, I saw no sign of any of them on the webcams.

Then, one day in late July, two of the juvies visited the other nest box at the same time. It was great to see them, and it gave me hope that all three may be doing well.

 

 

[burdi]

From Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery, an update on Hunter as he settles in to his new home at the Teton Raptor Center in Wyoming:

An update on Hunter (H57) the peregrine falcon that hatched at the Woodmen Tower this year.

Hunter is making himself at home in Wyoming. The good folks at the Teton Raptor Center even invited him to attend their staff meeting this week!

For those who are not familiar with his story, Hunter suffers from vision issues and is not able to be released back into the wild. He will be serving as an education bird for the Teton Raptor Center and helping to educate people about the importance of birds of prey.

It’s nice to see Hunter being treated so well; I feel he stands a very good chance of a long and happy life at Teton Raptor Center.

[The Peregrine Chick]

What a beautiful little juvie he is:

 

Princess and Trey did good work - can see it even a couple of generations down the line 

[Alison]

From Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery, an update on Hunter as he settles in to his new home at the Teton Raptor Center in Wyoming:

An update on Hunter (H57) the peregrine falcon that hatched at the Woodmen Tower this year.

Hunter is making himself at home in Wyoming. The good folks at the Teton Raptor Center even invited him to attend their staff meeting this week!

For those who are not familiar with his story, Hunter suffers from vision issues and is not able to be released back into the wild. He will be serving as an education bird for the Teton Raptor Center and helping to educate people about the importance of birds of prey.

What a beautiful little juvie he is:

 

[burdi]

I hope everything will go well for Hunter in his new home, and that he will have a long, safe and happy life as an education ambassador.

I hope so too, Alison, and I have a feeling things will go well for Hunter!

[Alison]

Little Hunter willl not be staying at Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery after all.

Today it was announced that he has been relocated to the Teton Raptor Center.

We're excited to announce that Hunter, the non-releasable peregrine falcon who hatched at the Woodmen Tower this year, has reached his new home at the Teton Raptor Center!

Hunter is currently getting acclimated to his new home in gorgeous western Wyoming. He will be an education bird, helping people learn more about raptors and the dangers they face.

 

I hope everything will go well for Hunter in his new home, and that he will have a long, safe and happy life as an education ambassador.

[Alison]

It sounds as if Hunter may not be leaving Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery. I came across this note:

Hunter will remain in our care and will likely become an education bird.

Meanwhile, here is Hunter's older sister (born in 2015) in her new residence at Fontenelle Forest's Raptor Woodland Refuge.

[Alison]

We now have an update from Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery on Hunter, the little male from the Woodmen nest, and unfortunately, it is not an encouraging one.

Hunter was thoroughly evaluated. Unfortunately he has permanent vision changes in his left eye. These changes will make it extremely difficult for his survival. He will not be releasable. We will work with USFWS permitted organizations to place him.

He may not be able to go back to the wild, but he will be able to make a difference by helping to educate the public about the importance of birds of prey like himself.

Photos of Hunter from Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery.

 

The fact that both Hunter and his sister Charlotte from last year have vision problems may be coincidence, but since they are both offspring of Mintaka and Charity, I wonder if there could be a possible genetic factor.

[Alison]

There is an update on one of last year's Woodmen chicks, Charlotte, banded black/red B/85.

She had been found injured after fledging last year, and taken to Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery. After spending time in rehab, an attempt was made to release her on the roof of the Woodmen building. Sadly, she was unable to take flight, and the attempt failed.

She has been deemed non-releasable, and will be a permanent resident at Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery's new addition.

Rescued birds settling in at new $2 million digs at Fontenelle Forest

June 21 2016

Charlotte the falcon can’t see well.

Someone found her on the street one day, far below her home atop the Woodmen Tower. A neurological disorder makes it difficult for her to navigate and find food.

So Charlotte has joined several other birds of prey like her — rescues, unable to survive in the wild — at Fontenelle Forest’s new Raptor Woodland Refuge, which opens to the public July 16.

The $2 million expansion is the Bellevue forest’s biggest project in more than a decade, said Joe Vavak, spokesman for Fontenelle Forest.

The refuge has the capacity to house up to two dozen birds. Visitors will be able to tour the raptor refuge and see the birds living in “mews,” or treehouses. Several are housed high in the treetops and accessible to guests via a suspended walkway.

While it is not the life Charlotte should have had, at least she will be safe and well cared for.

http://www.omaha.com/living/rescued-birds-settling-in-at-new-million-digs-at-fontenelle/article_4580d32d-bc2b-5739-bb02-b194129f325b.html

[Alison]

A contest was held to name the chicks, and the chicks have now received their names.

[Alison]

The little male, banded black/red H/57, is now named Hunter.

Today he is going to the veterinary optometrist to have his eyesight checked. I hope everything goes well for this handsome little fledgling.

[Alison]

The little male chick from the Woodmen nest was returned to the nest after being cared for by Fontenelle Forest Recovery.

However, not too long afterwards a chick was once again missing from the nest. It turned out to be the little male once again. He was not seen for a little over two days. He was found on the sidewalk and taken back to Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery for further care.

A Woodmen Tower peregrine falcon update: One of the chicks (banded H57) is currently in our care after being found on the sidewalk last night. He is otherwise healthy, but may have an issue with his eyesight that is effecting his ability to fledge and find his own food. We've made an appointment with a special veterinary optometrist to check his vision and will post an update when new information is available.

Back in rehab for the second time, he still looks too young to fledge:

     

[Alison]

One of the four Woodmen chicks fell from the nest and was taken to Fontenelle Forest's Raptor Recovery yesterday.

Fortunately, it seems that the little guy is okay.

The male chick from the Woodmen Tower is doing well and will return to its home later this afternoon. He appears to be unscathed from his adventure and will be back in the nest very soon.

It is now being posted on the Fontenelle Forest site that another chick has fallen from the nest.

When I checked the Woodmen site a few minutes ago, there were three chicks in the nest. One parent was perched on the other nest box; looked like Charity.

I hope someone in Omaha is watching over the chicks in case there is one on the ground. They are not yet ready to fledge.

[Alison]

Updating this thread a little bit:

Charity and Mintaka incubated four eggs. All four hatched, and there are now four beautiful big chicks. The chicks, three females and one male, were banded on May 27. Charity was taken inside with the chicks, and they took the opportunity to band her also. She now has a silver band on the right leg, and black over red 48/U on the left.

[RCF]

These two also have an Easter egg!!

[The Peregrine Chick]

She looks like Trey's family ... 

[Alison]

There is good news about one of the 2014 chicks from the Woodmen nest. Elsa, a daughter of Hera and Mintaka, banded black/red D/43, has been spotted in western Iowa, some ten miles from the Omaha nest site. Her grandparents are Alley and 19/K at the Lincoln nest; her great-grandparents are Princess and Trey at the Radisson nest in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

She is absolutely stunning. The beautiful photos are by Cary Smithson.

 

The chicks being banded in 2014:



http://magazine.outdoornebraska.gov/2016/01/peregrine-falcon-news-from-frozen-and-iowa/

[Alison]

On July 27, Penelope and Charlotte were returned to the WoodmenLife Tower to be released. When Penelope was released, she flew strongly. Charlotte, on the other hand, made several attempts to fly, but was not able to fly successfully. She was taken back to Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery for further rehab. At least she will be safe there, and perhaps all she needs is more time before she can be released.

There has still been no sign of Max.

Penelope being released (left); beautiful Charlotte (right).

 

Photos from the WoodmenLife site.

[Kinderchick]

So sorry to hear that both Charlotte & Penelope are in rehab. Here's hoping they will recover enough to be successfully released back into the wild.

[Alison]

As of the beginning of this month, Max had not been seen for about a week.

The two surviving girls, Charlotte and Penelope, are both in rehab at Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery. One has a fractured collarbone; the other had become entangled in a net on a nearby building, and had lost weight.

It is very sad that fledging did not go well for any of this year's chicks. I hope that Charlotte and Penelope will be able to make a full recovery and be released.

I saw both Charity and Mintaka on cam today, one at each nest at the same time.

[Kinderchick]

Aww! So sorry to hear this very sad news about Lily.

[Alison]

Very sad news from the Woodmen nest; we have already lost one of the four fledglings. 

Lily Found Dead

Unfortunately, just a few short days after being named, Lily (B/90) (shown below) was found dead on the 5th floor balcony roof of the WoodmenLife Tower. It appears that she hit a window.

The remaining birds continue to fly off the roof of the WoodmenLife Tower and are routinely rescued when they land – which is normal. Birds have been recovered from the sidewalk, alleyway, parking garage, nearby Courthouse lawn and the 5th floor balcony. Each time, the birds are recovered and placed on the WoodmenLife Tower roof where mom and dad continue to feed and nurture them.



It is so sad to lose this beautiful little girl at such a young age. I wish that Lily could have had the chance to live her life.

Note: I am not sure of the correct spelling of Lily's name. I have seen it as a mixture of Lily and Lilly.

[Alison]

Here are the band numbers which go with the chicks' names:

• Charlotte (B/85)
• Penelope (B/86)
• Lily (B/90)
• Max (H31)

[RCF]

From the  WoodmenLife FB page

Here are the chicks names from their contest.  

[Alison]

I just saw the other two chicks at the far end of the ledge, so all four are accounted for at the moment.

 

[Alison]

One of the Woodmen chicks has been rescued, and two of the chicks have been returned to the roof of the Woodmen Tower. I'm very glad they found the missing chick.

From the Woodmen blog:

06/16/2015

Falcons Retrieved; Moved to Tower Roof

The fourth young falcon has been found! The missing falcon was found alive and well in an alley between the WoodmenLife Tower and the World Building. So it looks like the first two flights have ended successfully.

After consulting with Fontonelle Forest Raptor Recovery, both the falcon on the 5th floor and the one that landed in the alley were recovered and released on the roof of the WoodmenLife Tower. It should not take Mom and Dad long to find them up there.

This is normal behavior for the falcons when they are learning to fly. The young birds will make that first leap, flap their wings and discover they are not strong enough to return to the nest. So, they glide down to a landing.

In the past, young falcons have been found on sidewalks, streets, alleys and rooftops in downtown Omaha.

Below are images of the two falcons -- band numbers B/86 and H/31 -- after being released on the WoodmenLife Tower Roof. They don't seem very happy about it.

Two of Princess's great-grandchildren; they are beautiful! Photos from the blog.

 

[The Peregrine Chick]

There are four chicks here - three females, one male.
Voting on their names ends on June 15th.

Link to the voting = 2015 Name the Chicks Contest

Have fun!

[Alison]

The new, unbanded female was named Charity. Mintaka (banded black/red 57/H) is still the resident male.

They have four chicks.

[The Peregrine Chick]

They have been running a contest to name the new female at this site - winning entry should be announced today (April 27th).

For those new to this site, the former female was Hera.  She was from a wild nest somewhere so wasn't banded as a chick, however, she did get a silver USFWS band when she was injured one year.  The new female is also unbanded so no way to know where she is from.  It will nice to be able to call her by a name instead of "unbanded female in Omaha"   

[The Peregrine Chick]

It's still the unbanded female. They have  three eggs now as of this morning.   And yes the male is still Mintake also.

Thanks RCF!  Have you heard if they have or plan to name the new female soon?

[RCF]

Have we heard who the pair are here this year?  Mintaka is still around after his fight with dad I'm assuming, but what about the female - is silver-banded Hera back or is it still the unbanded female that was around earlier?

It's still the unbanded female. They have  three eggs now as of this morning.   And yes the male is still Mintake also.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Have we heard who the pair are here this year?  Mintaka is still around after his fight with dad I'm assuming, but what about the female - is silver-banded Hera back or is it still the unbanded female that was around earlier?

[Alison]

Two eggs:

[Alison]

The Woodmen pair have their first egg today:

[The Peregrine Chick]

I don't think it's Hera.  Hera only has a silver band on one leg.  This female has no bands.

I didn't know she had been banded at some point - good to know!

[RCF]

I don't think it's Hera.  Hera only has a silver band on one leg.  This female has no bands.

[The Peregrine Chick]

March 10 @ 1230h

bird on the edge of the nestbox right now is unbanded - Hera perhaps?  Looks big enough to be a female ...

[The Peregrine Chick]

March 7

The Battle for Omaha

In late February, the news that the long-time resident male Peregrine Falcon at the Capitol was spotted at the nestbox up at the Woodmen Building in downtown Omaha was shared on this blog.  In an expanded article in the Lincoln Journal Star, I noted that Peregrine Falcons will battle over breeding territories, even to the death.  We often do not see the battles, but if you needed evidence they occur, check out this YouTube video captured by Carolyn Evans from the Woodmen Falconcam on 7 March.

Read the rest of the story w/ photos and video ...

** be sure to check out the video! **

[The Peregrine Chick]

Joel Jorgensen  February 24, 2015   Nongame Bird Blog

We received news today from our partners at the Woodmen Building that a new male Peregrine Falcon was spotted at the nestbox in downtown Omaha. The shocking news was the band combination was very familiar, black over green and the letters 19/K.  This alphanumeric band belongs to the male Peregrine Falcon that has been one half of the nesting pair present at the Nebraska Capitol since 2005!

Photo and more info
http://neblandvm.outdoornebraska.gov/2015/02/peregrine-falcon-shocker/

** RCF originally posted this news on the Lincoln page **

[RCF]

  

All four falcon chicks made through last night's storm safe and sound! Mom is watching over them from her perch

This is public so anyone should be able to see.
https://www.facebook.com/WOWInsurance/photos/a.10150211390448227.318072.311707243226/10152217404968227/?type=1&theater

[RCF]

The storm at Lincoln went through here also. They had golf ball sized hail and wind gusts up to 100mph.  I can't see any chicks in the box but they have archived video.  I checked that and between 6 and 7 am you could hear chicks yelling, so that's good news. Three were in the box last night and one was outside the box on the ledge.  Just hoping for the best here.

[RCF]

Four chicks have hatched.   

[The Peregrine Chick]

2014 NESTING SEASON

Mintaka and Hera are back as of this week are apparently showing interest in both their available nestboxes.  In fact, Woodmen have a contest going to see which box they choose.

[The Peregrine Chick]

All the chicks have fledged successfully and there have been no reports of mortalities this year (so far).

One of the adults came back to hang out at the nestbox recently though ...


photo: Woodmen of the World

[The Peregrine Chick]

I was chatting with the Omaha folks and finally remembered to ask when was Mintaka's first year in Omaha - the answer is 2012 so not Zeus here with Hera this year as we originally thought!

[Rose]

Watched the banding, not impressed! Too many people milling around with cameras (big cameras, small cameras, and  TV camera), getting in front of the countertop where the Bander and helpers were working with the chicks but I suppose that's one way they get their financing, the more people the more money! I did notice that no one except the banding crew touched the chicks and the chicks were quite vocal at times.

[Jazzerkins]

I see what you mean by "shell-shocked".  They do look a little disorientated, don't they?

[RCF]

This is from their facebook page.

[RCF]

Looks like three females and one male. Here are the four after the banding....a lttle shell shocked.

[RCF]

They had five eggs here and they all hatched, but today one of the chicks died. They are two weeks old tomorrow.     They will be banding them on June 3rd.

[Kinderchick]

LOL! I did have to take a deep breath when reading that family tree history. Had to read it several times, in fact!  

[The Peregrine Chick]

Whoo-hoo, another Radisson grand-kid on territory in the US!!  

And nice symmetry, our first Manitoba bird to nest in the US was Winnie, the daughter of T-Rex (from the first nest at the Radisson) and Burnsie (a hack release from Brandon).  As the offspring of T-Rex she is related to every Radisson, Brandon and Selkirk chick produced

Okay, take a deep breath ....   ....

In Omaha, Winnie went on to produce the following who in turn turned-up on territories (according to my info):

Husker 1996 - female at Cargill Plant in Red Wing, Minnesota - 2001 to 2010 and 3 mates
Tower 1998 - male in Kansas City, Missouri - 1999 to 2003, only nested in 2003 and was unsuccessful
Doorly 1999 - (problem child) male in Topeka, Kansas -2004-2006 destroyed eggs, 2007 destroyed all but one egg which survived to fledge without problems, 2008 no problems and all young fledged - not sure if he was back in 2010, know he has since been replace by Nemaha and Boreas both Alley & 19/K kids from Lincoln
Goldie 1999 - female at The Bank in Fargo, nested one year 2001 - one of her offspring, Copper, is/was a hyper aggressive female at a plant in Sartell, Minnesota - couldn't band her chicks because of her aggression

Copper is the half-sister to
Roosevelt and Bear who have been paired with Terminator in Grand Forks
Holly who was in Brandon and who is Brooklyn's Mom
Lewis and Dakotah who they were also her mates in Sartell
Katherine who was hooked up with Cowboy in 2011
Sandy who tried to seduce Ivy and got her butt kicked by Princess in 2011 and probably 2012
Jolicoeur who was hooked up with Cowboy in 2012

Copper is also aunt to
Alice who was in Winnipeg in 2010 and then ther Brandon Tower site in 2011 and we believe 2012
Smiley who came to visit Jules in the spring of 2012

One last note, a bird named Willa was hack-released from Woodman in 1988.  In 1990, she spent the summer with T-Rex (not nesting) at U of Manitoba - the same place where 4 years later, Winnie would be hatched and the circle goes around again!!!

[RCF]

Hera’s new mate is from Lincoln, Nebraska! And there’s a little twist to his story…

The new male falcon, Mintaka, was originally banded at the State Capital as female – NE Game & Parks said that when there is uncertainty in gender, they err by using the female band size. (This is because females have larger feet.)

Join us in welcoming the new reigning king of downtown Omaha, Mintaka!

You have scroll down the page a little, when you see the falcon you're there!!

https://www.facebook.com/WOWInsurance?ref=stream  

[Linder]

2013 NESTING SEASON

Hera has found new mate. For further info go to:

http://www.omaha.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20130315%2FNEWS%2F130319446%2F1685

There has been speculation from Bird Cams Around the World that the male was not Zeus and that it may not of been him in 2012 as well. They are still going back in photos to try and determine when Zeus was last seen at the nest site.

[RCF]

Here's a bit of video from this morning http://youtu.be/MbAKTp4bab0

[RCF]

I watched a feed this morning the smallest one had the biggest crop.  

[RCF]

Once again these 2 have not disappointed, 5 chicks. Check out the site and see the chicks.

I was looking at that site earlier this afternoon Linder. The one is quite a bit smaller than the rest, but they all look well fed.  

[Linder]

Once again these 2 have not disappointed, 5 chicks. Check out the site and see the chicks.

[The Peregrine Chick]

This site is notorious (or famous?) for 5 eggs.  Winnie was the first of our Manitoba birds to lay 5 eggs and she was Zeus' first (I think) mate way back when.  Winnie was Trey's older half-sister.

[Cooper]

2012 NESTING SEASON

Zeus and Hera have five eggs this year. They've been together 6 years so have lots of advice for peregrine parents on their website.

[Doreen]

Melba is a very lucky chick for sure.

[Linder]

A news item from the site:
Melba, one of the five female falcon chicks born this year and named after Melba Pattillo Beals, (a journalist and member of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who were the first to integrate Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas), was released today after a couple weeks of rehab.

Seems she hit one of Omaha's downtown buildings located next to the Woodmen Tower, and was knocked unconscious. If you look closely, you can see the scar she has on top of her nose. Raptor Recovery Nebraska's Denise Lewis has been taking care of her and was there to release her from the roof of the Woodmen Tower. "She took right off and circled the building a couple of times," said Lewis. Denise was pleased with her flying and thinks she will be okay now.

Keep checking the camera, maybe you can get a glimpse of Melba sometime soon.

You can see the picture at this link: http://woodmen.typepad.com/falconwatch/

[Linder]

News from the Woodmen website:

Our five chicks are now officially Mae, Amelia, Rosa, Sally and Melba!

Congratulations to our 2011 falcon-naming contest winner, Becky Mae! Her suggestion was "Five famous women that made a difference in our world today".

Dr. Mae Jemison, Amelia Earhardt, Rosa Parks, Sally Ride, and Melba Pattilo.

Our five females are looking a little less white and a lot darker in their adolescent feathers! It's amazing how quickly they grow!

These five are certainly looking like they are about ready to leave.

[Kinderchick]

Thanks for posting this, LinderLou. I had forgotten about this site too. With so many wonderful nestsites, it's hard to keep up to them all.

[Linder]

I had forgotten about this site but checked earlier today and all 5 eggs had hatched.

[Linder]

Three chicks now and two eggs left to hatch. Latest pic at:
http://woodmen.typepad.com/falconwatch/

[Linder]

Two hatched and three to go.
Some cute pictures of the chicks at this link:
http://woodmen.typepad.com/falconwatch/

[Linder]

Latest check shows eggs still intact. They expect things to start happening in the next 2 or 3 days. 

[Helen b]

wow they will have a household to feed

[Linder]

Just checked in on this site and there are now 5 eggs.  
They project May 12 for a possible hatching.

[Kinderchick]

...1st egg laid Apr 6...

[Linder]

Missed checking on this nest and when I finally did, 1st egg laid Apr 6.
Report from the website:
In 2010 we saw the first of five eggs appear on April 1. Eggs two and three were here by April 6, the fourth egg was here on April 7, and by April 13 we had five eggs. Only four of the five eggs hatched last year.
Last year 5 days between egg 1 and eggs 2 and 3, so this weekend we should a couple of new eggs. 

[Linder]

Still no eggs at this site but they seem to be making up their minds on where they will nest.

[Linder]

According to the site these two don't migrate and have been at and around the nest boxes all winter. From info I could find, Zeus is banded and Hera isn't. Quite an interesting Family Tree posted on the site and I didn't realize that Zeus has been at this site since 1996. 

[The Peregrine Chick]

Do we know for sure it's Hera and Zeus back again this year? 

[Linder]

2011 NESTING SEASON

It has been reported:

Both falcons have started to hang around the nest more as they begin their annual shell game of picking a nest to lay their clutch of eggs. The Woodmen Tower has nest boxes on both the North and East sides of the 28th floor. In 2009, the peregrines used the East nest. Last year, they selected the North nest at the last minute. So, history says they should be back in the East nest for 2011.

[Kinderchick]

I really like the names of these Woodman Tower falcons.

[Linder]

This is from an email I received on June 23 from the Woodsmen Falcon Watch:
Welcome Ponca, Oto, Kiowa and Dakota

The Woodmen Tower falcons have names. This season, the young peregrines were named in honor of four of the many Native American tribes located in the great plains. They are:

Ponca, male, band #25/C
Oto, male, #24/C
Kiowa, female, #51/H
Dakota, female, #52/H
The four young falcons bring the total number of birds hatched by Zeus and Hera to 19.

The falcons have left the nest and will be flying soon. You can still see them on the cameras occasionally.

[bcbird]

Thanks Alison and TPC for listing the intertwining histories of these sites.
It is fascinating to see names reappear, and appreciate the importance of recording and researching both family history, and site history.

[Alison]

Four active chicks in the nest box:

 

[Kinderchick]

Thank you so much for the historical information, TPC! It's amazing how strong the links are between the Woodmen birds and the Winnipeg birds.

Very interesting historical connections, indeed!

[Alison]

Thanks for the info Alison ... and is the way with our birds, we have more linkages to the Woodmen Tower ....

Thank you so much for the historical information, TPC! It's amazing how strong the links are between the Woodmen birds and the Winnipeg birds.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Thanks for the info Alison ... and is the way with our birds, we have more linkages to the Woodmen Tower ....

1988 - Willa, a captive-bred female is released from the Woodmen Tower, Omaha, Nebraska
1989 - T-Rex hatched at the Radisson; Madame hack-released in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
1990 - T-Rex & Willa unsuccessfully try to nest at the U of M; Burnsie hack-released in Brandon
1991 - T-Rex hangs out (no nesting) with Madame at U of M - T-Rex takes over care & feeding of captive-bred chicks to be released at U of M, he feeds Madame too
1992 - T-Rex & Burnsie have first successful nest at U of M
1993 - T-Rex & Burnsie have second successful nest at U of M
1994 - T-Rex & Burnsie have third successful nest at U of M - one of whom is Winnie
1995 - T-Rex moves to the Radisson to nest with Madame; Burnsie spends summer alone at U of M
1996 - Winnie & Zeus have first successful nest - Atlanta & Olympus; Trey is hatched at the Radisson
1997 - Winnie & Zeus have second successful nest but all chicks die in the box
1998 - Winnie & Zeus have third successful nest - Omaha, Husker (Red Wing), Offutt, Maverick, Tower (Kansas City); Burnsie hangs out with Trey downtown beneath the resident pair's (Simba & Madame) radar
1999 - Winnie & Zeus have last successful nest - Spike, Doorly (Topeka), Goldie (Fargo), Joslyn
2000 - Winnie doesn't return to Omaha; Trey takes over Radisson nest

Half sibs Winnie & Trey - two years apart in age, he starts nesting the year she disappears.

[Alison]

Alison, would you happen to know if the box/box location is the same as it was back in the 1990s when Winnie (an older half-sister of Trey) was the resident female here?

I'm not sure, but I'll try to find out for you. As you know, there are two nest boxes available to the falcons.

Early years at the site:

In 1988, the center, in cooperation with the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission and the Audubon Society of Omaha, set up a hacking program in Nebraska. 8 birds were released from the Woodmen Tower in Omaha, Nebraska. Nest boxes were placed on top of the building to encourage use by breeding birds. In 1989, 9 birds were released from the Woodmen Tower and the Mutual of Omaha building. In 1990, there were 4 birds released from the Mutual of Omaha building. Finally, in 1991, birds were seen returning to the nest site. No more birds were released this since, as adult birds would be quick to drive out any fledgings. Peregrine falcons have nested in Omaha since 1991. Once our educational peregrine, Papillion, was a casualty of the release project. After being released, the falcon bolted from the roof and disappeared. He was found a week later near Tekamah, NE, starving. He had not bonded to any specific locality and would not stay long enough in one place to learn hunting skills, he could not be released. Papillion is no longer with us but he was a valuable education bird and is missed.

The nest boxes are not actually on top of the building, but close to the top.

History:

2000 Zeus returns to the Woodmen Tower without Winnie, who is never sighted again. An unbanded female falcon(later to be named Amelia) arrives in mid-February and is courted by Zeus.
 
1999 Zeus and Winnie produce five eggs, hatching three male and two female falcons. One of the males later dies. The two remaining males are named Spike and Doorly, while the females are named Goldie and Joslyn.
 
1998 Zeus and Winnie hatch five chicks — two females (Omaha and Husker) and three males (Offutt, Maverick and Tower).
 
1997 Zeus and Winnie lay four eggs which all hatch successfully, but are found dead a few days later due to unseasonably hot weather.
 
1996 Two new peregrines, Zeus (from Rochester, NY), and Winnie, (from Manitoba, Canada), migrate to the Woodmen Tower. Zeus wins a territorial battle with an unknown male peregrine, believed to be Sky King, who is later sighted in Lincoln, NE. Zeus and Winnie produce four chicks. Two survive and are named Atlanta and Olympus in honor of the 1996 Olympic Games.
 
1995 Sky King and KayCee return and hatch one chick which does not survive.
 
1994 Windy returns and is killed in a fight for territory by KayCee, a falcon hacked at a building in Kansas City in 1992. Sky King returns and produces three chicks with KayCee. Only one—Sokol—survives.
 
1993 Windy returns to the Woodmen Tower and lays three infertile eggs. Woody disappears.
 
1992 Woody and new mate, Windy (from Des Moines, IA) hatch three chicks — Aerial, Zenith and Skywalker. They become the first chicks to hatch in Nebraska in nearly 100 years.
 
1990-
1991 Woody returns to the Woodmen Tower.
 
1989 Five falcons are released. Two of the chicks, Woody and Sky King, would return in later years.
 
1988 Seven falcons are hacked. They were named Woody, Newf, L.C., Happy, Falco, Willa and Pappy. Happy and Pappy die and none return the following year.

http://www.woodmen.org/falcons/timeline.cfm

After the tragic loss of all four chicks in 1997 due to hot weather when they were very young, a roof was added to the nest box on the east side of the Tower.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Alison, would you happen to know if the box/box location is the same as it was back in the 1990s when Winnie (an older half-sister of Trey) was the resident female here?

[Alison]

Don't anyone count the little one out right away - Mistral was half the size of her sibs (who we thought were males but two of the three have subsequently been found to be females!) and she did just fine!  Not that it couldn't go the other way, we've had a number of smaller chicks die this year at sites we've been watching.

I'm certainly not counting out the littlest chick! I only wanted to indicate the difference in size. The littlest chick has been active and feisty, and very interested in being fed. Zeus and Hera are very experienced parents, and they will make sure that the littlest chick is well fed and cared for.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Don't anyone count the little one out right away - Mistral was half the size of her sibs (who we thought were males but two of the three have subsequently been found to be females!) and she did just fine!  Not that it couldn't go the other way, we've had a number of smaller chicks die this year at sites we've been watching.

[Alison]

Staying close to the chicks:



One of the chicks is several days younger than the others; in the next few pics you can see how much smaller he/she is:

 

 

[Kinderchick]

Whoo Hoo! 4 chicks for Hera & Zeus! Hopefully Princess & Ivy will have 4 chicks here in Winnipeg by the end of the week!

[Alison]

Hera and Zeus now have four chicks! It's difficult to see them clearly.

 

 

I think it's possible to see four chicks in these pics which I just saved:

 

[Alison]

The chicks today:

 

Being protected by Hera:

 

[Alison]

Beautiful captures Alison, they are such a great couple    

Thanks, Carly! They are a great couple.

The three chicks being fed today:

 

 

[carly]

Beautiful captures Alison, they are such a great couple 

[Alison]

I'm so happy for Hera and Zeus that their first chick has hatched:

Hera feeding the chick:

 

 

[Alison]

Don't see many boxes like that these days ... thats more all the nestboxes we have here ...

They have a choice of two nest boxes - one with a roof, which they chose last year, and one without a roof, which they are using this year.

[kittenface]

At least one hatch

[The Peregrine Chick]

Don't see many boxes like that these days ... thats more all the nestboxes we have here ...

[Kinderchick]

Nice photo of them both together, Alison.

[Alison]

Hera and Zeus at the nest: Zeus is on the eggs, while Hera is on the edge of the box. They stayed like that for some time. I thought Hera was waiting for her turn on the eggs, but then she left.

[The Peregrine Chick]

This is very interesting, TPC, but I had to read it over about 10 times to begin to hold some of the connections in my head! How on earth do you do it?!

Grey cells with nothing better to do 

[Kinderchick]

This is very interesting, TPC, but I had to read it over about 10 times to begin to hold some of the connections in my head! How on earth do you do it?!

[The Peregrine Chick]

Okay, here's a blast from the past plus some new stuff ... this is a note I posted last year (if you want to see more of the conversation, click on the link)

Did you know that before Hera, Zeus was paired with Winnie, and yes, Winnie as in Winnipeg.  She was another kid of T-Rex (Trey's Dad - they are half-sibs) from the University of Manitoba Campus.  Doorly in Topeka is one of their kids.  Hope his mate is one of Amelia's kids and Amelia is a full sib of Madame, Trey's Mom. 

Was doing some more family tree work and here it goes ... Maud our original wild-nesting female is from the Multi-foods Tower in Minneapolis.  Her first nest in 1989 produced T-Rex.  In 1994, T-Rex by Burnsie (his second mate - after Madame in 1991 and before Madame again in 1995) produced Winnie who was paired with Zeus (yes Woodmen Tower Zeus) and they produced a whole whack of chicks in their 4 years together.  Of them a number have or still hold territories: Husker, Tower, Goldie and Doorly.  I'm looking at Goldie right now - she was paired with Dakota Ace for 1 year and she produced Copper, Cash & Fargo.  Copper went on to produce Gypsy (among others) who is kind of notorious, it appears she may have killed a resident female named Amelia in Minneapolis (not Omaha's Amelia), then she appears to have dispatched another Minneapolis resident female (Phoebe) before pairing up with her mate Frisco.  Last fall, Gypsy was spotted at the Multifoods Tower with an as yet unidentified male, perhaps the resident male here.  It should be noted that of the Multifoods Tower female from last year, there is no sign ...

Talk about a circle if she nests there this year - 20 years after Maud nested in Winnipeg, her great-great-great-grand-daughter is the resident female!!

[kittenface]

They did it again

[Alison]

A great pic from the blog:

[Alison]

Love the pics, Bev, especially the one with Zeus in the foreground and Hera on the nest!

Hera visited again today:

 

[bev.]

I have been keeping an eye here and they are both here.  It snowed but appears to be clearing up

 

[Alison]

Home for the night:

[Alison]

2010 NESTING SEASON

One adult visited the nest today, and settled in for the night beside the box:

 

 

[Alison]

I love all of these updates Alison...I can barely contain myself!  I'm getting so excited for the season to begin. 

Has it started yet?   

Thank you, Allikat!  I can't wait for the season to begin either . . . it won't be long. Usually the earliest sites are in Europe -- Oberhausen is usually the first, but the cams there have been down for months.

[allikat]

I love all of these updates Alison...I can barely contain myself!  I'm getting so excited for the season to begin. 

Has it started yet?   

[Alison]

I think this is Hera beside the nest box. She was still there after darkness fell.

 

[Alison]

Spending the night beside the nest box:

[Alison]

 
Zeus at the nest box                                                       Then Hera arrived


One left

[Alison]

Just one visitor at the nest box today:

 

 

[Alison]

Hera and Zeus were both at the nest box today.

First Zeus:

 

Then Hera:

[Alison]

Hera and Zeus were both there today, one at each nest box.

 

Looking rougher than I would expect from a moult:

 

[Alison]

Hera spent most of the afternoon relaxing on the ledge. Eventually, she stood up and went into the nest box for a little while.

 

 

[Alison]

Zeus at the nest today:

 

Hera:

 

[Alison]

Hera was the one who visited the nest today. In the last pic, you can see the silver band on her right leg. Her left leg is unbanded.

 

[Alison]

Hera made a quick visit to the nest:

 

[Alison]

Last two photos in the most recent series are of an adult, first ones are of a juvenile.  And, you can't gauge the weight of a chick in a photo, the birds puff up and slick down their feathers so you can't really tell the condition of the bird ... so basically, don't fret yet. 

If the bird looks rough or haggard - like s/he went through a blender backward and had tidied up but you can still tell a blender was involved - that's another story. 

And since there is obviously still an adult in the area (the 7pm photos are evidence of that), the chick won't be starving ...

Help any?

Thanks, TPC! The concern wasn't actually for the juvies here - people were concerned about one of the Lincoln chicks who looked somewhat thin, and that's why I made a reference to the first pic here. I did label the pics of a parent as such. Zeus and Hera stay in the area all year - they don't migrate.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Last two photos in the most recent series are of an adult, first ones are of a juvenile.  And, you can't gauge the weight of a chick in a photo, the birds puff up and slick down their feathers so you can't really tell the condition of the bird ... so basically, don't fret yet. 

If the bird looks rough or haggard - like s/he went through a blender backward and had tidied up but you can still tell a blender was involved - that's another story. 

And since there is obviously still an adult in the area (the 7pm photos are evidence of that), the chick won't be starving ...

Help any?

[carly]

Nice pictures!  Thanks Alison and yes in that first shot he/she looks awfully skinny but the rest he/she looks nice and healthy so perhaps it was the cam after all...I'm hoping anyway 

[birdcamfan]

It's so cool when they hold up their feet. They are still so big for their overall size!

[Alison]

One of the juvies visited the nest box this afternoon. In the first pic he/she looks thin, like the Lincoln juvie, but in the other pics he/she looks a normal weight:

 

 

A little later, a parent came by:

 

[Alison]

Zeus at the nest box today:

 

[Alison]

You however have "seen the feather" (so to speak) and are now saved from a peregrine-less life   

What a great way to put it!

I found one of the juvies home for a visit this afternoon:

 

[The Peregrine Chick]

problem is, when I lived 2 blocks from there - I didn't know there was there!!!    

Don't feel too bad Pchemist, its like that for most folks I'm afraid.  Most people who live/work in downtown Winnipeg have no idea about the peregrines!  You however have "seen the feather" (so to speak) and are now saved from a peregrine-less life 

[Pchemist]

problem is, when I lived 2 blocks from there - I didn't know there was there!!!   

[Alison]

I'd love to live two blocks from a nest!

Didn't see any juvies at the nest today, but I did see both Hera and Zeus. Hera was in the nest box, while Zeus was perched on the box they used last year.

Hera

 

Zeus

[Pchemist]

I used to live 2 blocks from there.  *sigh* 

[allikat]

Oh..I love it when a peregrine falcon pays a visit to a neighbourhood!  All goes quiet, no birds make a peep!  It's so quiet, you can hear a worm wiggle in the soil!  I've been witness to it!!  It's awesome!

[The Peregrine Chick]

One of their chicks made the news today ....

Falcon drops in on neighbor

[Linder]

On June 19th, apparently three fledged but they showed one still in the box. Will try to find out more news.

[bev.]

I am just so happy for  Hera and Zeus.

[allikat]

They are beautiful!!

[Alison]

It won't be long until the Woodmen chicks fledge. They are wandering all over the ledge.

Most of the pics are through a very dirty window:

 

 

[maggieblue]

The four little fluff balls at Woodman have of course transformed into huge chicks.  One of the four has decided to leave the nestbox and is out on the open ledge  , not a very wide ledge.  Apparently Hera is bringing the little wanderer food.

[maggieblue]

The good news continues at Omaha this year.  When I checked in all four chicks were glued to the far wall with a parent above so I looked at their blog, and sure enough, today was banding day.  Just saw a feeding so I guess that they have recovered from the experience.  Zeus and Hera have three females and one male.  Another lone male. At the feeding he was clearly smaller and at the back while his three sisters were up front. It is a good thing that Peregrine parents always seem to find a way to make sure that the boys get their share of the dinner.

[allikat]

If I had that view at home or at work, I would never leave...

[Pchemist]

I used to leave very near Woodmen Tower - but that was before I knew to watch for the peregrines!  (that was 8 years ago, in fact).  I wonder if I saw them without knowing....

[Alison]

I am so glad all four chicks hatched for Hera and Zeus. They are being very well cared for by both parents.

   

 

[maggieblue]

There are now 4 chicks    Good news for Zeus and Hera.  The banding date is going to be May 28th.

[Alison]

Hera's turn:

 

 

[Alison]

Still two babies at Woodmen so far.

Zeus with his babies today:

 

 

[Alison]

The new hatchling is already white and fluffy:

 

[Alison]

The first chick hatched here yesterday (of course I wasn't online), and the second chick hatched a few minutes ago. I am so happy to see these eggs hatching for Hera and Zeus.

The first chick today:



The new hatchling:

[Alison]

Full-time incubation would have begun around April 2, when the third egg was laid. I didn't see the eggs today, but here are pics of a shift change on April 29. Hera came in to take over from Zeus, who decided it was a good idea to leave. Fast.

   

[maggieblue]

I think that there might be a hatch here.    Somewhere along the line one of the eggs was lost so they were down to four eggs. 

Sorry, false alarm I think.  I don't know what that white blob was but it is gone now. 

[maggieblue]

I think that there might be a hatch here.    Somewhere along the line one of the eggs was lost so they were down to four eggs. 

[carly]

I just read the article - there is one error in it. Amelia and Zeus's last chick, born in 2005, was not named "Amelia"; her name was Athena. At banding, Amelia would not leave her, so Amelia was also taken inside. Athena was found to have Trichomoniasis; since Amelia was there, she was checked also, but she was fine. Athena was taken to Raptor Recovery for treatment, and Zeus and Amelia waited and waited outside the window for her to return. When she was finally returned, Amelia would not leave her for several days. Athena recovered fully and fledged successfully.

Wow...the devotion they have to their young never ceases to amaze me...and to wait outside like that until they got her back...

And that photo of Husker is just wicked...thanks Alison!

[Alison]

Here is one of the newsletters explaining about the potential problems with releasing Amelia.  There are more updates after this one in the Newsletter archive section that explain the thinking behind the release and their sadness at the unexpected outcome.

https://www.ezinedirector.com/admin/publisher/archive/public/index.cfm?fuseaction=c&e=7947555E0140037845&cid=7140525A034F

I just read the article - there is one error in it. Amelia and Zeus's last chick, born in 2005, was not named "Amelia"; her name was Athena. At banding, Amelia would not leave her, so Amelia was also taken inside. Athena was found to have Trichomoniasis; since Amelia was there, she was checked also, but she was fine. Athena was taken to Raptor Recovery for treatment, and Zeus and Amelia waited and waited outside the window for her to return. When she was finally returned, Amelia would not leave her for several days. Athena recovered fully and fledged successfully.

When Amelia was X-rayed after her injury, it was found that she had been shot at some time prior to the injury. She had pellets in one wing. I did ask if The Raptor Center planned to remove them; I don't know if it was the same wing as the fracture or the other wing, but I do know they opted not to remove them. I was concerned because if they were lead pellets, over time the lead could leach into the bloodstream and cause her major problems.

The Raptor Center opted not to release her in Nebraska because they were concerned about the outcome of a possible battle with Hera, who is a big, strong falcon, immediately after Amelia's long time in rehab.

[bev.]

thanks Tracy.
 I guess I knew that but had to have it confirmed. I guess each site is different. and they have to wiegh out the pros and cons.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Had Amelia, an adult female, been released within her own territory she would certainly have returned to her nestsite and a territorial dispute would have been inevitable.  Releasing her elsewhere isn't really a problem, these are birds that travel (by instinct, it isn't learned) all the way to South America and back each year.  So long as she could fly and hunt, she would be fine so long as she didn't get into a territorial conflict.  And territorial conflicts don't just happen at the beginning of the season, they just happen more then since everyone is looking for/returning to territories.  Had Amelia been released while there were chicks around (pre & post fledging), she could well have had her tailfeathers handed to her by both adults in defense of the chicks.

[bev.]

thanks Tracy,
for all the information on the nesting birds there and their offspring.   

I understand the part of them being worried about an ensuing fight and I remember what Froona told us about whyS2 did not mother right  from the start.
and I know they did not want Hera and Amelia to get into a confrontation.

so then why not wait until after those hormones are in check and then release her in area that is know to her.
In the case of the transmitter girl last year, they were pretty sure that those hormones you talk about wee in check, that is she was not interested  in the fight for the nest, and so she soared away. Beautiful to watch , by the way, and went back to the Weber building that she knew from the year before.
Now Maggie blue I am going to read the article you posted.  I think I have read it before, but i will again.

[maggieblue]

Here is one of the newsletters explaining about the potential problems with releasing Amelia.  There are more updates after this one in the Newsletter archive section that explain the thinking behind the release and their sadness at the unexpected outcome.

https://www.ezinedirector.com/admin/publisher/archive/public/index.cfm?fuseaction=c&e=7947555E0140037845&cid=7140525A034F

[maggieblue]

Did you know that before Hera, Zeus was paired with Winnie, and yes, Winnie as in Winnipeg.  She was another kid of T-Rex (Trey's Dad - they are half-sibs) from the University of Manitoba Campus.  Doorly in Topeka is one of their kids.  Hope his mate is one of Amelia's kids and Amelia is a full sib of Madame, Trey's Mom.

Wow  Thanks Tracy, I love hearing about the family histories.

[maggieblue]

When I was looking for background on this site I came across an article about Amelia's rehabilitation.  She wasn't recovered enough for release until after Zeus and Hera had already paired up.  This was like the Victory/Scout scenario in Colombus.  There was concern that Amelia would immediately return to her nestsite with an ensuing fight between her and Hera with injuries and/or death to one or both.  I can't recall where I read this, it might have been in the archived newsletters.  I will try to find it when I have some more time. 

[carly]

Look at what happened at the Brighton site, the rehabbed tiercel flew right to the nestbox and huge, nasty fight ensued.  Can you imagine if she had had eyases newly hatched, could have been like Ma & S2 in the Netherlands.

If they have established nest sites,I guess it doesn't matter where they release them but perhaps the decisions are made as TPC said based on the situation.  Maybe some distance buys them a bit of time depending on what is going on at said site and what time of year it is.  If it's 'courting season' and the hormones are a raging, then maybe a few weeks gives the hormones time to calm down and they'd think twice before fighting to the death?  Whereas if hormones are in 'mating' mode then I would imagine they'd be keen to fight it out? 

I'm just guessing...it was something Froona said about the way hormones affects their behaviour during courting/mating season that put it in my mind.  She said when S2 took over the nestbox and refused to feed Ma's eyases, it was because her hormonal cycle was set to 'courting' so in her mind any food Pa brought was for her not for the eyases.  Once that phase passed and she was calmed down..then she reverted to 'mom' mode and was able to mother the little ones.  I'm explaining it in simplistic terms of course, as I don't have Froona's biological knowledge but I did get the gist of what she was saying.  Perhaps the same logic applies here?

[The Peregrine Chick]

I watch this nest in silence. I was so sad when Hera was injured last year and Zeus tried his best

Did you know that before Hera, Zeus was paired with Winnie, and yes, Winnie as in Winnipeg.  She was another kid of T-Rex (Trey's Dad - they are half-sibs) from the University of Manitoba Campus.  Doorly in Topeka is one of their kids.  Hope his mate is one of Amelia's kids and Amelia is a full sib of Madame, Trey's Mom.

I was also upset about Amelia.  I was puzzled when they released Amelia becasue they released her in unknown territory to her.  I think she got confused .

Correct me if I am wrong Tracy, but the biologists here said that you should always release injured or rehabilitated  adult falcons  in an area they are familiar with.
when they released the transmitter girl last year, they released her at the agricultural building , which is not far from the nest site. Because of the time of the release , they did not feel she would return there but she was familiar with the area.

The year before when the Balzac. girl and the transmitter girl fought , they released the transmitter girl just down the street.  Well it was a ways down but she knew the area. she did try and return but was chased off by the Balzac girl

I love the rehabilators and I am not being critical of these ones. I am just confused that they would do that after what these biologists here stated. 

I'm not a rehabber but as I understand it, it depends on when it is.  We return rehabbed fledglings to their nestsites in the hope that their parents will continue to support them if the absence is short enough (up to 3 weeks in our experience).  Longer than that, the rehabbers keep the birds and make sure they can fly and hunt on their own before we re-release them.  I think release locations are a question of preference and what is best for the bird being released.  Since young birds tend to disperse from the nestsite a few weeks after fledging, some adults do as well, some don't.  We haven't ever had any conflicts between adults and offspring that have been missing for an extended period, but that is something I would have to consider before that kind of release.

Does that kinda/sorta answer your question?  I am waiting for a response from a rehabber friend of mine, will tell you what she says when I hear something.

[bev.]

I watch this nest in silence. I was so sad when Hera was injured last year and Zeus tried his best

so I am happy that these 2 will raise another brood. Fingers are crossed for them

I was also upset about Amelia.
I was puzzled when they released Amelia becasue they released her in unknown territory to her.  I think she got confused .

Correct me if I am wrong Tracy, but the biologists here said that you should always release injured or rehabilitated  adult falcons  in an area they are familiar with.
when they released the transmitter girl last year, they released her at the agricultural building , which is not far from the nest site. Because of the time of the release , they did not feel she would return there but she was familiar with the area.

The year before when the Balzac. girl and the transmitter girl fought , they released the transmitter girl just down the street.  Well it was a ways down but she knew the area. she did try and return but was chased off by the Balzac girl

I love the rehabilators and I am not being critical of these ones. I am just confused that they would do that after what these biologists here stated.

[Alison]

Here is a good news story.    
I think that TPC and/or Alison might have mentioned something about this site last year but I couldn't find it.

I think I did mention something about this site at some point. I've been watching this nest for a number of years. I am so glad to see Hera with five eggs again. She and Zeus had five eggs last year before Hera was injured, and I think also in her first year at the nest (2006).

Hera arrived in 2006 and replaced Zeus's former mate, Amelia. Amelia had been found with a wing fracture in December of 2005, and was taken to Raptor Recovery. The wing did not improve as they hoped, so at the end of December she was flown to The Raptor Center in Minnesota, where surgery was performed on her wing. The surgery was successful, and Amelia improved in rehab, although she had continuing problems with her feet in captivity. She was not released during the breeding season, since Hera was at the nest and they did not want her to attempt to return. She was released in Minnesota in October 2006. One week later she was found, very weak, and despite emergency treatment she died during that night at The Raptor Center. She was a beautiful falcon, and a great mother.

I hope Hera and Zeus have a very successful year this year.

 

Hera looking up at the cam:

 

[birdcamfan]

Nice to hear a happy ending to such a difficult story. Thanks for letting us know about this website.

[carly]

Thank you Maggie, that site sure has had it's share of trauma in the past from what I read in the 'history'.  Great to hear that Hera survived and they were reunited - quite the romantic story     and 5 eggs wow!!  Go Zeus!!

[maggieblue]

2009 NESTING SEASON

Here is a good news story.   

I think that TPC and/or Alison might have mentioned something about this site last year but I couldn't find it.  The current pair here are Zeus and Hera.  Zeus was born in Rochester in 1994 and his first mate was Winnie, listed as having been born in Winnipeg at the University of Manitoba in 1994.  The family tree section provides the history of the pairs here and their offspring. 

Last year Zeus and his third mate Hera (unbanded) had chicks and then Hera was injured and put in rehab.  Zeus carried on trying to raise the chicks alone.  The weather didn't cooperate and when he had to go to find food the chicks succumbed. 

Now for the good news part.  Hera was rehabilitated and released to be re-united with Zeus.  As of today they have 5 eggs!  The link to their blog is below with the updates from this year.  The numerous webcams provide some great views. 

http://woodmen.typepad.com/falconwatch/