Author Topic: KS / Topeka - Westar - 2019-20 (Read 29530 times)

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #168 on:** March 15, 2021, 23:07 »

2021 NESTING SEASON

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #167 on:** February 24, 2020, 15:58 »

2020 NESTING SEASON

Please note the YouTube Live Webcam links below - they are live and streaming as of Feb 24

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #166 on:** June 13, 2019, 15:11 »

repeat banding news that I posted on Twitter ...

https://twitter.com/mbperegrines/status/1139263489418190848

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #165 on:** June 13, 2019, 14:41 »

As a summary, the adults here are Boreas a 2007 wild-hatched male and Nemaha is a 2009 wild-hatched female. Both are offspring of Alley (2004 Radisson) and 19K (2001 Des Moines Iowa) who have been nesting in Lincoln for the 15 years.

This year they have two chicks - 1 male, 1 female - they haven't had their names reported anywhere yet.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #164 on:** June 13, 2019, 14:33 »

2019 NESTING SEASON

Just a note, Zeus & Hope were not together until 2010. From 2004 to 2008 Hope was with Doorly. There are unfortunately gaps in the records, that we may or may not be able to fill at some point.

Two peregrine falcon chicks banded Wednesday atop Westar building
Phil Anderson / Topeka Capital-Journal Online / 29 May 2019

In what has become an annual rite of spring over the past 15 years, two peregrine falcon chicks that hatched earlier this month atop the 12-story Westar Energy building in downtown Topeka received metal identification bands around their legs Wednesday morning. The bands allow the birds to be tracked as they are spotted in different parts of the country — or world.

The fluffy little chicks put up a squawk during the brief ordeal. And, as they do each year, the concerned parents, Boreas and Nemaha, circled menacingly overhead, screeching and occasionally swooping down above the three people who were placing the bands around the chicks’ legs. But everything was fine, and in about 20 minutes, the chicks were returned to their nest.

The chicks, a male and a female, hatched around the first of May inside a metal perch on top of the Westar Energy building, 818 S. Kansas Ave. It marked the ninth consecutive year that falcons Nemaha and Boreas have produced offspring in the perch, said Westar Energy spokeswoman Kaley Bohlen. A total of four eggs were laid around April 1, with two of the four hatching. Westar Energy officials said the 50 percent hatch rate was about average.

Those who took part in the banding on Wednesday morning were Ben Postlethwait, manager of the biology conservation sustainability group for Westar; Eric Johnson, biology coordinator for Westar; and Michele McNulty, of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service based in Manhattan. McNulty is a “permitted bander,” meaning she is authorized to carry out the banding process. In addition to peregrine falcons, McNulty also can band bald eagles and golden eagles in Kansas. Someone with her credentials must be present for the banding to take place.

Just after 8 a.m. Wednesday, Postlethwait and Johnson retrieved the 3-week-old chicks from their nest and brought them down a flight of stairs to another level on top of the building for the banding. One worker would hold a chick while another fitted a band around its leg. The numbered bands were placed on opposite legs for the male and female chick, further helping the identification process. Female chicks are considerably larger than male chicks at this early age, Westar officials said, making it easy to tell them apart.

Westar personnel said they enjoyed the banding process, adding that the birds have become a fixture in downtown Topeka. “We’ve been banding these birds for quite a few years,” Postlethwait said. “It’s kind of an annual event for us.”

Of the two eggs that didn’t hatch, one was recovered in the nest on Wednesday morning, Postlethwait said. The other was nowhere to be found and may have been knocked out of the nest by one of the adult falcons after it was determined not to be fertile.

Johnson said the chicks aren’t ready to fly on their own just yet but could be in about a month. “These little guys will be taking flights after a while,” Johnson said. “I’ve got to imagine by the end of June, they’re going to be taking a leap.” The parents will let them stay in the nest until they are about 2 months old. At that point, it will be time for them to fly the coop. “They may hang around for a little while,” Johnson said, “but then they’ll get to an adult stage, where they’re competitors with the adults, so those adults will kick them out.”

If the winter is a warm one, Westar officials said, Boreas and Nemaha may stick around Topeka. Otherwise, they will head south to avoid extreme cold. The adult falcons have been returning to Topeka in the spring. McNulty said some high-powered cameras are able to zero in on the leg band numbers. People can call wildlife officials to report spotting the birds.

When the young birds first take flight, they are a common sight downtown. “People do see them in downtown Topeka,” McNulty said. “When they start to fledge, we’ll get reports that they’re sitting in the office windows, so people are pretty excited.” The falcons do quite well for themselves in downtown Topeka, consuming such birds as pigeons and starlings, Westar officials said.

The first falcons came to the Westar Energy building in 1993 and 1994 but didn’t return after that. Then came Hope and Zeus, a couple that showed up each year from 2004 to 2010. After that came Boreas and Nemaha, who have been holding forth at the Westar building since 2011. The Topeka location isn’t the only one in Westar’s territory where falcons can be found, officials said. In all, there are six Westar locations with falcons.

source: https://www.cjonline.com/news/20190529/two-peregrine-falcon-chicks-banded-wednesday-atop-westar-building

Alison · « **Reply #163 on:** June 05, 2018, 17:03 »

Boreas and Nemaha's four chicks now have names.

They are Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.

This article has the cute announcement of the names by Westar:

http://www.wibw.com/content/news/Baby-Mutant-Ninja-Falcons--Westar-names-falcon-chicks-484304371.html

Alison · « **Reply #162 on:** May 30, 2018, 21:46 »

Boreas (banded black/green R/03), born in 2007 at the Lincoln, Nebraska nest and Nemaha (banded black/red 97/H), born at the Lincoln nest in 2009, are still the resident pair at the Topeka nest, and this year they are raising four chicks.

The chicks were banded yesterday:

An article on the banding:

http://www.kake.com/story/38296861/4-white-peregrine-falcons-hatched-in-kansas-get-bands

https://www.westarenergy.com/peregrine-falcons

Alison · « **Reply #161 on:** April 01, 2017, 17:18 »

I didn't realize it when I was watching Nemaha, but her bands (black/red 97/H) were just barely visible in one image, in deep shadow.

Alison · « **Reply #160 on:** April 01, 2017, 17:01 »

Nemaha laid her first egg about 12:21 p.m. Topeka time:

She is a beautiful falcon.

Alison · « **Reply #159 on:** April 01, 2017, 12:47 »

First egg for Topeka!

Didn't see either bird at the nest yesterday morning, and by afternoon could only get a "404 not found" for the webcam page.

This morning, there was no-one at the nest earlier. Later in the morning, one was in the nest, fairly immobile. About 20 minutes thereafter, Nemaha laid her first egg, and is now resting.

Alison · « **Reply #158 on:** March 31, 2017, 15:47 »

Quote from: The Peregrine Chick on March 31, 2017, 11:09

Top image is female, bottom image is male.
Will see if I can find some time over the weekend to compare markings - love playing the ID game

Thank you so much, TPC! I really appreciate your insight. I love playing the ID game too.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #157 on:** March 31, 2017, 11:09 »

Top image is female, bottom image is male.
Will see if I can find some time over the weekend to compare markings - love playing the ID game

Alison · « **Reply #156 on:** March 30, 2017, 15:36 »

Yesterday evening, there was a peregrine at the nest again, but this was a different bird. Once again, legs and bands were kept well hidden. The bird stayed until past 10:30 p.m. Topeka time.

I think that this is Nemaha; totally different markings.

I would like to know what you think about this.

Alison · « **Reply #155 on:** March 30, 2017, 15:25 »

Quote from: The Peregrine Chick on March 29, 2017, 13:09

Quote from: Alison on March 28, 2017, 16:54
Something I noticed on the site, TPC:

"The birds were both banded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Omaha, Neb."

They are not from Omaha, but are both offspring of Alley and 19/K in Lincoln. Possibly you might want to let them know?

I will be happy to let them know

Thank you, TPC! I noticed a couple of other things on the site when I went to check the band numbers.

In the "Banding history" table just above the reference to the parents, Boreas and Nemaha are both listed as male in the second column on the left. On the right, Nemaha is listed as "Current male parent" and Boreas is listed as "Current female parent".

As far as I know, Boreas is the male and Nemaha is the female.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #154 on:** March 29, 2017, 13:09 »

Quote from: Alison on March 28, 2017, 16:54

Today, I found a peregrine at the nest. I don't know whether this is Boreas or Nemaha. The bird did not want to show legs or bands. He/she has a pretty solid dark hood.

That might be additional evidence that they are Boreas or Nemaha. Alley is the offspring of Trey and Princess and Trey's line has blacker caps than most.

Quote from: Alison on March 28, 2017, 16:54

Something I noticed on the site, TPC:

"The birds were both banded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Omaha, Neb."

They are not from Omaha, but are both offspring of Alley and 19/K in Lincoln. Possibly you might want to let them know?

I will be happy to let them know

Alison · « **Reply #153 on:** March 28, 2017, 16:54 »

Years ago, I used to watch this site. Then, the site no longer worked for me, until this year. I have been seeing pigeons at the nest pretty much every day, but for the last two days, no pigeons, so I thought perhaps someone had returned.

Today, I found a peregrine at the nest. I don't know whether this is Boreas or Nemaha. The bird did not want to show legs or bands. He/she has a pretty solid dark hood.

He/she went into the nest for a minute, and did a little scraping (back view only). Then back up on the ledge into the full glare of the light; it was impossible to read the bands, and immediately the bird was gone.

https://www.westarenergy.com/peregrine-falcons

Something I noticed on the site, TPC:

"The birds were both banded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Omaha, Neb."

They are not from Omaha, but are both offspring of Alley and 19/K in Lincoln. Possibly you might want to let them know?

RCF · « **Reply #152 on:** June 07, 2015, 17:02 »

Boreas & Nemaha have two hatches, first one around 1:30pm today.

Here's a video of the second one just hatched

Videos by Munchie1951 ~ https://youtu.be/GzF9C1M0kN8

The first feed of both.....hard to see both since one is in the sunlight.

https://youtu.be/WsesPYtgXKU

Kinderchick · « **Reply #151 on:** April 18, 2015, 22:45 »

Quote from: RCF on April 18, 2015, 17:52

...Also pigeons laid two eggs in the back of the box if anyone was wondering.

GCG · « **Reply #150 on:** April 18, 2015, 18:14 »

Also pigeons laid two eggs in the back of the box if anyone was wondering. Roll Eyes Smiley

Thanks for sharing this, RCF. Really no further explanations needed. Can I presume they have reclaimed their domain?

RCF · « **Reply #149 on:** April 18, 2015, 17:52 »

There is a new link for the falcon cam.

https://www.westarenergy.com/peregrine-falcons

It looks like Boreas and Nemaha are back. Nemaha was spotted on Feb 21 2015, then there were no sightings after March 20, 2015. Both were back at the box April 17th.

Also pigeons laid two eggs in the back of the box if anyone was wondering.

RCF · « **Reply #148 on:** May 30, 2014, 18:34 »

From WestStar Energy FB page

Falcon watchers -

Thank you to everyone who submitted a name for our three peregrine falcons. We had more than one hundred names to choose from.
The winning names are

(F) Joule - Important name in electric history. (James Prescott Joule).
(F) Meadow – Named after Kansas’ native grassy meadows.
(M) Faraday - Important name in electric history. (Michael Faraday).

From FB page

RCF · « **Reply #147 on:** May 04, 2014, 10:17 »

Four eggs were laid here and three of them have now hatched since yesterday.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #146 on:** March 14, 2014, 22:39 »

2014 NESTING SEASON

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #145 on:** July 03, 2013, 16:26 »

Message from the Westar Energy folks ...

We've had no reports of any injured or killed falcons and we see the chicks and adults routinely, so we believe that the family is all still healthy. We tend to spot them perched on our Westar signs and communications tower.

Names were chosen based on popular suggestions from previous years and traits.

The names are as follows:

Shawnee: Reference to Shawnee county, Kansas. Where Topeka is located. (female B/91)
Kansa: Short for Kansas. Also reference to Native American tribe. (female B/92)
Galvani: Reference to famous discoverer/inventor of electricity. (male H/65)
Volta: Reference to famous discoverer/inventor of electricity. Fitting of his traits. (male H/67)

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #144 on:** June 19, 2013, 11:53 »

This came in late last night from Westar, some RCF has already reported

We had a slight scare today as one of our young falcons was found down around the our downtown office building. The falcon was returned to the roof top and seems to be doing just fine. We also located the remaining young, three are on top of the building and one is still in the nest box.

On top of the building is an ideal location for them to be right now. They have room to learn how to fly and mom and dad can still easily provide food. We shot a short video: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200652845737842

RCF · « **Reply #143 on:** June 18, 2013, 20:45 »

Falcons 2013 (11 photos)
The June 1 banding was a success! We have two males and two females, and all appear to be healthy. Photos courtesy of Joe Moreland.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151643970485680.1073741827.58822670679&type=1

Falcon family as of the afternoon of 6-18
Following an afternoon thunderstorm one of the falcons was found at ground level. While we returned him to the roof with his siblings we took the opportunity to shoot some video and a few photos.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200652845737842

RCF · « **Reply #142 on:** June 11, 2013, 16:49 »

These are the band numbers for the chicks.

Female 1- Color band, black over red B/91- USFWS- 1687-30201
Female 2- Color band, black over red B/92- USFWS- 1687-30202
Male 1- Color band, black over red H/65- USFWS- 1126-06601
Male 2- Color band, black over red H/67- USFWS- 1126-06602

RCF · « **Reply #141 on:** June 01, 2013, 23:10 »

Westar's falcon chicks examined, banded Boreas, Nemaha maturing into good parents

Article and Video at this link~ http://cjonline.com/news/2013-06-01/westars-falcon-chicks-examined-banded

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #140 on:** May 22, 2013, 19:08 »

Here's the notice from our friends in Topeka ...

We plan to band our four young falcon chicks on Monday, May 27 at 8:00 a.m. So far, It's been an exciting year with potentially four chicks fledging. If you haven't had a chance to view the nest box recently, it's been very busy. We ask that viewers keep in mind these are wild creatures. Statistically, more than 50 percent of falcon young do not make it past the first year. We'll plan to have photos from the event available later in the day, Monday.

MayShowers · « **Reply #139 on:** May 22, 2013, 16:08 »

Banding planned for the four young falcons here for Monday May 27, at 8:00 a.m.

RCF · « **Reply #138 on:** May 18, 2013, 13:36 »

Lunch!!

Video - http://youtu.be/grcGvPq0LoE

RCF · « **Reply #137 on:** May 09, 2013, 06:41 »

6:15am - Breakfast for Three!!

http://youtu.be/4NAlBUXoaKk

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #136 on:** May 08, 2013, 11:52 »

From the folks in Topeka ..

Three young falcon chicks can be seen in the nest box. The first chick hatched at approximately 4:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon and by 6:20 p.m., there were three young ones. Usually there is more of a time gap between hatchings. We ask that viewers keep in mind these are wild creatures.

MayShowers · « **Reply #135 on:** May 08, 2013, 07:06 »

I see three chicks in a pile here this morning

RCF · « **Reply #134 on:** May 07, 2013, 20:34 »

There has been one hatch this afternoon. Kittenface on BCAW said the parent was eating eggshell. I was just looking at the nest and I could hear chirping.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #133 on:** April 03, 2013, 11:05 »

The third falcon egg arrived last night. Eggs have arrived in the following order:

1st egg - 3/29 at 3:10 a.m.
2nd egg - 3/31 at 12:50 p.m.
3rd egg - 4/2 at 8:50 p.m.

If that pattern holds true, and there is a fourth egg, we should expect it sometime early on Friday. Incubation typically lasts 29 to 33 days, so we anticipate the first egg to hatch close to the first of May.

the Manitoba grand-kids in Topeka are certainly getting down to business quickly - faster than their parents in Lincoln!

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #132 on:** March 29, 2013, 11:38 »

From our friends in Kansas ...

Nemaha and Boreas, the same falcon pair as the previous two years have returned to the nest box. Egg number #1 arrived sometime early this morning (3/29/2013). Peregrine's lay three to four eggs, which we expect over the next several days. The front and side falcon cams may be viewed on our website. We ask that if you are not actively viewing the cams that you close your internet browser window to help with bandwidth costs. Thanks for viewing!

RCF · « **Reply #131 on:** March 29, 2013, 08:28 »

First egg for Topeka

RCF · « **Reply #130 on:** March 17, 2013, 21:46 »

It looks like a black green/band on the left leg.

Video http://youtu.be/A6FNC0Ern1A

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #129 on:** February 08, 2013, 11:57 »

2013 NESTING SEASON

From the folks at Westar Energy ...

We're gearing up for the 2013 falcon season. The falcon cam is now up and running and we've made some modifications to the nest box in hopes for a successful season. Peregrine falcons generally nest around mid-March and have been spotted in the downtown Topeka area recently.

The falcon cam may be viewed on our website. We'll continue to send emails and update the webpage as the season progresses. Thanks for viewing!

webcam link: http://www.westarenergy.com/wcm.nsf/content/falcons

Kinderchick · « **Reply #128 on:** June 26, 2012, 22:20 »

Thanks, RCF. Very interesting. Didn't see that. Should have checked back.

RCF · « **Reply #127 on:** June 26, 2012, 21:53 »

Quote from: Kinderchick on June 26, 2012, 21:25

Quote from: The Peregrine Chick on June 26, 2012, 15:27
From Topeka - lone chick died at fledging ... Edison was a great-grandkid of Trey & Princess (think I have the "greats" correct) ...
Aw - this is very sad, particularly since it was the lone survivor. But I was wondering, how was Edison related to Princess & Trey, TPC? Through Boreas or Nemaha? $:-\$

This is from TPC's first post on this thread

http://www.species-at-risk.mb.ca/projects/pfrp/forum/programs/index.php/topic,3063.msg82352.html#msg82352

Boreas - 2007 wild-hatched male, State Capitol Building, Lincoln, Nebraska
Nemaha - 2009 wild-hatched female, State Capitol Building, Lincoln Nebraska
= both are offspring of Alley, grandkids of Trey & Princess, great-grandkids of T-Rex & Madame
--> Stormy, Zephyr (and Tesla who died before naming)

Kinderchick · « **Reply #126 on:** June 26, 2012, 21:25 »

Quote from: The Peregrine Chick on June 26, 2012, 15:27

From Topeka - lone chick died at fledging ... Edison was a great-grandkid of Trey & Princess (think I have the "greats" correct) ...

Aw - this is very sad, particularly since it was the lone survivor.

But I was wondering, how was Edison related to Princess & Trey, TPC? Through Boreas or Nemaha? $:-\$

lilamy1979 · « **Reply #125 on:** June 26, 2012, 18:26 »

Sorry to hear that you guys lost a falcon chick out there.

RCF · « **Reply #124 on:** June 26, 2012, 16:44 »

That is so very sad.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #123 on:** June 26, 2012, 15:27 »

From Topeka - lone chick died at fledging ... Edison was a great-grandkid of Trey & Princess (think I have the "greats" correct) ...

We're sorry to report that after a few flight attempts off our downtown Topeka rooftop, our young falcon, Edison, has been found deceased on the rooftop. It appears that after an unsuccessful flight attempt, he had a mishap that resulted in a neck injury that was fatal. Peregrines may typically live to be 12 to 15 years old; however, the mortality rate for young falcons is higher than 50 percent.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to watch our falcons' progress this spring, submit and vote on your favorite falcon names and email us your feedback. Your interest and support of the falcons is heartwarming. We're hopeful for a more successful season next year. We'll continue to send updates on parents Nemaha and Boreas.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #122 on:** June 19, 2012, 10:03 »

From the folks in Topeka ...

About 10:45 a.m. Saturday, June 16, our male falcon chick left the nest box. He spent the morning running around the Westar building ledge. We had no sightings shortly after his departure, but are confident that he spent some time testing his wings in downtown Topeka. Mom and dad will continue to help feed the chick and show him around until he is able to fend for himself.

The winning falcon name of Edison was submitted by several watchers and was voted on the most times (40% of the vote). Thank you to everyone that took the time to submit falcon names and for taking the time to vote for your favorite.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #121 on:** June 07, 2012, 14:48 »

Voting for chick names has started ...

Thank you for the name suggestions, there were well over 100 submitted. It was a challenge to narrow it down to just three.

Potential names:
  Lindbergh - After Charles Lindbergh, famous aviator
  Edison - Inventor of the lightbulb
  Topeka - In honor of the city. Was submitted several times.

Vote for your favorite name - Please, only one vote per person. Link to vote: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/S896X8H

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #120 on:** June 03, 2012, 15:59 »

Here's the note I received from the Westar folks as well ....

We're sorry to report that this morning one of our falcon chicks took a fatal fall from the nestbox.

Even though the Peregrine Project has approved our current nestbox design, we're convinced that changes can be made to hopefully lessen the chance of this happening in the future. We?ll make the changes after this falcon season. We'll continue to get the best advice we can and make adjustments to give our birds their best chance for survival.

Falcon chicks are commonly lost to falls in nature. Statistically, the mortality rate the first year is higher than 50%. We understand this is a sad time and there is a level of human emotion attached with the falcons. We would also like to remind everyone that these are wild creatures.

RCF · « **Reply #119 on:** June 02, 2012, 14:25 »

Tragedy at Topeka again the same chick fell but did not survive this time.

http://www.peregrinefalcon-bcaw.net/viewtopic.php?p=193901#p193901

GCG · « **Reply #118 on:** June 02, 2012, 05:14 »

Quote from: The Peregrine Chick on June 01, 2012, 09:48

Quote from: RCF on May 31, 2012, 22:49
I would like to know why they were even disturbing the birds the day after they were banded? Did they forget to do something on banding day...........seems kind of stressful for the birds.

watch after we band the Radisson chicks next week, its a comforting sight when you work with them to see them get down to napping or eating or whatever relatively quickly after going back in the box - granted we try to facilitate that as much as we can. When they start to fly however, it seems as though a switch is flipped, like their first flights reveal possibilities and options that they just couldn't conceive of - dealing with fledglings is entirely different. A chick that 20 days before was acquiescent during banding will take chunks out of you when you retrieve them after going to ground at fledge time.

you wouldn't be talking from experience, would you, TPC? If memory serves, Winnipeg, summer 2010. Remember, keep your thumbs tucked in!

RCF · « **Reply #117 on:** June 01, 2012, 15:42 »

Well, here's what happened yesterday and somebody else posted that sometimes spraying the chicks gets them wet and heavy so they won't be inclined to try and fly.

posted by kittenface
http://www.peregrinefalcon-bcaw.net/viewtopic.php?p=193635#p193635

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #116 on:** June 01, 2012, 09:48 »

Quote from: RCF on May 31, 2012, 22:49

I would like to know why they were even disturbing the birds the day after they were banded? Did they forget to do something on banding day...........seems kind of stressful for the birds.

With the use of webcams, the birds get "disturbed" alot less than they used to and in the wild, they get disturbed frequently by other birds and predators if they can get close. The downside of the webcams is that they freak more, so get stressed more than they used to it seems (not enough data to say that for sure). Peregrines and peregrine chicks aren't fragile we just don't like to needlessly disturb them. Every nestsite and pair are different. Jules and Beau are spooky easy to disturb and they really really get disturbed and stressed. The Radisson birds generally not so much though the level of stress individual birds will put up with varies. Princess is more easily stressed off the eggs/chicks than Trey was or Madame. Together Madame and Trey would stay on the eggs pretty much no matter what happened. Interestingly, before webcams we used to get hit by birds pretty regularly by one or the other or both of a pair. Since webcams, it happens less, almost as though the birds aren't used to the disturbance so are still trying to figure out what the best response is to the "threat". In the old days, you had to check the chicks at laying (twice, sometimes three times to get an accurate incubation start date) and then when they were hatching in order to get as accurate and age for banding. After the first or second visit on the roof - say to check for a scrape and then after the first egg was laid, the pair knew who you were and where you were going to go - made it easy to determine a plan of attack (aka bombing run).

But back to your question RCF - 20 minutes or thereabouts to band and 5-10 minutes to spray the chicks and maybe another 10-20 minutes through the course of the season to adjust replace cameras, is not a problem if done efficiently and not at a time when the chicks could be negatively impacted by weather etc. Working with the birds mean one should keep the disturbance you can control to a reasonable minimum - I daresay if they decided there was a need to spray it was probably not something they were expecting the day before - it would have been so much easier for everyone if they could have sprayed them then. Fortunately, chicks tend to spit and hiss but generally settle down quickly after being disturbed - watch after we band the Radisson chicks next week, its a comforting sight when you work with them to see them get down to napping or eating or whatever relatively quickly after going back in the box - granted we try to facilitate that as much as we can. When they start to fly however, it seems as though a switch is flipped, like their first flights reveal possibilities and options that they just couldn't conceive of - dealing with fledglings is entirely different. A chick that 20 days before was acquiescent during banding will take chunks out of you when you retrieve them after going to ground at fledge time.

RCF · « **Reply #115 on:** May 31, 2012, 22:49 »

I would like to know why they were even disturbing the birds the day after they were banded? Did they forget to do something on banding day...........seems kind of stressful for the birds.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #114 on:** May 31, 2012, 22:27 »

Quote from: Kinderchick on May 31, 2012, 22:03

Quote from: RCF on May 31, 2012, 13:24
...I could see they had a bottle and were spraying the chicks under their wings, so they must of been spraying for the lice they sometimes get.
Is this usual, TPC? Have you ever had to spray any of our Manitoba peregrine falcons?

We've never done it and I don't know of others who have but that may just be because it's not remarkable enough to mention when we are talking "shop" ... I'll ask around and see what I find out ...

Kinderchick · « **Reply #113 on:** May 31, 2012, 22:03 »

Quote from: RCF on May 31, 2012, 13:24

...I could see they had a bottle and were spraying the chicks under their wings, so they must of been spraying for the lice they sometimes get.

Is this usual, TPC? Have you ever had to spray any of our Manitoba peregrine falcons?

RCF · « **Reply #112 on:** May 31, 2012, 13:24 »

I wondered what they were doing because they banded them yesterday.

I could see they had a bottle and were spraying the chicks under their wings, so they must of been spraying for the lice they sometimes get.

RCF · « **Reply #111 on:** May 31, 2012, 12:56 »

I caught this on the web cam just a bit ago. Both standing in the corner in last pic. The parents are still kakking as I am typing this.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #110 on:** May 31, 2012, 09:21 »

Update from the Westar Energy Gang yesterday,

Our two young falcons were banded successfully today. We believe we have two healthy males. Photos are down a little ways on the falcon webpage. Just a reminder that you have until Friday to submit potential falcon names. If you would like to change your names because both falcons are believed to be males, that's fine also.

RCF · « **Reply #109 on:** May 25, 2012, 16:46 »

The chicks are getting bigger and so are their voices.

Video - http://youtu.be/6CPbceyfu_8

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #108 on:** May 24, 2012, 22:03 »

From our friends hosting two of Alley's kids ...

It's the time of year. Our two peregrine falcon chicks need to be named. Details of the naming contest can be found on the falcon web page = http://www.westarenergy.com/wcm.nsf/content/falcons

We plan to band the chicks on 5-30 at 1 p.m.. The web cams will be temporarily unavailable during the procedure.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #107 on:** April 06, 2012, 22:18 »

Alley's kids (so Princess' & Trey's grandkids) have eggs

Nemaha and Boreas are up to four eggs now.

The first egg arrived 3/29 at 6:30 AM.
Second egg arrived 3/31 early morning.
Third egg arrived 4/3 at 9:15 AM.
Fourth egg arrived 4/6 between 4:00 AM - 8:00 AM.

The incubation normally lasts about 30 days, so we'll start looking for the first hatching towards the end of April.

Thank you to our dedicated viewers for letting us know when eggs were laid.

RCF · « **Reply #106 on:** March 29, 2012, 12:34 »

Short Video - http://youtu.be/yQrHqztB850

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #105 on:** March 29, 2012, 11:17 »

Message from our folks at Westar ...

We have confirmed that our falcon couple is again Nemaha and Boreas, the same pair as last year.The first egg arrived this morning at around 6:30 AM. As Nemaha hopefully lays more eggs, the falcons should be spending more time in the nest box.

Happy viewing!

They also have an email newsletter that you can subscribe to for those who are interested

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #104 on:** March 10, 2012, 16:23 »

2011 Resident Pair

male: Boreas - 2007 wild-hatched male, State Capitol Building, Lincoln, Nebraska
female: Nemaha - 2009 wild-hatched female, State Capitol Building, Lincoln Nebraska

Both are offspring of Alley, grandkids of Trey & Princess, great-grandkids of T-Rex & Madame

Offspring:
2011 = Zephyr (male), Stormy (female), Tesla (male, died before fledging)

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #103 on:** March 10, 2012, 16:19 »

2012 NESTING SEASON

As of March 3rd, the peregrines have returned to Topeka.

Haven't had confirmation yet if it is the 2011 pair - Boreas & Nemaha or the 2004-2010 pair, Doorly & Hope.

All of these birds are related to Manitoba birds and to each other through Madame and T-Rex.

Doorly - 1999 wild-hatched male, Woodman Tower, Omaha, Nebraska
  = son of Winnie, grandson of T-Rex and Burnsie
  = brother of Husker (Red Wing, MN), Goldie (Fargo, ND) and Tower (Kansas City, MO)
Hope - 2002 wild-hatched female, Woodman Tower, Omaha, Nebraska
  = great-niece of Madame who was T-Rex's second mate and Trey's Mom
   --> parents of AJ, Beaky, Sampson, Wes and Star

Boreas - 2007 wild-hatched male, State Capitol Building, Lincoln, Nebraska
Nemaha - 2009 wild-hatched female, State Capitol Building, Lincoln Nebraska
= both are offspring of Alley, grandkids of Trey & Princess, great-grandkids of T-Rex & Madame
  --> Stormy, Zephyr (and Tesla who died before naming)

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #102 on:** August 10, 2011, 10:24 »

2011 Resident Pair

male: Boreas - 2007 wild-hatched male, State Capitol Building, Lincoln, Nebraska
female: Nemaha - 2009 wild-hatched female, State Capitol Building, Lincoln Nebraska

Both are offspring of Alley, grandkids of Trey & Princess, great-grandkids of T-Rex & Madame

Offspring:
2011 = Zephyr (male), Stormy (female), Tesla (male, died before fledging)

This is a wee bit late (

) but I thought I would add it just so we have all the information in one place

Early yesterday afternoon (6/20), our male falcon chick (Zephyr) left the nest box. He spent the afternoon running around the Westar building ledge. Late in the evening he flew off the building and has been testing his wings around downtown Topeka. He was spotted this morning around Kansas Avenue. The female falcon chick (Stormy) looks like she could leave the nest box any second now. Mom and dad will continue to help feed the chicks and show them around until they are able to fend for themselves.

The winning falcon names are Stormy, Zephyr and Tesla.

The winning person that submitted the name Stormy, suggested that be the females name and we agree that is a great fit. We also feel that Zephyr is a good match for our younger male falcon who was first to fledge. And, Tesla, which is a reference to Nikola Tesla, an inventor and engineer of electricity is a good fit for our first hatched male that didn't make it and is now watching over his brother and sister.

Thank you to everyone that took the time to submit falcon names and for taking the time to vote for your favorite. We had over 130 votes. We'll continue to send out updates as long as our young falcons stick around downtown Topeka.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #101 on:** June 08, 2011, 19:07 »

From the Westar Folks ...

We have narrowed our potential falcon names down to five choices. Vote on your favorite at our Facebook page, click on "more" to see all five names. http://www.facebook.com/Westarenergyinc

The top two names will be given to the falcon chicks. Although our third chick didn't make it, we would still like to give him a name, so he will receive the third most popular name. We also have updated information as to what happened to him if you are interested. On our falcon page, look at the June 6th update.

Kinderchick · « **Reply #100 on:** June 01, 2011, 18:25 »

Very sad news. Poor little guy.

I wonder if he fell off rather than jumped off, similar to what happened to one of the Radisson chicks a few years ago?

Maybe something was already wrong with him? $:-\$ I guess a necropsy will be done and we will hear about the results before too long.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #99 on:** June 01, 2011, 16:27 »

We have sad news to report. One of our male falcon chicks has died. The chick apparently jumped from the box yesterday between about 8 and 9 p.m. and didn?t survive the 10-story fall. When it was banded on Monday, its condition was good and we?re unsure as to what caused it to jump out of the box. The most dangerous period for peregrines is from hatching until the falcons are a year old. We?ll continue to keep you updated on the remaining male and female chicks. The naming contest will continue as originally designed. Many thanks to those that have already submitted names.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #98 on:** May 26, 2011, 19:12 »

A message from the folks at Westar ...

Our three chicks will be banded on Monday morning (5-30). We'll send out pictures and an update after the banding. We'd like your help in naming the falcons. http://westarenergyblog.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/2011-falcon-naming-contest/

Ellie · « **Reply #97 on:** May 12, 2011, 14:18 »

So cute and all the pink skin underneath!!

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #96 on:** May 12, 2011, 11:45 »

Received this note from our friends at Westar Energy in Topeka.

Currently, all three baby falcon eggs have hatched and all falcons appear to be in good condition. The first two arrived Tuesday morning and the third Wednesday morning. Learn more: http://westarenergyblog.wordpress.com/2011/05/11/new-baby-falcons-have-arrive/

They also have photos of the babes: New Baby Falcons Have Arrived

carly · « **Reply #95 on:** April 06, 2011, 18:56 »

I hope so too TPC and how wonderful that they are providing that option for them and that they are both alright after the displacment.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #94 on:** April 06, 2011, 17:23 »

Update from our folks at Westar ....

If you haven't had a chance to view the falcon cams this year, a lot has happened. Hope and Doorly, the couple that has successfully reproduced offspring the last couple years, has been replaced by a new peregrine couple, Boreas and Nemaha. Downtown Topeka has been very noisy the last couple weeks as the couples figured out who would be laying claim to the nest box. An alternative nest box has been established at our Tecumseh Energy Center in hopes that Hope and Doorly will make their new home there. Nemaha laid her first egg on April 1st, the second on April 4th and the third today, April 6th.

Hopefully Doorly and Hope will choose the the Tecumseh site this year ...

Here's an additional story link: Peregrine falcon pair from Nebraska Capitol make their home in Topeka

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #93 on:** March 15, 2011, 20:09 »

Quote from: sami on March 15, 2011, 18:13

Interesting that a chick from each nest was mis-identified as to gender. Something to do with the names?

Nope, their size (and/or the size of their feet) at banding age

Boreas was the biggest of the bunch - feet were male, but was the biggest so err on the size of caution.
Good decision.

sami · « **Reply #92 on:** March 15, 2011, 18:13 »

Interesting that a chick from each nest was mis-identified as to gender. Something to do with the names?

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #91 on:** March 15, 2011, 09:24 »

Just as another note, for those of you who remember the naming themes we've used at the Radisson. 2007 was the year that both Lincoln and the Radisson had similar names for their birds - they used the names of the wind gods - Boreas, Notus, Eurus and Zephyrus - and we used the names of winds - Hurricane, Chinook, Taku and Mistral. Nice to see a bird back from each nest of these aptly named peregrine chicks!

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #90 on:** March 15, 2011, 09:21 »

This Topeka nest has a thing for brothers and sisters ....

Doorly and Hope were half-sibs, Nemaha and Boreas are full sibs.

Boreas (b/g R/03) from the 2007 nest and Nemaha (b/r 97/H) is from the 2009 nest at the State Capitol Building in Lincoln Nebraska. The resident pair from 2005 to 2010 is 19/K (2001 Des Moines, Iowa) and our Alley from the 2004 Radisson hatch - she's from Trey & Princess' first nest together. Hopefully 19/K and Alley will be back for another year this year, it would be their 7th year together.

Here's an image of Alley buzzing the front of the Capitol Building near the nestbox ...

birdcamfan · « **Reply #89 on:** March 14, 2011, 11:49 »

If he's 2nd from the left end, he's huge, and look at those giant feet!

Kinderchick · « **Reply #88 on:** March 14, 2011, 09:27 »

Great sleuthing work, sgb! Congratulations on ID'ing "Boreas" from Lincoln, Nebraska!

skygirlblue · « **Reply #87 on:** March 13, 2011, 22:52 »

Oh glory be!!! The mystery is solved!!! I emailed Joel Jorgensen in Lincoln, Nebraska...sent him my pics, and asked him if, by any chance, R/03 belonged to that nest and had just been left out of the data base. Here is his response:

"Yes!! R/03 is indeed another one of ours and his name is “Boreas”. We actually placed female bands on this bird. It can be challenging to sex some chicks and we erred on the side of caution by placing the larger bands on him. Luckily the name works for a male or a female. I have pasted the 2007 press release below [I left this out] and also inserted a photo from the banding. Boreas is one of the birds on the far left . Perhaps he was the big one and that may be why we thought he was a female. Not sure why this band was left out of the database, particularly because the others are included which indicates they were submitted. "

Now, I can start obsessing about something else!!!

skygirlblue · « **Reply #86 on:** March 13, 2011, 00:28 »

I started looking at Nebraska birds. Woodmen banded 3 females and 1 male in 2007...the females were R/00, 01, 02 and a male, B/61

Lincoln banded 4 in 2007: R/04, R/05, R/06, (f) and I can't find the band number for the 4th, the male.

(I was looking for a band pattern~I don't know what happened to the R sequence and why 03 was skipped...or like you said, it may never have been entered. Maybe this bird was banded as a female, but really was a male..)

If I squint and turn the R into a distorted B, I come up with B/03, Zeus, a 2006 male banded at the Rhodes Tower (Columbus, Ohio) in 2006. He was last observed in 2008 in Lorain, Ohio nesting on a bridge. I may email the biologist in Columbus and see if she knows if he's been spotted this year..

I really need to get a life...

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #85 on:** March 12, 2011, 23:43 »

Quote from: skygirlblue on March 12, 2011, 12:41

Well, I give up...I can't find this bird...

Don't give up yet, some band numbers haven't been added into the database yet. Band numbers go out in sequentially to banders and not all the band numbers have been posted to the database yet (not unusual). Its still early and someone will recognize the band number or realize it was in their series and we'll get an id yet. I'm inclined to think it maybe a Nebraska bird however ....

Going to go hunting a bit more ...

skygirlblue · « **Reply #84 on:** March 12, 2011, 12:41 »

Well, I give up...I can't find this bird...

skygirlblue · « **Reply #83 on:** March 12, 2011, 10:26 »

No luck with band ID with this go round...the only thing I could really make out was what appears to be that R on top...could it be a strange A?

they were in the box together for a few minutes...then he left...they zoomed in on her..

He's just brought her a gift and she's eating in the box ... Mornings seem to be the prime time to catch them...

Kinderchick · « **Reply #82 on:** March 12, 2011, 10:12 »

Quote from: skygirlblue on March 11, 2011, 12:41

... I did find a Canadian bird with a R/00 black left band, but a silver right band...Hopefully next time I catch him in the box, "it" will hold its left leg to the cam...

How can you tell if it's a Canadian bird, sgb or TPC?

I don't know much, if anything, about banding. Is it the colour of the band and/or particular letters & numbers? $:-\$

birdcamfan · « **Reply #81 on:** March 12, 2011, 08:50 »

This thread makes "CSI" look lame!

skygirlblue · « **Reply #80 on:** March 11, 2011, 16:22 »

Quote from: Kinderchick on March 11, 2011, 13:01

Wow! You are really good at getting great photos for ID purposes, sgb!

In this case, I think its called luck...

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #79 on:** March 11, 2011, 13:08 »

Quote from: skygirlblue on March 11, 2011, 12:41

good look...

I did find a Canadian bird with a R/00 black left band, but a silver right band...Hopefully next time I catch him in the box, "it" will hold its left leg to the cam...

Pretty cooperative the first time SGB, hopefully he/she will be accommodating - think the bird knew you were watching him/her ...

Kinderchick · « **Reply #78 on:** March 11, 2011, 13:01 »

Wow! You are really good at getting great photos for ID purposes, sgb!

skygirlblue · « **Reply #77 on:** March 11, 2011, 12:41 »

good look...

I did find a Canadian bird with a R/00 black left band, but a silver right band...Hopefully next time I catch him in the box, "it" will hold its left leg to the cam...

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #76 on:** March 11, 2011, 11:48 »

Hmmm, very interesting ... Hurricane was banded as a male, so it's not out of the range of possibilities ...

Off to data mine for band numbers ...

skygirlblue · « **Reply #75 on:** March 11, 2011, 11:12 »

More mystery...Don't know who this is...its neither of the resident falcons...I'm pretty sure its the male we've been seeing with 97/H...but, all the band combinations we try all point back to a female...

So, we obviously are not "guessing" correctly on the letters/numbers, etc...OR..it is a female that looks similar to the male..Or...(the possibilities are endless) $:-\$

This pic was taken of the male Yesterday while the female was on the perch.

skygirlblue · « **Reply #74 on:** March 09, 2011, 08:56 »

I agree..we're not changing it on BCAW yet either.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #73 on:** March 09, 2011, 00:11 »

Quote from: skygirlblue on March 08, 2011, 20:45

Breaking news....its 97/H...got a much better pic of her today...FINALLY!!! her name is either Nemaha or Niobrara (Named after Nebraska Rivers). Also two males in this clutch.

b/r 97/H is Nemaha from the 2009 nest of 19/K and our Alley (A/Y) in Lincoln Nebraska. And she is old enough to breed ...

If y'all wouldn't mind, I think I'll wait a bit before changing the subject line, Hope isn't all that old and I'd like to be sure she's not about to reappear ...

Kinderchick · « **Reply #72 on:** March 08, 2011, 21:18 »

Wow! Wonderful photos and excellent ID work, sgb!

As TPC has said, one of our grandkids!

skygirlblue · « **Reply #71 on:** March 08, 2011, 20:45 »

Breaking news....its 97/H...got a much better pic of her today...FINALLY!!! her name is either Nemaha or Niobrara (Named after Nebraska Rivers). Also two males in this clutch. Still no positive Id on the male.

She's in the box eating...and he's on the perch...he brought a little treat...but she was more interested in the meal she was eating..

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #70 on:** March 04, 2011, 21:35 »

97/H would be one of our grandkids too

This is going to be fun waiting to find out who's on first, what's on second ...

skygirlblue · « **Reply #69 on:** March 04, 2011, 14:14 »

Well, that is very interesting...if it does turn out to be her, she is very young. We think the cam operators are on to it and are hoping they are getting better pictures than what we are getting...Someone else suggested it might even be a 97/H...which hatched from the lincoln nest in 2009....but, today's pic looked closer to a 5 than a 9..of course we could all be wrong and the 7 really isn't a 7, nor the H, an H...

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #68 on:** March 04, 2011, 13:34 »

Quote from: skygirlblue on March 04, 2011, 11:46

We're leaning toward a band # of 57/H on the new female...which if it is, would make it to be Mintaka, f, 2010 State Capitol, Lincoln Lancaster county, NE

Hmmm, Mintaka is one of our "grandkids, and if the male is Doorly (?) then they are related, though not closely ...

Mintaka (2010) - daughter of Alley & 19/K (Lincoln, NE), granddaughter of Trey & Princess (Radisson), great-granddaughter of T-Rex & Madame (Radisson), great-great-granddaughter of Pop & Maud (Radisson)

Doorly (1999) - son of Winnie & Zeus (Omaha, NE), son of T-Rex & Burnsie (U of M), grandson of Pop & Maud (Radisson)

Will be interesting to see if she is in fact old enough to breed or if she's just "flirting". Most (if not all) of our female chicks have waited to be at least 2 years old before nesting ...

skygirlblue · « **Reply #67 on:** March 04, 2011, 11:46 »

The good news...the cam is live..

webcam link: http://www.westarenergy.com/wcm.nsf/content/falcons

We're leaning toward a band # of 57/H on the new female...which if it is, would make it to be Mintaka, f, 2010 State Capitol, Lincoln Lancaster county, NE. She's just not being cooperative when she's inside the box...

But a little courtship this morning..First time I've seen the male this season.

http://www.youtube.com/user/skygirlblue?feature=mhum#p/a/u/0/4qbpEPIICcc

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #66 on:** March 02, 2011, 09:19 »

Checked the Midwest database and there isn't b/r 17/H in the lists, though, there is a b/r 15/H that was banded in Indiana in 2009. There is also an b/r H/17 also banded in 2009 in Indiana with the next FWS band number in sequence, so if the band is in fact 17/H (and its tough to be sure on the video), then its just a typo in the database and the bird is an unnamed 2009 (so breeding age now) female from Indiana

female b/r 15/H (1687-21432) - 2009 Alliant Energy Plant, Chillicothe (Ottumwa Generating Station), Wapello county, IA (named Judi)
female b/r H/17 (1687-21433) - 2009 ML Kapp Generating Station w/Alliant Energy, Clinton, IA (not named)
female br/r H/16 (1687-21434) - 2009 ML Kapp Generating Station w/Alliant Energy, Clinton, IA (not named)

Kinderchick · « **Reply #65 on:** March 01, 2011, 20:45 »

Quote from: kittenface on March 01, 2011, 16:30

... There is a new falcon around Topeka Kansas ...

Great news, kittenface!

kittenface · « **Reply #64 on:** March 01, 2011, 16:30 »

2011 NESTING SEASON

There is a new falcon around Topeka Kansas

1807-91942 b/g 12/B Left Hope f 2002 Woodmen Tower, Omaha Douglas county, NE bl 05/11/02
2206-28953 b/g L/K Left Doorly m 1999 Woodmen Tower, Omaha Douglas county, NE bl 05/22/99
And this is black/red for sure just not real sure about the band # kind of looks like 17/H

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL7udGWyu24

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #63 on:** August 21, 2010, 16:10 »

2010 Resident Pair

male: Doorly - 1999 wild-hatch from Omaha, Nebraska - Manitoba great-grandchick through Winnie (Trey's half-sister)
female: Hope - 2002 wild-hatch from Omaha, Nebraska - Doorly & Hope are half-sibs

Doorly and Hope had been nesting at Westart Building from 2004 but until 2007 they were unsuccessful because Doorly broke the eggs during incubation. In 2007 Doorly got the hang of parenthood and its been smooth sailing ever since.

Doorly is brother to Husker (Red Wing, Minnesota), Goldie (Fargo, North Dakota) and Tower (Kansas City, Missouri)
Hope is the daughter of Amelia who is the niece of Madame who was our second Radisson female and Trey's Mom.

Offspring:
  2007 - AJ (male)
  2008 - Beaky (female)
  2009 - Sampson (male)
  2010 - Wes (male) and Star (female)

kittenface · « **Reply #62 on:** August 04, 2010, 09:44 »

Star is there with breakfast and we get to see it UP CLOSE & PERSONAL
I wonder if she got it or if she is still getting served by momma

kittenface · « **Reply #61 on:** August 01, 2010, 15:01 »

TPC thank you very much

Here is Star Sleeping beauty

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #60 on:** August 01, 2010, 13:51 »

Quote from: kittenface on August 01, 2010, 12:40

Wes or Star? 45/X can anyone tell me which is which please I know band # and names but not who goes with what

Looking at one of the photos of the two chicks side by side at the end of the Westar photo gallery, 46/X is Wes, 45/X is Star based on size. I have checked all the records and at this point there are no references to which band went on which chick. When the database is updated later this year (usually in the fall), I will confirm these identies when I update our records as well. But from the photos, I would be surprised if they weren't as I've "guessed" here.

kittenface · « **Reply #59 on:** August 01, 2010, 13:40 »

kittenface · « **Reply #58 on:** August 01, 2010, 12:40 »

Wes or Star? 45/X can anyone tell me which is which please I know band # and names but not who goes with what

kittenface · « **Reply #57 on:** July 23, 2010, 19:52 »

Sleeping beauty was back again today

sami · « **Reply #56 on:** July 23, 2010, 00:08 »

They're just so sweet. Unless maybe you want to pick them up

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #55 on:** July 22, 2010, 21:02 »

Great looking chicks, you can just tell they are related to Trey

carly · « **Reply #54 on:** July 22, 2010, 20:13 »

Great photos!

Kinderchick · « **Reply #53 on:** July 22, 2010, 17:11 »

LOL, kittenface! Up close and personal!

kittenface · « **Reply #52 on:** July 22, 2010, 16:59 »

A very sleepy baby trying to keep upright but the wind is blowing him/her around

Kinderchick · « **Reply #51 on:** July 19, 2010, 01:02 »

I love these latest photos that you have posted, kittenface.

kittenface · « **Reply #50 on:** July 18, 2010, 12:49 »

kittenface · « **Reply #49 on:** July 17, 2010, 14:35 »

Boy I got lucky today now if I could get band number it would be even better

Ellie · « **Reply #48 on:** June 23, 2010, 05:42 »

Thank you for that Kittenface

What beautiful "juvies". So glad all is well at this site

kittenface · « **Reply #47 on:** June 23, 2010, 00:28 »

I got this in an Email today

Falcon Watchers -

A couple Westar folks were able to get on the Westar rooftop yesterday and check on the falcons. Late last week we had a slight scare and it was believed that something happened to Doorly. We confirmed that Hope and Doorly as well as the two young are doing just fine. Wes and Star continue to learn how to fly in an area that is very suitable to their needs. Mom and Dad continue to look after them.

The front falcon cam can only view the falcons at certain times and is maintained by our security folks so it's not able to catch them very often. We did get some additional pictures yesterday and they have been added to the existing slide show.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/westarenergy/sets/72157624024235671/show/

Alison · « **Reply #46 on:** June 03, 2010, 19:56 »

Two demanding chicks; the parent with them is Hope.

Kinderchick · « **Reply #45 on:** May 28, 2010, 12:30 »

Quote from: The Peregrine Chick on May 28, 2010, 09:46

...And it's nice to know that they have finally confirmed the male's correct name - Doorly lives!

Yes!

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #44 on:** May 28, 2010, 09:46 »

Note from the Westar folks yesterday afternoon ...

Falcon Lovers -

Our falcon banding went smoothly this morning. We believe the first born bird to be female and the second born bird to be male (brother and sister). At this age it's difficult to tell the sex for sure, but we look at the size of the feet relative to the size of the bird and the beak width (female is wider).

We apologize for the smudge on the side-cam. During the banding, we attempted to quickly clean the lens, but it appears we were unsuccessful. It's important that we don't disturb the birds anymore than necessary, so it looks like we'll be stuck with the smudge until the young falcons fledge.

Pictures from today's banding can be found under the web cam information on this page:
http://www.westarenergy.com/corp_com/contentmgt.nsf/publishedpages/community%20services%20green%20team%20falcons

Don't forget to submit your names for the naming contest, we've already received several suggestions:
http://www.westarenergy.com/corp_com/contentmgt.nsf/publishedpages/2010%20falcon%20naming%20contest

And it's nice to know that they have finally confirmed the male's correct name - Doorly lives!

Alison · « **Reply #43 on:** May 27, 2010, 21:02 »

The two chicks at the Topeka nest have been banded, and Doorly has now been identified as the male.

Baby falcons deemed healthy

Two small peregrine falcons hatched earlier this month. Like an infant who goes to the doctor for a well-baby checkup, two small peregrine falcons that hatched earlier this month in a nesting box near the top of the Westar Energy building in downtown Topeka were examined Thursday for the first time. And, by all accounts, the birds appear to be doing just fine.

"Both chicks were very healthy," pronounced Brad Loveless, director of biology and conservation programs for Westar. "We can't be sure, but our best bet is that the larger of the two is a female, based on the size of her feet relative to her body size. The smaller one appears to be a male."

Loveless was one of Westar's Green Team members who plucked the chicks from their nesting box, high up on the south side of the Westar Energy Building at 818 S. Kansas Ave. The birds' mother, Hope, didn't approve of the meddling, as evidenced by her angry screeches and circling above the nesting box.

But after identification bands were placed on the legs of each baby bird and blood drawn for DNA testing, the chicks were returned to their nesting box, much to the relief of Hope. Blood samples from each of the chicks are to be sent to a raptor center at the University of Minnesota for analysis. The raptor center tracks bird migration and mating patterns. The small falcons pecked their way out of their shells on May 9 and May 12. Two other eggs were in the nest. One falcon was killed by one of its parents and fed to its siblings after being born May 13. The other egg remained in the nesting box but didn't hatch.

People in Topeka, across the nation and around the world have been keeping tabs on the chicks' progress, thanks to two webcams mounted near the nesting box. The website is www.westarenergy.com/greenteam. Loveless said the adult male falcon originally was thought to be named Zeus, but it was determined recently that he actually was another bird named Doorly, which migrated to Topeka from Omaha, Neb.

The chicks will continue to grow over the next few weeks, and soon it will become evident which is the female and which is the male. Loveless said the female peregrine falcon, which is dominant, is about one and a half times the size of her male counterpart. As the chicks grow, they will begin to inch closer to the edge of their nesting box, Loveless said, eventually spreading their wings to get a feel of the wind. In the next three or four weeks, the birds will take off for their maiden flight — something Loveless said was fraught with danger.

"That's really a hazardous time," Loveless said. "There's a high mortality rate." Nonetheless, all the small falcons that hatched in the Westar nesting box during the past few years survived their first flight, Loveless said, though some barely make it to the ledge of another building. Once there, the small falcons may wait several hours or even a day before taking off again. In the meantime, the birds' parents will continue to feed them, even though they aren't in their nest, as the small birds can't fend for themselves yet.

Loveless said after the birds get the hang of flying, they will venture farther from the Westar building. In past years, the falcons have been spotted in back yards across the city. Then, when the weather turns cooler in the fall, the small falcons will take off, flying as far as South America.

source: http://cjonline.com/news/local/2010-05-27/baby_falcons_deemed_healthy

Photos by Thad Allton. More photos with the article.

Alison · « **Reply #42 on:** May 23, 2010, 17:42 »

Quote from: The Peregrine Chick on May 22, 2010, 16:06

Just so y'all know I haven't heard back yet from the Topeka Project about the name change for Doorly ... have sent them another message, so hopefully the reminder will prompt an response soon.

I hope so too . . .

Watching over the chicks:

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #41 on:** May 22, 2010, 16:06 »

Just so y'all know I haven't heard back yet from the Topeka Project about the name change for Doorly ... have sent them another message, so hopefully the reminder will prompt an response soon.

Alison · « **Reply #40 on:** May 21, 2010, 20:03 »

One of the parents (Hope?) with the chicks today:

Alison · « **Reply #39 on:** May 17, 2010, 18:03 »

An article on the Topeka nest:

Two Westar falcon chicks survive

But third arrival fails to survive eating instincts of its older siblings. Two baby peregrine falcons appeared to be alive and well Saturday after being born this past week in a nest near the top of the Westar Energy building in downtown Topeka, said Brad Loveless, Westar's director of biology and conservation programs. Loveless said a third falcon was killed by one of its parents and fed to its siblings after being born Thursday, while a fourth egg remained in the nest but wasn't expected to hatch.

Two webcams kept watch Saturday on the nest where the falcons were born to a male peregrine known as Zeus and a female named Hope, who had been nesting on the eggs since they were laid between April 1 and 3. Loveless said although the eggs were laid over a three-day period, Hope didn't start incubating them until the final egg arrived. He said that apparently was done to try to keep the hatch time for the eggs close together so the chicks born first wouldn't develop a size advantage that would enable them to killer their younger and smaller siblings, as often happens with birds of prey.

The first falcon pecked its way out of its eggshell last Sunday. Another was hatched Wednesday morning. The third was born — and died — on Thursday. When the surviving chicks are about 3 or 4 weeks old, an identification band will be placed around a leg of each, and their gender will be determined.

source: http://cjonline.com/news/local/2010-05-15/two_westar_falcon_chicks_survive

Kinderchick · « **Reply #38 on:** May 12, 2010, 20:41 »

Quote from: The Peregrine Chick on May 12, 2010, 15:18

If you look carefully, it looks like Hope & Doorly have found the smallest stones and put them all together in the middle of the box ....

Yes, you're absolutely right, TPC! How ingenius of them!

And what a good eye you have, TPC!

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #37 on:** May 12, 2010, 15:18 »

If you look carefully, it looks like Hope & Doorly have found the smallest stones and put them all together in the middle of the box ....

And I have an email into the Topeka contact about the name confusion ...

Kinderchick · « **Reply #36 on:** May 12, 2010, 13:36 »

Yes, you're right, jadoo. The gravel that TPC has used looks a lot smaller and smoother. Nice and "cushie" for wee little chicks, I would think!

jadoo · « **Reply #35 on:** May 12, 2010, 13:28 »

...oh, i agree, i'm just comparing it to the gravel that TPC used, or the gravel you can see at the Ohio site...this stuff looks like a nightmare for fluffy-bottomed chicks...

Kinderchick · « **Reply #34 on:** May 12, 2010, 13:04 »

Well don't forget that they are cliff dwellers, jadoo. It must be pretty rough living on the edge of a cliff.

jadoo · « **Reply #33 on:** May 12, 2010, 11:20 »

...wow, they're living on some pretty rough-looking gravel...

kittenface · « **Reply #32 on:** May 12, 2010, 11:14 »

Alison · « **Reply #31 on:** May 11, 2010, 21:03 »

Another article on the first hatch, which is also referring to Zeus as the male in the nest:

First falcon hatches on Mom's Day

Appropriately enough, the first of four peregrine falcon eggs nesting near the top of the Westar Energy building in downtown Topeka hatched Sunday afternoon — on Mother's Day. Brad Loveless, directory of Biology and Conservation programs for Westar Energy, said Sunday evening that the first chick pecked its way out of its eggshell at 12:10 p.m. Three more eggs remain to be hatched, Loveless said. The other eggs should hatch within the next few days.

"What normally happens is this starts a sequence where they continue to hatch," Loveless said. "We hope all four are viable, but we won't know until they start popping out of the eggs."

Two webcams keep watch on the falcons and their nest, located high on the south side of the 12-story Westar building, 818 S. Kansas Ave. People from across the nation and countries as far away as Australia have found the website and are keeping an eye on the falcons' progress. Those hoping to catch a glimpse of the new chick may be hard-pressed to see it, however, as Hope — the female peregrine falcon that has been nesting on the eggs since they were laid between April 1 and 3 — is quite protective and is keeping the chick and remaining eggs covered most or the time. The male peregrine falcon, named Zeus, also is in the nest. Hope and Zeus first came to the Westar nesting box in 2004. Hope laid about four eggs in 2004, 2005 and 2006, but Zeus broke them each time before they hatched.

Wildlife experts considered this highly unusual behavior. However, things changed in 2007, when Hope again laid four eggs. This time, Zeus was able to break three of them before Hope incubated the last remaining eggs for a couple of days before it hatched. Since then, Zeus hasn't broken any more eggs. Though the eggs were laid over a three-day period in early April, Loveless said, Hope didn't start incubating them until the final egg arrived. This was done to help keep the hatch time for all eggs as close together as possible, helping prevent any attacks from an older chick against a younger sibling.

"We have four eggs," Loveless said. "They've all made it to this point in time. They're about to hatch. Now, we're waiting to see how they'll behave and how they'll get along."

When the chicks are about three or four weeks old, an identification band will be placed around their leg, Loveless said. At that time, the gender of the falcons will be determined. Loveless said female falcons are larger than their male counterparts, something that can be determined even at three to four weeks. The chicks typically will begin to fly as the weather warms up and will venture farther from their home on the Westar building. Eventually, with the onset of fall, the birds will fly south, some going as far as Central or South America.

source: http://cjonline.com/life/2010-05-09/first_falcon_hatches_on_moms_day

Kinderchick · « **Reply #30 on:** May 11, 2010, 20:05 »

What fantastic photos, kittenface!

Thanks for posting them!

Almost looks like he's posing for the camera!

In the photos, you can even see the second chick attempting to hatch!

sami · « **Reply #29 on:** May 11, 2010, 16:33 »

What a little sweetie!

kittenface · « **Reply #28 on:** May 11, 2010, 16:16 »

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #27 on:** May 11, 2010, 13:35 »

It looks like they may have renamed Doorly ... he is the one who broke the eggs and in the first article on this thread, "Zeus" is attributed with the damage.

I'll see about contact Weststar to get some more news ...

Kinderchick · « **Reply #26 on:** May 10, 2010, 19:58 »

So are the parents at this site Doorly & Hope or Zeus & Hope?

Alison · « **Reply #25 on:** May 10, 2010, 17:51 »

I'm glad the family tree link was useful, and very pleased that the first chick has hatched.

A short article on the first hatch:

First Of 4 Peregrine Falcon Eggs Hatches In Topeka
Monday, May 10, 2010

The first of four peregrine falcon hatchlings nesting in a downtown Topeka building decided to make its debut on Mother's Day. Brad Loveless, of Westar Energy, says the egg hatched Sunday afternoon in a nest high on the 12-story Westar building. He expects the other three eggs to hatch within days.

The birds have attracted attention around the world, thanks to two webcams that can be viewed at www.westarenergy.com/greenteam. But the chicks may be hard to see because their mother, named Hope, has been protective since the eggs were laid between April 1 and 3. A male peregrine falcon, named Zeus, also is in the nest. The two falcons built their first nest in a Westar nesting box in 2004.

source: http://www.kake.com/news/headlines/93306399.html

This article also mentions "Zeus" as being in the nest - I wonder why.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #24 on:** May 10, 2010, 15:22 »

Here's the official hatch announcement from Nick at Weststar ....

Falcon Watchers -

The first falcon egg has hatched. Yesterday, at approximately 12:10 p.m. the first chick pecked its way out of the egg. The other 3 eggs remain. We'll keep you updated on new developments.

bcbird · « **Reply #23 on:** May 10, 2010, 10:40 »

That is an easy way to read a family tree focused around one particular member.
Thanks, Alison.

Kinderchick · « **Reply #22 on:** May 09, 2010, 20:33 »

Thanks for the link to the Woodmen family tree, Alison. I'm just beginning to "get" some of the connections.

Alison · « **Reply #21 on:** May 09, 2010, 15:38 »

Quote from: Kinderchick on May 09, 2010, 14:26

Quote from: The Peregrine Chick on April 12, 2010, 13:25
Think you are quite right - it should be Doorly not Zeus - Zeus was Doorly & Hope's dad. Doorly is the offspring of Winnie who was a Brandon hatch and the grand-daughter of our original Radisson pair - Pop & Maud. Hope is the daughter of Zeus and I believe his current mate ...
I always have to read these connections very slooooooowly, to keep it all straight. Is this the same Zeus who was in Brandon with Holly a few years ago? $:-\$

This is Zeus who is at the Woodmen Tower in Omaha with his mate Hera. He was born in Rochester in 1994. Doorly was born in 1999, a son of Zeus and his then mate Winnie from Winnipeg. Hope was born in 2002, a daughter of Zeus and his mate Amelia.

Here is a link to Zeus's family tree: http://www.woodmen.org/falcons/familytree.cfm

Kinderchick · « **Reply #20 on:** May 09, 2010, 14:26 »

Quote from: The Peregrine Chick on April 12, 2010, 13:25

Think you are quite right - it should be Doorly not Zeus - Zeus was Doorly & Hope's dad. Doorly is the offspring of Winnie who was a Brandon hatch and the grand-daughter of our original Radisson pair - Pop & Maud. Hope is the daughter of Zeus and I believe his current mate ...

I always have to read these connections very slooooooowly, to keep it all straight.

Is this the same Zeus who was in Brandon with Holly a few years ago? $:-\$

kittenface · « **Reply #19 on:** May 09, 2010, 13:30 »

We have a hatch

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #18 on:** April 12, 2010, 13:25 »

Think you are quite right - it should be Doorly not Zeus - Zeus was Doorly & Hope's dad. Doorly is the offspring of Winnie who was a Brandon hatch and the grand-daughter of our original Radisson pair - Pop & Maud. Hope is the daughter of Zeus and I believe his current mate ...

Alison · « **Reply #17 on:** April 09, 2010, 17:28 »

. . . Or could there possibly be some confusion in identifying Doorly and/or his father, Zeus?

Alison · « **Reply #16 on:** April 09, 2010, 17:24 »

2010 NESTING SEASON

If this is the same nest site as last year, the male is now listed as Zeus.

Westar's peregrine falcons incubating two eggs, more expected
By Phil Anderson
Updated April 5, 2010 at 11:55pm

If you think peregrine falcons are protective of their unhatched eggs, you would be correct.

Any doubters need look no further than to Hope and Zeus, the female and male peregrine falcons that are nesting on top of the 12-story Westar Energy building at 818 S. Kansas Ave. in downtown Topeka. The falcons, which were hatched in 1999 in Omaha, Neb., and made their way six years ago to a nesting spot at the southwest corner of the Westar building, are taking turns incubating two eggs that were laid in the past week.

The first egg was laid at 11:23 a.m. Thursday and the second egg was laid at 2:37 p.m. Saturday, said Westar spokeswoman Lila Halabi. Two more eggs are expected, with the chicks to hatch sometime around the first of May.

"They're very protective," said Brad Loveless, director of Biology and Conservation programs for Westar Energy. "You can't get close to them when they're real agitated." Though humans are keeping their distance physically, they are watching nearly every move of the falcons, thanks to a pair of Web cams that are streaming live footage of the falcons at www.westarenergy.com/greenteam. On Monday, viewers looked in on Hope as she rested on top of two eggs, which were visible when she changed positions.

Pedestrians in downtown Topeka may have heard the increased vocalizations, or screechings, of Hope and Zeus in recent days, an indicator that eggs might be in the immediate future. Hope and Zeus are the second peregrine falcon couple to have made their home on top of the Westar building. Another female and male falcon couple nested there in 1993 and 1994, then left and didn't return. Westar personnel kept watching to see if another falcon couple would come to the building, but none did — until 2004, when Hope and Zeus showed up.

Loveless said Hope laid about four eggs in 2004, 2005 and 2006. However, Zeus broke the eggs each time before a chick could be hatched, an action Loveless said baffled wildlife experts. Things changed in 2007, when Hope again laid four eggs and Zeus broke three of them. Hope then incubated the last remaining egg for a couple of days before it was hatched. From that point forward, Zeus hasn't broken any more eggs. One chick has survived each of the past three years, in 2007, 2008 and 2009, Loveless said. Some of the other eggs didn't hatch or the chicks didn't survive.

For the rest of the article: http://cjonline.com/news/local/2010-04-05/falcons_guard_eggs_atop_building

allikat · « **Reply #15 on:** June 19, 2009, 19:45 »

Way to go Sampson!!! Way to go! Good for you for taking chick-waddle-flaps first....(ie: baby steps)

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #14 on:** June 19, 2009, 17:09 »

Couple of notes from Westar ...

June 18

We have confirmed that Sampson is indeed on the rooftop learning to fly. Brad Loveless, director of biology and conservation program had this to say about the fledging.

"That is very good news, because a falcon chick's first flight is the most dangerous and has a very high mortality rate. In previous years, our chicks tested their wings by flying to other rooftops to the south of the Topeka downtown office building, and that was very treacherous for them. They would barely make it, and then when they did, they'd sit there scared for days. Sampson, on the other hand, is taking optimal flights that are less hazardous. He is practicing safe flying, and he's learning how to fly while still protected by his parents. We'll see him flying, along with his parents, through the summer, and then in late summer they'll head south to winter."

Sampson isn't out of the danger zone yet - predators will be looking for young birds, and he's not sure yet about flying, but we're pleased with his initial flight and look forward to his being more confident of his flying skills in the days to come. The front view camera will attempt to get a glimpse of Sampson whenever possible.

June 19

We believe that Sampson has left the rooftop or ventured to a point where he can no longer be viewed. We're going to remove the web-cam links until next year. Sampson can still most likely be found flying around the downtown Topeka area over the next couple weeks. We will update you on anything we hear. Thanks to everyone for sending us emails and keeping us up-to-date on the falcons progress.

Alison · « **Reply #13 on:** June 17, 2009, 22:38 »

Thank you for the update, TPC. I checked a few times today, but didn't see any sign of Sampson.

Loriann · « **Reply #12 on:** June 17, 2009, 13:41 »

Beaky? hardly a dignified name... fingers crossed for Samson.. Beaky? pfft.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #11 on:** June 17, 2009, 13:38 »

Received this note from the folks at Westar a short while ago ...

We have received word that Sampson has fluttered out of the nest box and we believe is on the roof. If you recall, Beaky, our falcon from last year, did the same thing. The rooftop of our building is a good place for the young falcon to learn to fly. We will keep you updated if we get any more information.

Alison · « **Reply #10 on:** June 16, 2009, 20:16 »

Sampson has changed so much in the last few days:

Alison · « **Reply #9 on:** June 09, 2009, 19:04 »

Sampson taking it easy today:

eagle63_1999 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 08, 2009, 21:53 »

Cool adventure by Falcon, parents and banders by the look of the lside show! Welcome to the world Sampson!

allikat · « **Reply #7 on:** June 08, 2009, 21:49 »

Hello Sampson!!

Liz · « **Reply #6 on:** June 08, 2009, 21:41 »

Alison, thanks so much for these pics. And thanks to TPC for adding info. I'm glad this popped up in my "unreads" today!

Alison · « **Reply #5 on:** June 08, 2009, 21:35 »

The big chick today:

The chick has been banded and named Sampson. A couple of the banding pics from the site:

more photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/westarenergy/sets/72157619067586989/show/

Alison · « **Reply #4 on:** May 26, 2009, 21:02 »

Thank you for the information, TPC! I didn't know that Madame was Amelia's aunt, and I'm not really familiar with Maud.

Today the single chick was looking good - moving around the nest box.

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #3 on:** May 26, 2009, 11:48 »

As far as I know, same female as the last few years so Hope is her name, hatched from the Woodman Tower in Omaha in 2002. Half-sib (same father) as Doorly. Interestingly Doorly is related to our original female at the Radisson (Maud) while Hope can track her lineage through Amelila (her mom) to Madame our second Radisson female - Madame is Amelia's aunt.

Alison · « **Reply #2 on:** May 25, 2009, 22:00 »

This is another new cam to me! Doorly was born in 1999, but I'm curious about the female, TPC - do you know who she is? Is she a daughter of Amelia or Hera?

It's hard to see the chick clearly in the nest this evening. I don't know which parent this is:

The Peregrine Chick · « **Reply #1 on:** May 22, 2009, 14:15 »

2009 NESTING SEASON

Just received the following from the folks at Westar in Topeka ...

Our falcon parents have a newborn. On Thursday, May 14 the chick hatched. There is still a fourth egg, but the viability is questionable. The banding of the chick should take place between two and three weeks of age, we are coordinating this effort with the University of Minnesota's Raptor Project.

Happy Viewing.