Non-Resident Sightings - 2020

[BirdLover]

Speaking of Merlin, I was driving to work this morning and finally got to see one of the West Brandon Merlins sitting on the side of the road.  As I approached it took off right in front of me.  Been hearing these guys for about a month now and couldn't find them, until today.

 

[Kinderchick]

Hadn't read this information before I answered on your new thread Willmax, but from your description, you saw a merlin, not a peregrine.

Yes, willmax, that's what I was thinking it was, a merlin, but was having a "senior's moment"! I remember when TPC came to my school to visit the Kinderchicklets, she mentioned that merlins like to move into abandoned crow's nests, in very tall evergreen trees. They do look a lot like our peregrine juvies, don't they?

[willmax11]

I rec'd this reply from the Oak Hammock Marsh Resident Naturalist today.

I have not heard of any recent sightings of Peregrines at Oak Hammock. But I know most years the adults do hunt at the marsh when raising their young and there were a few sightings earlier this spring. Later in the summer (usually August) the young and adults show up to learn to hunt and hunt and are seen quite frequently.


Resident Naturalist
Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre

So maybe I can switch my watching to an area outside Wpg. in the future.
Gets me out of the house anyway.

[willmax11]

I defer to your greater wisdom of course and thanks for moving these postings.
I wish I had been told about this b4 I started this sep. thread.
Now that I have more info about the calls I def. will get video next time, even if it only records the sounds of the calls.

I thought I read on the Nat. Geographic site that Peregrine’s range was up to the Tundra.
Perhaps b4 their decline.

I live very near the Red River, OHMarsh is 20KM. away to the North West.


On this site the one video of a Falcon chasing a Duck may be another type of Falcon.
http://macaulaylibrary.org/search.do

So, to clarify; Since 1989 there are only 3 sites in Manitoba that have nesting
pairs of Peregrine Falcons. Therefore it is impossible to have any sightings
of unbanded Falcons elsewhere.

[Helen b]

Thanks Peregrine chick for this explanation, the more things I read on the differnt species the more interesting it becomes.  I think over thewinter I will read more on the species so that next year I can identify the various birds everyone is seeing and hearing.

 

[The Peregrine Chick]

O.K. 14:26 Today. I go and pick up my mail from the local boxes. I see a bird fighting the NW wind and finally land on a 40' fir tree. Just as I am opening my car door what do I hear but "THAT" call. I grab my binocs from the car and spot a Peregrine youngster perched about 20 yards away swaying in that tall fir tree and calling out. I can def. see the tan chest feathers and as it turns it's head I see the black eye-patch. But the call was what first alerted me. I kept my glasses on it for about 15 minutes.

Hadn't read this information before I answered on your new thread Willmax, but from your description, you saw a merlin, not a peregrine.  Merlins have the malar stripe and young merlins and many adult merlins look just like juvenile peregrines.  They also sound just like peregrines, as well as fly, hunt, etc, etc, etc.  But its the tree that gives it away though, merlins nest in crow's nests in tall evergreens - they are woodland specialists and what you described is how you see 80% of merlins at this time of the year.  Peregrines are big and sitting in evergreens is difficult when you aren't built to fly through branches ... yes, I know that sounds weird, but they hunt above trees (and buildings) and over waterbodies and open fields, they don't as a general rule hunt among trees - just too dangerous at the speeds they fly.

Here's a link to check the vocalizations you heard .... http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Merlin/sounds

These images don't show the malar stripe but they do show plumage in detail ...











As for the tall towers/grain elevators nearby, that doesn't increase the likelihood of it being a peregrine I'm afraid - peregrines aren't attracted to tall structures, they are attracted to tall structures near other tall structures on the banks of rivers/wetlands/lakes/oceans - not a few miles away from water, right on the water.

[The Peregrine Chick]

I'm assuming that the bird you saw was identified as a juvenile by its plumage?  Gold and brown, yes?  Problem is, there are no peregrines in Manitoba, Saskatchewan or North Dakota (that we know about) that are currently old enough to be at Oak Hammock Marsh area hunting on their own.  Our birds were here early and were not slow raising a family and are the first to fledge in these jurisidictions.  And the chicks only have the brown & gold plumage for a few months, by this time next year they will look like their parents - dark slate grey & white.

Could it have been a merlin, or perhaps a Prairie Falcon though they aren't as interested in wetlands as peregrines but could have been hunting over the fields which they are definitely interested in.  I do know that there are a few merlins that visit the Marsh on a regular basis.  Coopers Hawk juveniles are brown and peregrine sized as are broad-winged hawks.  Have only seen a couple of Coopers at the Marsh but we had huge numbers (100s per day) of Broad-wings in the spring - Swainson's as well, though they are larger, right colours though ...

Sorry to be a party-pooper , but because of the timing and distance from our known nests, without a photo, I'm inclined to think your sighting was of another raptor species ...

Merlin - www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Merlin/lifehistory - smaller & photo is only one colour combination for the species
Prairie Falcon - www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Prairie_Falcon/lifehistory - peregrine-sized
Coopers Hawk - www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Coopers_Hawk/lifehistory - peregrine-sized
Broad-winged Hawk - www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Broad-winged_Hawk/lifehistory - peregrine-sized
Swainson's Hawk - www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Swainsons_Hawk/lifehistory - larger than the largest peregrines

If you see the bird - GET PHOTOS - even if they suck we can tell if its a peregrine or not ...

[willmax11]

Kinderchick;
 I answered your question in a new topic in the Other Sightings in Manitoba  thread.



http://www.species-at-risk.mb.ca/projects/pfrp/forum/programs/index.php/topic,1266.new.html#new

[willmax11]

I thought I better split this sighting to here just in case it gets confused with the Radisson family.

Kinderchick;
Could that really have been a peregrine youngster you saw near Stonewall, willmax?   I thought that our youngsters were still hanging out in the downtown area. Do you think that maybe it could have been a kestral or a hmmm? The other species of Manitoba falcon has momentarily slipped my mind. What do you think, TPC? Would our downtown peregrine juvies be way over in Stonewall at this point in time? 

To answer Kinderchick;
I said that I would look towards Stonewall. Sighting was near Lockport.
I am certain with the 70KPH NW winds that day that it was def. not a Radisson chick.
It would have been blown to Steinbach area if it was.

I would have never posted about the July 16th sighting unless I was  certain
it was a juvenile I had seen. I spent a few hours sat. doing convoy zigzagging to the NW of the sighting
and ended up at Oak Hammock Marsh site. I go to an offsite place where there is a spring well
coming out of the ground. And guess what that road is named??? Peregrine Drive. LOL
I e-mailed them asking about sightings. They have the Peregrine listed on their sighting list.

B4 I left I recorded the only sound file I have onto a CD, 8 seconds on one CD! LOL
I spoke to a couple of people and let them hear the sounds. The Peregrine name means wanderer
so maybe the youngster is nearer to Lockport.
I am going to search the Red river bank along River road for a while and check the duck ponds also.
For all the birds I did hear and see if that youngster has the instinct to capture prey it is a hunters
paradise around here.

There is a cell tower across the road from here. In hindsight I should have at least recorded a video
on my cell phone or run back and got my digital camera.
At the least I know of one juvenile that was near Lockport last week, just have to find it again.

[Kinderchick]

I grab my binocs from the car and spot a Peregrine youngster perched about 20 yards away swaying in that tall fir tree and calling out.

Could that really have been a peregrine youngster you saw near Stonewall, willmax?  I thought that our youngsters were still hanging out in the downtown area. Do you think that maybe it could have been a kestral or a hmmm? The other species of Manitoba falcon has momentarily slipped my mind. What do you think, TPC? Would our downtown peregrine juvies be way over in Stonewall at this point in time?

[willmax11]

Eli;
 No my binocs are not that powerful, the chick was swaying in the wind and
partially hidden by the pine tree branches. I don't think it was one of the Radisson chicks. And I don't think any others were banded except Brandon.

I was thinking of getting my telescope but it flew off  just then and I didn't want to lose sight, just enjoyed the few minutes. LOL

[Ellie]

Wow!  Sure must have been exciting to realize there are  more Peregrines nearby!

[willmax11]

2009 NON-RESIDENT SIGHTINGS

O.K. 14:26 Today. I go and pick up my mail from the local boxes. I see a bird fighting the NW wind and finally land on a 40' fir tree. Just as I am opening my car door what do I hear but "THAT" call. I grab my binocs from the car and spot a Peregrine youngster perched about 20 yards away swaying in that tall fir tree and calling out.

I can def. see the tan chest feathers and as it turns it's head I see the black eye-patch. But the call was what first alerted me. I kept my glasses on it for about 15 minutes.

I don't know where he blew in from but there are many tall towers and tall grain bins to the west and NW towards Stonewall.

After he flew off I lost it as the trees are too thick but could still hear that call.

When the country roads dry up I will be doing a sweep to the west and just maybe spot others.
And maybe check the Lockport bridge and overpasses.

[The Peregrine Chick]

For folks jonesing for a raptor fix, there were 5-6 bald eagles (adults and juveniles) at Oak Hammock Marsh last week along with a couple of snowy owls and a Northern Harrier!

[Pam]

Had a great view of a mature bald eagle from the office this week, soaring about over downtown Wpg.....