Manitoba Peregrines > U of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
U of Alberta - 2009 / Damon & Radisson
Elaine L:
I know that there are people who don't care about wildlife or birds, or the peregrines, despite the presence of a camera and nest box, but in the defence of those who do, they are desperate to do something to help in a bad situation - like last June - and what they do is not done out of malice, but concern. I guess politicians know more about this than I do, but where there is great concern, there is going to be a reaction.
dodobird:
Thanks Tracy - love your soapbox - it is always so firmly on the ground.
The Peregrine Chick:
--- Quote from: bev. on March 31, 2009, 20:40 ---I am home and I went to the nest site before I came home. I did not see any peregrines or trace of. the way the pigeons were all lined up in the peregrines favorite places , I would say that they have not arrived yet. I also saw no Ravens but did see the nest form the roof top
I am very upset and am presently e-mailing my friends, the biologists. the U Of A is not a good place to ask . Many found that out last year.
--- End quote ---
When I spoke with the folks at the U of A, they were very helpful and they too were going to contact the biologists about evicting the ravens prior to the peregrines returning.
I wouldn't be too hard on the U of A folks, keep in mind all you have learned from me over the last year. Running this kind of project, even more so when there is a webcam involved, is a 24/7 kind of thing, that if you have a day job means you work 48/14. You all here on the Forum are very well behaved, and that is not the case in most projects. Before the Forum and the blog, it was very easy to be overwhelmed by phone calls, emails etc to/from everyone. There was a reason I was very specific about folks not calling the Hotel, Conservation, the police etc on June 6th, I wasn't being dramatic, its happened before and the mess and fall-out is horrendous. And none of it helps anyone. The Forum and Blog etc may all be extra work, but it does help in the long-run. Also keep in mind that just because the peregrines are nesting on campus, that many people may not really care either way and that can make the job of the peregrine folks on campus that much more difficult, they still have to work there after the peregrines have left.
My suggestion (and this applies to everyone wanting to help anywhere) would be to contact the campus and ask what, if anything, you could do to help them - not the peregrines. If they know that they have a person on the ground who will contact them if there are real safety concerns (get work-hours & after work-hours contacts & phone numbers), it may be a great relief for them. If they suggest you talk to the biologists, offer the same services.
In lots of cases, volunteers can only help so much in urban settings and its a question of safety and security. It's one of the reasons we have spotters rather than a corps of volunteers. The birds are a protected species everywhere, which means that all activities near/with them are restricted by law and are covered by a permit. It's also a security issue for the building owner/management, particularly in these days. It's also a safety issue for the birds, the buildings, the projects and the volunteers - these birds do not nest in safe locations. So the majority of volunteers are on the ground and every project has to assess what it needs and what it can offer its volunteers - volunteers want to help, not be doorstops, that's why they volunteer!
Okay, getting off my soapbox now :-X
bev.:
Hello from the the den of the raven :) :)
I am home and I went to the nest site before I came home. I did not see any peregrines or trace of. the way the pigeons were all lined up in the peregrines favorite places , I would say that they have not arrived yet. I also saw no Ravens but did see the nest form the roof top
I am very upset and am presently e-mailing my friends, the biologists. the U Of A is not a good place to ask . Many found that out last year.
I usually hear back quite soon . so hopefully tomorrow.
and by the way, I hope this is done soon. there are areas in the states where ravens have chased the peregrines out and I do not want another nasty fight here. I have been a party to too many already in the last few years , just between peregrines. I do not need ravens also.
A reply to a few things here.
Tracy, I feed my birds in the winter , right up until nesting time and then I stop except for a few suet. I was told to leave the suet's so the females could get their strength back quicker after they have the young.
About the crows and ravens. We also have magpies here so if everything nested in my neighborhood it would not be pretty. I prefer the magpies to the crows and ravens.
the crows here migrate and so they are just back. they are nasty. I know they are intelligent but I do not want hem in my backyard. I would never physically hurt anything, I just spray water or clap my hands.
But if a young one somehow comes to my area , I do not chase them. I f you have ever been around the young of crows or magpies you know they are very docile. You could pick them up if the parents did not get you first :) :)
One July long weekend it was so hot that an adult magpie brought 2 young to my backyard becasue I have a pond. Because they do not bother anything for a bit I let them stay . they just wanted to laze in the shade and drink from the pond.
I have blue jays and robins and wrens that nest in my area so I do not want the crows.
the magpies I can control.
some of you are lucky and just have crows , so to just try and control one species is fine but 2 is a different matter.
I know all about the balance of nature etc, but it took a long time for the robins and songbirds to reappear in this area and i would like to keep it that way. they have enough predators in the area.
we also have rabbits and partridges(they spent the winter around our neighborhood.)
by the way on our way home , we saw 2 beautiful eagles, which we never see where they were and some hawks and lots of crows and ravens. Their numbers have increased drastically.
allikat:
Dido...Carly!!!
Especially after what I wrote yesterday :-[
Wow...birds do work extremely hard to make a nest!!!
I'm not writing anymore about you know what....just want to think happy thoughts and hope all will work out!!!
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