State Capitol - 2010 / 19K & Alley

[kittenface]

NAME THE CHICKS CONTEST WINNER ANNOUNCED
June 25, 2010 - Joan Darling of Lincoln, Nebraska is the winner of the Game and Parks "Name the Chicks" contest. Her winning entries were Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka after the three stars on the belt of the constellation Orion, the Hunter. Game and Parks recieved more than 350 entries from 12 states for the annual contest. One male chick is Alnitak, one male is Alnilam and the female is Mintaka.

"These are the three stars in Orion, the Hunter's belt, which is such a dominant feature of the Nebraska night sky," Darling wrote in her entry. "Like Orion, peregrine falcons are mighty hunters in the sky. These chicks also are webcam 'stars'." The three stars of the belt were prominent in ancient timekeeping because they mark the northern night sky when the sun is at its lowest point.
For her winning entry, Darling will receive, among other prizes, a stuffed toy peregrine falcon and a one-year subscription to NEBRASKAland Magazine



Here is the report and a few more interesting things to read about the nest

http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/wildlife/webcam/peregrine/peregrine_news.asp

[Doreen]

Do these chicks have their names yet?

[Kinderchick]

Just have to say that picture of the 3 of them marching over that roof just cracks me up! 

Cracks me up too, irenkl! Looks like they might be singing either "The Bear Went Over the Mountain" or "The Ants Came Marching, One by One"! LOL!

[irenekl]

Just have to say that picture of the 3 of them marching over that roof just cracks me up!  Ellie did you try that bar above the image when you first open the page that says "Open the Pop Up Window for LIve Stream" ?  If thats a stupid question than I'm nuts cause it took me awhile this spring before I realized I could do that. 

Anyway, just checked on them now and they are all back in the nest sound asleep.  Wish I had seen them jumping back in.  Suppose there will be alot more of this action now.  I swear last years chicks never did this, not once did I see it.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Ok I know that camera lens is distorted ... but they look like 'gigantor falcons' in comparison to the buildings!! 

I'm not sure there is a lens distortion ... 

[carly]

Ok I know that camera lens is distorted ... but they look like 'gigantor falcons' in comparison to the buildings!! 

[kittenface]

 

[RCF]

They are a brave bunch.

[Ellie]

For some reason I do not get the streaming picture but I do see them on the roof.  They seem to have too many fluffy feathers to be ready to be hopping up there and figuring they are ready to fly.   Chicks will be chicks!!

[irenekl]

Hi folks, wondering if anyone is observing this nest lately??  This evening 2 of the chicks have hopped off the roof of the nest, onto the building roof and one is currently completely out of sight.  Is this normal for this nest?  They are much too young to fledge so it looks awfully scary to me. 

[The Peregrine Chick]

ooooooo, that is one miffed chick!!!  We are much nicer to our little darlings 

[Alison]

The three chicks were banded yesterday as planned:

Capitol's baby falcons receive ID bands; naming contest begins

Three little birds who live on the 18th floor of the Capitol had a scary experience Friday morning.

They were stolen from their nest and carried in a box down to the 14th floor.

There, two women from Raptors Recovery drew blood from their wings to collect DNA as part of a study that started 20 years ago, when the first peregrine falcons were bred in captivity and released in urban settings, said Betsy Finch, executive director of Raptor Recovery Nebraska.

Next, Joel Jorgensen from the Game and Parks Commission put ID bands on their legs.

He also determined their gender: two males and one female. She's the one with the bigger feet.

Now the naming contest can begin.

People can offer ideas online by clicking HERE, or put name ideas in a box at the Capitol.

The chicks, now 18 days old, are the fifth generation of falcons to hatch and survive in the Capitol nest.

http://journalstar.com/news/local/article_eb29670a-702d-11df-b39e-001cc4c03286.html

To submit names:

http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/wildlife/webcam/peregrine/namethechicks.asp

[jadoo]

Red and gray bands??

Lots of birds down in the states, could be they have had to add another colour combination.  When I started 20 years ago, there were only red and black bands out there .... sigh  ( )

...hopefully, a sigh of happiness...

[The Peregrine Chick]

Red and gray bands??

Lots of birds down in the states, could be they have had to add another colour combination.  When I started 20 years ago, there were only red and black bands out there .... sigh  ( )

[Alison]

From another short article on the banding:

It's the sixth straight year that the same falcon pair have produced chicks at the Capitol.

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/c38363a6c96142e1b55261d6556e498e/NE--Capitol_Falcons/