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News: Peregrines
Alison:
Watch mounted on peregrine falcons' nest
Ornithologists throughout the south of England are descending on a churchyard in Bath to keep watch over the nest of a pair of peregrine falcons. The female falcon on the spire of St John the Evangelist church in Bath has laid a clutch of four eggs. The rare birds have fallen victim to egg collectors in the past, and the site will be protected by a 24-hour watch scheme. Ornithologist Valerie James said there were excellent views of the nest.
"We should have wonderful views with the aid of 'scopes and anyone who is really interested should go along and take advantage of a stunning bird on your doorstep," she said.
The eggs are expected to hatch in early May. Peregrines are protected birds in the UK and the RSPB says their numbers are still low.
Link to story: BBC News - Watch mounted on peregrine falcons' nest
The peregrine in the pic with the article doesn't look too happy . . .
Alison:
Shuttered Statler still home to Peregrine Falcons
National Public Radio / 26 April 2010
BUFFALO, NY (WBFO) - While there are no tenants inside the Statler towers in downtown Buffalo, some outside dwellers remain.
Department of Environmental Conservation wildlife biologist Connie Adams says Peregrine Falcons have been nesting at the top of the Statler for many years now. And even though the future of the building remains uncertain, the Peregrines continue to make the structure their home.
Adams says there are seven known nesting pairs in the Buffalo area. She says Peregrines continue to return to the same nesting spot year after year.
Another set settled into a building on UB's South Campus. The falcons are waiting for three eggs to hatch. Adams has been working along with the UB staff and the Buffalo Audubon Society in keeping watch. UB gained approval to install a nesting box at MacKay Tower because it is a historic landmark. A web cam was also added.
But the Audubon Society had to remove its falcon web cam at the Statler. So anyone who wants to view their activity will have to revert to less modern means -- binoculars, telephoto camera lens or telescope.
source: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wbfo/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1641445
Alison:
Rare Falcon Slowly Recovering from Gunshot (April 2010)
A rare falcon is recovering in Sisters. "The left wing was broken between the shoulder and elbow, and there was a number of shotgun pellets in there that caused the break," says Gary Landers, owner of Wild Wings Raptor Rehabilitation Center.
The adult male Peregrine Falcon is believed to be one of the only pair of falcons in Central Oregon. He was found earlier this month in Culver, illegally shot in the wing. The falcon underwent surgery at Broken Top Veterinary Clinic, two rods are inside its wing holding the bone together. "The healing is progressing so we're guarded but we're hopeful, the pins will come out of the bone in another week and at that point I'll start doing physical therapy to stretch the wing out to get its full extension and we'll start progressing the bird on flying," says Landers.
The Peregrine Falcon is unique, just taken off the endangered species list, it's slowly making a come back here in Central Oregon. Right now is nesting season meaning there very well could be some eggs laid. "Potentially whoever shot this bird if it's unrecoverable and this bird has to be euthanized because it can't be released it's not only this bird that's killed, it's however many eggs were laid because the female is not going to be capable of feeding the chicks," says Landers.
The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest animal in the world, it can dive at 200 miles an hour. "When you have a broken wing on a bird like this it's absolutely critical that we get everything correct before release because this bird takes extreme G Force while it's hunting," says Landers.
If recovery is successful, the falcon will be released in a few months.
Hoping for a complete recovery for this little tiercel, and that the person who did this will be found and charged accordingly.
There is a photo with the article.
http://kohd.com/page/171243
Alison:
Female falcon at nest site alone; fate of male remains a mystery (April 2010)
Utica Observer-Dispatch / 20 April 2010
UTICA — When Utica’s resident peregrine falcon couple failed to produce a viable egg last summer, local observers hoped the next mating season would bring them better luck. Instead, the opposite seems to be true.
Maya, the female falcon, has been seen sitting at her M&T Gold Dome Bank nesting site for several weeks. But the last confirmed sighting of her mate, Tor, was nearly two months ago, Spring Farm CARES naturalist Matthew Perry said. It may be that he’s met an untimely end.
“I’m starting to lean toward the thought that he is gone,” said Perry, who received an unconfirmed report several weeks ago that Tor may have crashed into a Genesee Street window and been injured.
Peregrine falcons typically mate for life and this particular couple is nonmigratory, so it’s unusual that Tor would be missing for so long, Perry said. Some unofficial falcon watchers believe they’ve seen him since February, however.
“It’s possible he is still alive but isn’t hanging around yet,” Perry said. “We have to remember that this particular pair mated very late.”
The falcons, who have nested unsuccessfully on the bank building for two years, laid their first egg on June 4, 2008, and their second on June 6, 2009, Perry said. In between the two seasons, state Department of Environmental Conservation officials installed a gravel-filled nesting box on the bank’s roof ledge and removed pigeon wire to make it more hospitable for the couple.
Perry said Tor’s death would not necessarily put an end to Maya’s hopes of becoming a mother, however.
“If Tor is gone, she may hook up with another male coming through the area,” he said. “There was a record number of peregrines that hatched last year in the state. That means there are a lot of peregrines that don’t have a territory that will be in the general area of New York state.”
He added that Maya finding “a new man” would be the clearest indication that Tor has died. If she just leaves the nest in coming weeks, it could mean that she’s single again or that the couple simply found a new nesting site somewhere else.
Both birds were seen together in the city as recently as mid-December, Perry said.
source: http://www.uticaod.com/news/x43863724/Female-falcon-at-nest-site-alone-fate-of-male-remains-a-mystery
Alison:
Peregrine Falcon’s nest brings halt to maintenance work on Silver Jubilee Bridge at Halton
Mark Smith / Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News / 15 April 2010
Extensive maintenance work on the Silver Jubilee Bridge has had to be suspended after contractors discovered a peregrine falcon nest. The birds are protected under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act, meaning that the nest cannot be disturbed. A major £18m overhaul of the bridge has been halted and wildlife experts warn it could be September before it is safe to approach the nest again. Council leader Tony McDermott said contractors had to be pulled off the project and must now be kept employed while they wait.
Cllr McDermott said: “The falcon is a protected species and hence we are not allowed to touch the nest or even disturb the falcon or its young. “This means that we will probably have to suspend the current works programme and look for ways to keep the contractor employed. "This will undoubtedly have time and cost implications for the project which we are trying to determine.”
Chris Collett of the RSPB, warned that the pigeons of Halton should keep their eyes peeled. He said: “They breed between March and August so it will be safe to approach in September. “Their numbers have been recovering since the 1960s when they were often targeted by egg collectors and also fell victim to DDT – which was later banned. There are about 1,400 nesting pairs in the UK.” He said: “They nest on cliffs but are drawn to urban areas because of high buildings and also because of the pigeons. They’re the fastest creature on earth and will fly high before ‘dive bombing’ a pigeon at 200mph.”
This is the way peregrines should be treated . . . :) halting work until September is a pretty major undertaking.
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