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Alison:
London, England



THE majestic peregrine falcon has moved into East London.  Two pairs of Britain’s most remarkable bird of prey have set up nests near the north entrance to the Blackwall Tunnel.  Peregrine falcons traditionally nest in coastal areas around Britain—only 20 pairs are believed to be nesting in London.

“They are increasingly moving into cities,” said the RSPB’s Tim Webb. “There is plenty for them to eat here and ledges on tall buildings are similar to their traditional cliff face nesting sites.”

Now the RSPB wants to protect this fledgling group near Canary Wharf and has set up guidelines with the Met Police for anyone who comes across them. “There’s a danger of building maintenance workers facing prosecution by accidentally disturbing nesting peregrines,” Tim added. “We hope the protocol will help people avoid prosecution, allowing peregrines and people to live side by side.”

Alison:
Budapest, Hungary

"Wandering falcon" returns to Budapest for winter

A peregrine falcon identified by bird-watchers by the name of Piri has returned to Budapest for the winter and a second peregrine has also been observed, the Hungarian Ornithology and Nature Conservation Society said on Thursday.

Piri used to spend winters in Budapest, finding shelter on the Saint Stephen Basilica in central Budapest, but had not been seen since 2005. The bird was now spotted again, near the parliament building on January 29, and its night shelter has been found on the Basilica.  

A second peregrine has also been observed and identified as a young female born in 2009.

It is not unusual that peregrines move to cities for the winter where they can easily feed with pigeons and other small birds. They usually search for prey from a high perch or from the air and can dive at speeds above 300 kms per hour.

An estimated twenty pairs of peregrines are nesting in Hungary and there are returning birds in several Hungarian cities, including Debrecen, Szeged, Tata and Gyor.

Five years is a long time for Piri not to have been seen.

http://www.caboodle.hu/nc/news/news_archive/single_page/article/11/wandering_f/?cHash=7c26a28efb

Alison:
Another state authorizes taking peregrine chicks from the wild:  >:(

FWP seeks comment on peregrine falcon, shed-antler hunting proposals
The Independent Record / 28 January 2010

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on proposals for the 2010 peregrine falcon take and on shed-antler hunting on wildlife management areas.

The 2010 proposal on peregrine falcon would authorize five nestlings or fledged peregrines be taken between June 1 and Aug. 31. Only one bird could be collected per successful applicant. Peregrines would not be taken from eastern Montana to help the breeding population there expand, and birds from nests of high value to wildlife viewers would also be excluded.

The proposal on shed-antler hunting on WMAs would create walk-in only access to WMAs for the first three days of shed-antler hunting, beginning the day WMAs open each spring. The proposal would apply to all WMAs that are closed to winter access.

Comments are due by Friday, Feb. 19, and may be sent via e-mail over the FWP Web site at fwp.mt.gov on the Hunting page, or mailed to: FWP – Wildlife Bureau, Attn: Public Comment, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701. For more information, check details available on the FWP Web site, or call 444-2612.

http://www.helenair.com/lifestyles/recreation/article_df4c73a0-0bdd-11df-a881-001cc4c002e0.html

carly:
PENNSYLVANIA, USA

Another successful Peregrine Falcon rescue and release

A peregrine falcon was released back into the wild Monday in Lycoming County.  Two sisters are credited with rescuing the falcon last week. The bird is alive thanks to their quick thinking and some help from a rescue clinic. The peregrine falcon was nearly a goner almost one week ago. Now Lucky is healthy again, ready to leave the game commission headquarters near Jersey Shore. Kristina Franklin of the Big Woods Wildlife Rescue Clinic cared for the eight-year-old female after it was injured on the highway in Williamsport.

"It had a head injury, an eye injury and an abrasion on the wing. She just happened to be very strong-willed oriented so therefore she healed quicker," Franklin said.

Lucky's comeback might never have happened if it hadn't been for Marylee and Justina Laird, sisters who were in the right place at the right time.

"I realized it was alive. It started flapping its wings so I turned around and came back," said Marylee Laird.

The Laird sisters came upon the injured falcon on a stretch of Route 220 in Williamsport near the Market Street exit. It was in the middle of the highway. They rushed out into traffic and saved the falcon's life. Now it's free again in the wild.

"We were on the brim of the highway, 30 people are passing and hitting it as we're waiting to get this bird," Marylee Laird recalled. "I didn't care. I knew she needed help and that's all I cared about," added Justina Laird.

The sisters looked on Monday as Franklin let Lucky go, watching proudly as the falcon flew for the first time since they rescued it.

"That felt unbelievable. I loved it. It was," Justina Laird said. "It's good. I'm glad she's back in the wild but I'm definitely. Now I don't know what she's going to be doing. I'm going to worry," Marylee Laird said.

http://www.wnep.com/wnep-lyc-rehabilitated-falcon-released,0,1864119.story

Alison:
Artemis, the juvie peregrine falcon being rehabbed at Southwestern High School in Somerset, has recovered and has been released:

Pulaski students participate in program for the birds
Lexington Herald Leader / 1 Jan 2010

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/01/01/1079060/pulaski-students-participate-in.html#ixzz1ArLFvYVY

SOMERSET — The peregrine falcon, too bruised to fly only three weeks before, flapped away from the thick leather gloves its handler was wearing, circled in the bright, bitterly cold air and headed northeast, disappearing from sight.

That's another success story for the Raptor Rehabilitation Program at Southwestern High School in Pulaski County.

Students in the program help care for injured birds of prey such as hawks, owls and eagles, called raptors, and return them to the wild if possible. The program has taken in more than 1,000 birds since biology teacher Frances Carter started it more than 15 years ago.

Many of the birds must be euthanized, but the number returned to the wild has averaged 44 percent through the years, Carter said.  Other programs and people in the state care for injured raptors, but the facility at Southwestern is the only one in the nation on a high school campus, Carter said. The falcon, which students named Artemis, after the Greek goddess of the hunt, was an arctic bird.

It wasn't clear how she ended up in Kentucky or got hurt, said Noe Avina, 17, a senior who helped care for the bird, feeding her and putting her in a large, mesh-enclosed cage where she could practice flying and build up her wing strength.

Last month, a crowd of students watched as Noe told Artemis good luck and gave her a push to get her airborne. They cheered as she took off. It felt good to get the bird back where she belongs, Noe said. "That, for me, was a big deal."

http://www.kentucky.com/news/state/story/1079060.html

Photos of the release by Pablo Alcala:

 

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