U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson

[bev.]

I just lost my post again.
tuesday night.

I knew when I got there that something was up.  The crows were around moms building and one cocky thing took prey from moms ledge and proceeded to eat on the top of her building. n
Now I thought , maybe mom was jsut out for a bit.

Peter had to leave for a bit and it was cold and windy and raining a bit.

I decided to watch the maggpies playing, through my binoculars . They were a ways off and then I saw a falcon flying amongst them. It just B-lined across the sky through the back of the area. I lost track track as it flew to the back of dads building. 
I finally spotted it way at the back, on an aerial, I have never seen them use at the back(that is not saying they never perch there,).  It did not stay for long but I watched it  through my binoculars.  I rubbed my eye and it was gone.  I t could have been mom making one last pass through or it could have jsut been a falocn passing through.

We waited through  the wind and cold . I just could not leave. We waited longer than ever .Then we went to check where she sleeps for the night. and no mom. 
I knew this would soon happen but the emptiness was just unreal. 
But no, I would come one more night just to make sure.
We had a bad wind storm that night and I heard Calgary had a bad one also so maybe mom knew and decided it was time.

[bev.]

last shots from Monday night the dot in the sky in the last picture is mom
mom on her favorite ledge of her building (remains of a pigeon in front of her)

next 4 are of Radisson on the extension builidng. Just gorgeous with that chest stuck out







A far of shot of her on the aerial of Ed building

the area she passed over as she flew to tuck in(too far away for decent shots of her)

[bev.]

Some more of Mom flying.
these are last of the season of her flying.  she was just gorgeous.

[bev.]

FINALLY A REPORT FORM mONDAY


She surprised us again , as with her early turn in the night before,  we thought for sure she was gone.
Then we saw all the pigeons scattering.
She was having some fun. 
After what seemed like a long while she came flying over to her building . We thought she was going to perch on the top ,but nope. Just a gentle touch and fly over . Then she flew over the area above us.
We had a lot of trouble getting some good shots as the sun was glaring.  Do not let that sun floor you  (cool!!!!) 
She disappeared from sight again so I  decided to see if she had checked in for the night .  I  was going to check behind the Newton apartments ,where she had been stooping, and up came the pigeons and Miss Radisson.  She had some fun and then she flew over my head and landed on her favorite ledge on her building.  Peter is motioning to me that he has her in view, but I fooled him, so did I

This is again why you need more than one person.

We watched her for a bit and off she went again behind Newton place stooping . I do not know if she was catching anything or just  playing.

Peter went off for a bit (well O.K. for a coffee )

He missed her as she flew in and landed on the Extension building across from us.Sorry those flying ones I did not get. She just appears so quickly and those darn binoculars could not get down quick enough.( that is the difference now. there is no cacking and no noise, she just flies in)

She just sat there and preened a bit and then looked out over the territory. 
And then she spotted them- The pigeons on the back side of the parkade adjacent to us.  And she is away, but the glare of the sun is too much to take any shots.
The pigeons just scattered  and then up she came and quickly flew in font of the nest building and over the heart building.   
We looked and looked for her and there she was , way over on the aerial of the Ed bulding. We made a call not  to go there as she would soon be coming back. 

Well she stayed there quite awhile, which surprised us , as it is past the time she has been tucking in.  I guess this was her drinking it all in.  and so was I. 

At about 18:45 she flew off and quickly made her way over to dads building and then into her spot for the night. Peter tried to get pictures but they were too far away and not worth sharing.
At this point I am not sure what is up as this was later than it has been for awhile but then I am not a Falcon

We went and checked and there she was , snuggled in . Little did I know this would be the last time I would see her tucked in for the season.

Our pictures are not the best tonight.  We really tried but the lighting was poor and I think I was just caught up in the moment.

You must excuse me, becasue i thought I was ready for this moment but now that it is here I am a blubbering idiot.

Now for pictures
these are of Radisson flying to her building and around










 

[carly]

If it's cold enough for icicles, the girls may have decided to go south.  Stay warm Bev.

[bev.]

Sorry I have not posted . I had to watch my grandson overnight(after I went to the site.)

and I had to run him into eye doctor.

I will post Mondays tonight with pictures.

we think our girl is gone.    She did not come to the site at all and we did not see her where she tucks in, but we will go there tonight. I did see a falcon fly around to the back of the site and then land on a back aerial way at the back of dads building and then it was gone. Do not know if it was mom giving one last hurray or not. I have a far away shot.

It is very windy her and it rained and was very windy last night.  we will need our woollies tonight.

We have not seen Transmitter girl since Sunday night either ./

we will stay till dark tonight and see what happens.  We may be the icicles that are forming on the buildings  

So I will write things  up tonight

[carly]

I haven't seen her at the nest box.  Hope you keep warm, Bev.

She doesn't seem to visit the box much since dad left for his vacation.

[bcbird]

I haven't seen her at the nest box.  Hope you keep warm, Bev.

[bev.]

Radisson  was there last night and stooping pigeons all over. a report and pictures will come tonight . I will be going down to see if she has left yet.

[bev.]

I think Radisson had some leftover franklin gull, Eli .That is what it looked like to me. 

[bcbird]

Sunday October 5,2008
but I think she is over the moon for us.What do you think??? 
she is probably thinking(Can I never get away from these guys) 
quote]

She looks like she is showing off to her admirers, very pleased indeed for the attention now that her mate has flown.

[bcbird]

I thought you might want to see form our vantage point what you were all seeing on the cam Wednesday night.

So glad to see these pictures to fill in the gaps of the refresh.  Here we thought she was just doing Cassie like wing stetches, when really she was struggling to organize her dinner!

[Elaine L]

I could not tell what the prey was that Radisson was holding - it did not look like a pigeon.  Bev, do you know?

[bev.]

Conclusion of Sunday
We watch mom for a bit and then she flies over to the ledge on her building.  Sorry no camera.

Well, guess what?? Little Missy has a stash on the ledge and proceeds to defeather it and have supper 

After she has a good part of it she preens for a moment and then flies off to the right of her building and tucks in for the night in the usual spot.
She tucked in at 17:30

Peter and I then went  over and checked on Transmitter girl and she is still there also.

So as of 10:00 this morning (Monday October 6,2008) MIss Radissson was still here.   She flew off before I could capture a picture. 

She could have gone for good or will still be there when we go down.
 
So what do I know eh!! ! I was sure she would be gone but with Miss Edmonton still here also, I tend to think the weather threw them off . that is just my opinion and I am sticking to it 

[bev.]

We then spotted Miss Radisson on the back part of the clinical science building(nest building). I know she will not be able to see her from the parkade but we go back there anyway as I just know she will fly that way




Sure enough, here she comes.  She starts to soar in our direction but not over top of us, as usual, .
She flies out to the south a bit and around her building.  I think she is tucking in for the night, but she stops and stoops a pigeon  way to the back of dads building.There is a opening between the two buildings so we can see what is going on. She came so close to getting one but nope.

She proceeds to fly back out way and lands on the corner(left corner) of
Dads building  and then the camera dies