U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson

[carly]

Great report as always Bev...glad to know everyone is safe and sound.  Whatever what was on the ledge rungs yesterday is gone today so it must have blown away in the wind.

[bev.]

Lost my post with pictures
Just a few from last night and then I need to get some stuff done and will process as I can, sorry having trouble with photo bucket . will try again later.

[bev.]

It is time to leave but I did see at least 2 fly onto the ledge  of moms building but on the side adjacent to the street this time. I hope they called it an evening as it was dark. The gentleman said that when it is lighter they carry on until 10:00pm sometimes .
I t has gotten quite cool again but I can tell you that except for wondering if they went to sleep hungry, it was quite the night. I was glad to be able to count all 4 as the season is coming to a close soon and I believe the girls still need some  practice.
the girls are flying just great and really trying hard with the stooping of prey.  the pigeons that thought they are safe are no longer

I took over 100 shots and have to process still some form before but bear with me and you will be rewarded. 
My daughter had to borrow her camera back for a few days so I will only have my little one. but I will have lots of pictures to post. 

Take care guys. It is supposed sot be nice today but it looks miserable to me. we will see what the afternoon brings. It is supposed to get up to 24 but we will see. It looks doubtful but I will be optimistic.

I will keep going down and reporting as long as they are there.  Some nights we see more than others but it is so nice to see the girls together.

[bev.]

Well I did not see what you were talking about on the cam . sorry.

We went down last night and it was a fairly nice evening. At first there was nothing and then  2 flew over my head. I missed the pictures as the camera locked.
There was lots of flying last night and lots of stooping. 

The girls tried their best but I do not think they got anything.   
Hope , I believe, even chased after a crow, at full speed.

We saw one on the Heart building for awhile and then it flew off and that is when  we saw at least 3 stooping the pigeons on the apartment building.  Then one took a break and just sat on a balcony. They then stared in again and then an adult and a juvenile,I think Cassie, went off toward the Ed building and Hope continued to try and get supper.

Later on  in the evening I spotted one on the crane and then I saw one on the Ed building
We walked over there and it was Hope. In a bit Cassie flew in to join her.
Hope kept flying off and around and then would land on a different aerial but Cassie stayed put.  Hope even tried stooping a few pigeons. I think she was hungry. They were both cacking a lot.Peter tells me once again not to worry. the parents will not see them starve but this is part of the learning process on the part of the youngsters(I guess if they are hungry they will keep trying)

I decided to check  to see if anyone was around dads building and there was dad up top on the aerial(by his size), I left peter to keep an eye on the girls.

All of sudden the 2 girls came flying over and were trying to stoop pigeons on the apartment building again(Newton Place). I nearly w-- myslef laughing as they were landing on the balconies. I could not get pictures of this as they were so fast. You need a movie camera for these things.
No success that I saw. I think they are both hungry.  I could hear them but not see them as it is getting darker now. Dad is totally ignoring the kids. 

I spotted a falcon tucked in on the upper ledge behind dads building and I think this was mom , and then dad flew off the aerial and then there were 2 on the the building where mom was . One on the edge below and I think this is dad.

Then I heard cacking and saw Hope on the the roof of the extension building . I was hoping that she was eating but she was cacking.( maybe there was food also as she could have been there eating along with Cassie when things were quiet.) She seemed to be going to all the places there had been food in the past.  Peter went to get the car as he was sore and  Hope flew off the extension building. I could not see where she went but when I looked at the Ed building a falcon was on one of the aerials. I saw one falcon( I think Dad) fly off the ledge  of he building whee he and mom were, just before Hope flew off.  Maybe Hopes cacking got to him and he decided to get them some food.

Then as I was walking to the car all He-- broke loose .    There were 3 falcons flying overhead and lots of cacking. I quickly checked and one was still on the ledge so we have 4(I have only ever seen 3 at a time since Friday so I was wondering, but now  I have 4 in view .
They kept flying around dads building and up on the aerials and crying to knock one another off the aerials, they were also talon touching and swooping. It is too dark to take pictures but what a thrill.  Dad was in on the mix so I do not know if he had food or what.  They kept flying around in and out of the buildings of that area. This went on for quite sometime.
 Poor Peter was watching but waiting patiently for me. A man stopped me at the extension building and asked me if I was watchng the falcons. He lives right in the apartment buildings and watches them all the time.  We had a good chat. He told me 2 weeks ago the two youngsters had a magpie they were eating on the seniors building.  He said it was quite a ruckus as one was eating as the other watched but there were about a dozen mad magpies swooping around.   Neither of us knew that they would eat a magpie. :oThose girls or should I say those parents. as I do not think they would be hunting yet, as they were too young.

I will continue this on nest reply as I think it is too long and will not post.

[bev.]

I will check the cam tomorrow morning and will write a report then but just to let you know everyone is fine.  Saw all 4 tonight and they were flying  and stooping all over the place

[Liz]

I have cameras 1 and 2, but not 3. 

I can't see what you were looking at, but I CAN see that contrary to our original thought, Radisson did not get Trey's housekeeping gene!  LOL 

[carly]

I'm glad you see it too Maggie.  At first I was worried when I saw it move, I though oh my god, it's one of the girls and she's hurt... so I enlarged it, even had my nose pressed up against the monitor to try and make it out ...it's the kind of leg/wingy tip I see there that had my imagination going.

Maybe Radisson was house cleaning and then decided ..nah...not going to happen and just left it there 

[maggieblue]

I see what you mean Carly but I can't get a good view either.  This is when camera 3 would come in handy.  It does appear to have moved slightly every time theh picture refreshes.  Perhaps it is a carcass being blown around by the wind.

[carly]

4:22 and Cam 1 is up at home but something is weird.  There is something on the rungs of the ledge..a carcass?!  I'm not sure - it's not clear enough.  If anyone else is watching, perhaps your view is better? 

[carly]

Cam 1 is all black for me this morning at work    Mom was there for about 15 minutes last night when I saw her then she flew off.

Have to run into another meeting but thanks for the report and pictures Bev!

[bev.]

another picture form the other day of mom

[bev.]

someone is home :)I believe mom but I have to see the whole face. It is cool and so he/she is all fluffed up.

[bev.]

wE WERE DOWN AT THE SITE LAST NIGHT. I THINK THE ACTION IS IN THE DAYTIME NOW AS IT GETS DARKER EARLIER.
We got there around 5:00pm but started at the other end of campus this time so must have missed mom at the nest box.  We went to the parkade across form the Ed building and saw absolutely nothing.  so we went walking on a backwards tour this time.  We went around and down by the apartments and then I went up on the other parkdade and saw nothing. we figured everyone was out hunting. Mom must have left the nest box area as no one was around. we walked by the clinical science and in front of the hospital and looked at the cranes and nothing.  Now I am not happy about this.   I know the time is going to come when they are gone and I am starting to feel the pain of it.

We walked back to the other parkade and made our way back up.  as we were standing there a falcon came and flew overhead.  I forgot the darn camera It glided so nice and we were trying to figure out who . I think it was Cassie as the underneath was lighter but it was not as light as an adult. she flew so beautifully and just soared. sorry for not taking pictures but I will be posting some of her soaring from the other day. She then went over and landed on the crane across from the hospital and Jubilee.

So Peter stayed and kept an eye on her and I went walking in front of the hospital across from her and around the clinical science and did the whole loop again . when I came to the corner  by the coffee shop I spotted a falcon sitting on the right corner of the Ed building. This corner is not visible form the parkade Peter is on. It is a juvenile but no matter how I look I am not sure who.

Peter shouts down to me that the one left the crane just as I was passing by it so I do not know if this is the same one.

Peter comes down and we decide to go and watch from the coffee shop as a big storm is coming in and the skies are black.  Just as we start to walk and get to the coffee shop,  the juvenile flies off so we walk a bit more up the street and a juvenile lands  part up on the aerial of the Heart building.  The wind has really come up and the juvenile continues to take off and soar around the area. We see pigeons taking off so we think she tried to stoop a few. She flew over by dads building and then overhead and back to the Ed building. It is raining and windy now and we are getting quite wet so we go and sit in the coffee shop. 
I am hoping the juvenile stays put.  But it takes off again and flies over to the area of the clinical science or heart building area. It is too wet to go and see.
I was hoping it was hankered down as the storm just kept coming . We were holed up for almost an hour.  The longest hour I have spent as I was worried about what I could not see.

After it stopped and I looked like a drowned rat , we walked toward the other parkade and clinical science area.  There was one juvenile on the ledge facing the street of moms building. I went up on the parkade to get a better look but it was too hard to see who it  was as it was tucked in the corner(smart cookie).
 Then I spotted one adult on dads aerial. Could have been dad or mom. Peter went walking toward the cranes as I kept a watch on these 2.  While he was gone(It is getting darker and harder to see) I saw a falcon(i think another juvenile ) fly onto the ledge above the other one and settle into the corner. I say juvenile as I have only ever seen them on this side at night . the adult on the aerial flew down to the left and out of sight.
Peter came back at that time and said he saw a falcon on the crane and it flew with a mouthful over the Hospital. He was sure it was a juvenile as it was struggling with what it had in its mouth.  This could have been the one I saw fly in but I had my binoculars up at the time looking at the other one. As we were leaving we checked the ledge where we usually see mom and she or he was there. 

We have spotted at least 3.  That does not mean there are not 4.
I feel much better knowing the kids are tucked in for the night(always worrying that they are getting enough to eat) what a miserable night but it is supposed to be 24 on Thursday. 

I have to be at my daughters all day today but tomorrow I will go in the daytime and see if I can see more. we will also go tonight.
P8ctures coming

[bev.]

I am glad that you saw Radissson.  I will write a short report in a bit. I always check to see what you have seen first,. She was probably there as a storm was coming in.
do you know how long she stayed.

[carly]

5:39 and Radisson is in the house