Author Topic: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson  (Read 210964 times)

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Offline Alison

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1174 on: September 04, 2008, 19:52 »
Bev, thank you so much for your wonderful reports and pics. What a relief to know that you saw both Cassie and Hope! I think it would be great if you wrote an article for the University to let more people know about these beautiful falcons.

Offline Loriann

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1173 on: September 04, 2008, 15:17 »
Thanks to Bev for the updates.. and our 'fix'...

spring is only 7 months away.

then it all starts again !

Offline bev.

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1172 on: September 04, 2008, 08:07 »
My husband and I spent this evening bonding over housecleaning at our rental house after some messy tenants departed.quote form bcbiird

Love it.   :-*

Offline carly

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1171 on: September 04, 2008, 07:13 »
My husband and I spent this evening bonding over housecleaning at our rental house after some messy tenants departed.

 ;D ;D ;D

Offline carly

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1170 on: September 04, 2008, 07:12 »
Great reports Bev, thank you and so glad you got to see them all together  :D  I expect if dad is still dropping off food then they will definitely stick around until they learn to hunt on their own.  It shouldn't take too long for the hunting part...another 2 weeks or so maybe and they should be good to go.  They've already got the flying part down, now they just have to work on the stooping! 

From what TPC and others have said in past posts, the parents won't leave their kids until they ensure the young ones have the right skills to survive.  Might be a bit of 'boot camp hunting training'..hehe! 

Offline bcbird

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1169 on: September 03, 2008, 23:50 »
What with seeing Radisson on the cam and reading Bev's very positive reports, this has definitely been a good news day!

I am curious though as to how Radisson and her mate will renew their bond in that nest - given the debris!!  I wonder if they'll do a bit of house cleaning or just lay right down in the feathers like Cassie did  ;D

My husband and I spent this evening bonding over housecleaning at our rental house after some messy tenants departed.
« Last Edit: September 03, 2008, 23:52 by bcbird »

Offline bev.

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1168 on: September 03, 2008, 22:51 »
Peter met up with me where dad was and I ran back to check that mom was still in place.  We walked up towards the Butter dome and then I  met up with Peter on the Parkade across form the Ed building.
Peter thought he saw a falcon at the edge of campus again but it flew off.  Dad was still on the crane so we decided to walk back to the Ed building and see if Cassie was still there.

Well to our delight there were both girls , side by side on the ledge of the Ed building. Hope is definitely bigger than Cassie .   I rushed back to check if mom was still there and then if dad was still there.  Yes, all 4 accounted for.  I am in Heaven :) :) :-* :-*. I am just so elated.  I have been worried but have not said anything.  But now I feel so much better.  I will write the biologists tomorrow to see if they think the parents will migrate later this year to make sure the girls are ready.

the girls sat side by side for quite awhile. Peter and I just sat and enjoyed them.

Cassie then cat walked to the the right a bit and went onto the roof but we could still see her.
Hope  flew around a bit and then came back.  then she cat walked towards Cassie and Cassie went back up on the ledge.

Hope then went on the roof out of site, I think to nibble.  We were getting quite cold and although I wanted to watch a flying display we went to eat not far away.  I think I have put on a few pounds while watching the birds ;) ;) with eating here and all, but maybe all the walking and running will counteract it.

When we came out the girls were gone and so we started to walk.   Hope was on the Heart building  on the opposite side from the neat box.  A falcon was on the corner of the jut of the clinical science building(could be mom or other juvenile).  As we were walking the falcon flew off the nest building, did not see where. One falcon was way out on the crane(possibly dad by size) and as we were driving away we did  see mom on the top corner of her building. 

So it was a good night and my prayers were answered.  I saw both girls and they were together . They probably put on a flying display while we were filling our faces ;D ;D

Pictures to come later . they will not be the greatest but you will see what we were seeing(although we can see quite well with our binoculars.)

We have met so many people.  Two young university students stopped us and asked what we were watching.  You just know that I educated them ;) ;) they were quite excited and watched through our binoculars.  Another lady who just started watching the cam this year asked me how they were doing.  And you know that I enjoyed giving her the scoop.

One lady asked me to write an article for the University newspaper. I will have to think about that.
Well I am very tired as I have been cleaning my daughters old house for her and then spending 3 to 4 hours watching my birds.

I cannot begin to tell you the lift this has given me this season.   :-* :-*

NIght for now and I will post those pcitures in the morning.

Offline bev.

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1167 on: September 03, 2008, 22:27 »
I am so excited tonight.  I saw both girls together. I was starting to get worried. I thought I was seeing them but I just was not sure I was seeing Cassie.  last night I thought i saw one on the heart building and Peter said no well I think i was right.

I went to the parkade across form the Heart building and could see a falcon on the Ed building just below the upper roof. Peter kept an eye on her while I went down and walked up there to take a closer look. 
It was Cassie :) :).  she was just sitting there . Peter eventually came my way and he spotted a falcon on the roof of the Heart building ,  directly kitty corner from the nest box. 

While  he watched Cassie ,I went back to check things out and went to the Clinical science building(nest box building).  It was mom.  She is gorgeous and just looked out over the clinical science building.
I walked further down from  the nest building to the hospital and there on a crane (the same crane as the night before ) was Dad. I kept hoping it was a juvenile but it was dad.
so I started walking back and met up with Peter and he said that Cassie was eating as Dad had made a food drop . He could not see the food because of the glare of the sun but saw dad go down to the roof and then fly away. Cassie then went down on the roof of the Ed building and he presumed she was eating.

Part 2 next reply

Offline bev.

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1166 on: September 03, 2008, 22:06 »
I am glad that you are seeing mom in the nest box.  Last night when we went down mom flew over to the nest box and was chupping.  I just stood and watched her  with my binoculars as she looked so beautiful.  It was pointless taking a picture as I was so far away.

as usual I  went up top and saw zilch.  Peter said when he got there this morning mom wa being chased by a young one and they  ended up on the brick building which is right across form the parkade (The extension building).

So we walked and walked.  We saw one on a ledge behind dads building but I think it was mom.

We kept walking and went to the education building and nothing , so we did our walk of the campus, down alumni way and ended up at the edge of the campus.  there was one falcon perched on a crane . silly me forgot to take a pictures u close but I think it was Hope.  she sat there for the longest time just looking out over the river area.  Peter stood and kept watch while i dashed back and went up on the toher parkade adjacent to the Ed building.  I could see her learly form there and then  turned around and there were 2 falcons on a crane across from the hospital  adjacent to Lrt.  I am sure one was  Cassie and one was mom. 

When I turned to face the edge of the campus I saw Hope fly off straight down. 
Peter came up and we had a good look around and then Cassie was gone also.

We decided to call it a night as it was so cold.

My desire was to see all 4 and see hope and Cassie together.

I only have a few bad pcitures but will post later.

I will be typing tonights report momentarily and you are going to like what I report.

Offline carly

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1165 on: September 03, 2008, 20:07 »
Cam 3 has been down for a few weeks now, they have a note on the home page about it - 'they're working on it'!  I enjoyed seeing Radisson today and the Elk River mom too.. :D..we are going through peregrine withdrawl!

I am curious though as to how Radisson and her mate will renew their bond in that nest - given the debris!!  I wonder if they'll do a bit of house cleaning or just lay right down in the feathers like Cassie did  ;D

Offline bcbird

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1164 on: September 03, 2008, 16:20 »
I agree with your comment on the Elk River site.  It IS calming seeing Mom peacefully perched. 
A bit of activity!  Something got her attention. Looking around, a bit of calling, quick hop to the outer rung and back inside for a look, then only a brief further stop on the far rung before gone...
Maybe she was watching Cassie and Hope in action, and had to give some talons on help!
Sigh.... how great to see her again up close.  Loved the bright eye and lovely head closeup of cam 2.  I'm not getting anything for cam 3, just 1 and 2.

Offline carly

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1163 on: September 03, 2008, 16:10 »
Yes it does bcbird..  I'm hoping Cassie comes for a visit before she goes away so we can get a chance to see what a big girl she's become.  And I'd like to see Hope up close too but I guess the nestbox wouldn't really be home for her..but you never know...if mom has food ...hehe

Offline bcbird

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1162 on: September 03, 2008, 16:06 »
Fabulous, Carley!!!!  Thanks so much for posting. Doesn't that scene just take you back to those new mom times, when little Cassie chick was peacefully napping with Mom standing guard? 

Offline carly

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1161 on: September 03, 2008, 15:54 »
4:54 pm and mom is on the nest box!!!  heh..i was feeling nastalgic so thought I'd check in and there she is!  Just looking out..maybe cassie and hope will come visit!! :D

Offline Liz

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1160 on: September 02, 2008, 18:59 »
WOW, I sure missed a lot while I was away!  How exciting that Cassie has a playmate.  Hope is a great name, bev!  I add my thanks to everyone else's for allyour effort, photos, running around, and reports.