Author Topic: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson  (Read 190114 times)

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Offline bcbird

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1429 on: October 02, 2008, 11:17 »
It was great knowing we Phanatics were together last evening, all watching our lovely Radisson.  So glad you had a good view of the prey juggling.  I really like the "humanizing" stories!  It is such a privilege to see into their world.

Offline bev.

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1428 on: October 02, 2008, 08:30 »
I get long-winded :-[ :-[so I thought I better do a new post.

I would not be surprised to see her gone tomorrow  :'( :'( but I hope she will stay for a few more days. she is certainly getting ready.

My Peter has enjoyed watching though and he has learned some patience which is good.

She is much sleeker now which is good for her flight. she has her girlish figure back ;D ;D

We have had such gorgeous weather this week so I am glad that she has had the chance to enjoy it.  Dad had a few days of it also.

My transmitter girl(Miss Edmonton) is still there also.  When they are uprooted they do try and find a new place and she has roosted on the Weber building 2 years in a row now.
She unfortunately comes back so late every year and then after a fight she has to recoup, and then all the mates are gone. Nothing would please me more than for her to find a new mate.  I would miss her if she was where I could not check on her but I would be so happy to know she raising a brood again. She was a great mom. I will pray for that. I do not want to see her fight for the box again next year.  This year was real nasty. Actually so was the year before.  She only has so many lives.
And even though you get angry at first with the new female , you always fall in love with her also :-* :-*
I am saddened that we did loose last years female as she was so funny to watch and was always glued to the youngsters hip :) :)

I will save my remarks of the season until RAdisson has left.
I had to lend my daughter her camera again for today :P :P but when I get it back on Friday , I will download the pictures from tonight.

I must go and try and get some ZZZ,s now but I think I am awake ;D ;D
« Last Edit: October 02, 2008, 08:34 by bev. »

Offline bev.

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1427 on: October 02, 2008, 08:18 »
I read your posts last night but was very tired so I am replying now and then back to bed. For some reason I am not sleeping.

I was down there with Peter watching everything tonight. You probably had a better view than me. Next year I might splurge for an air card so I can take a computer with me. They are expensive though.
She looked so stately form the parkade so I can only imagine what you you were seeing.
Another forum took some great shots so I will share them with you later.
She did a lot of preening and readying herself for migration. When she turned in on the perch we could not see much. 
I thought I had missed her fly off when she disappeared as I could not see her inside the nest box.  Then voila , there she is again. she was inside for quite awhile. 


There were window washers kitty corner to her. They do wear hard hats :) :) Smart guys.  There were also workers on roof of dads building fixing the aerials a bit.

We just stood there and soaked her all in. Neck is kind of sore from using the binoculars most of the night.

Then she came on the front perch, with her chest all stuck out, looking over her territory. Because we humanize a lot, Peter said she was probably still looking to see if dad was really gone. He said , maybe because this is her first time as a mate, she is not used to the fact that he leaves without her.  I know this is all instinct, but still, how do we really know. We are not in their minds. No one knows what they really think about. so we are entitled to put our feelings in. :) :)

I knew she was getting ready to take off so Peter was ready with the camera. But before she left she went to the right side of the box and pulled some prey out of the corner and tried to get it in her talons. At first it looked like she was going to eat and then I realized what she was doing.  She had to steady herself a few times with her wings as she was trying to get the prey to stay whee she wanted it.  It was a good size but probably a partial prey. She seemed to have quite a time getting it to stay exactly where she wanted it. she was moving around with it and putting out her wings and then moving some more.This must have been what she did the other night but was much quicker getting it in her talons the other night.

She looked so beautiful with her wings outstretched. She then took off with the prey in her talons. She flew right over us and Peter was a snapping. 8) 8)

She flew over to the top part of the ledge on her building and deposited the prey.
This confused me as she only took a few bites and then catwalked to the corner . She kept looking up as if she wanted to get on the roof. She other was saving this for breakfast  or is trying to clean a few things out of the box. She will be here till Christmas if she is trying to do that  ;D ;D
She sat there for awhile and then flew off around the corner. Silly us thought she was turning in for the night so we went to check on her but no sign of her. I  said to Peter, that the little rascal probably just flew around the building and went back on the top of her building.  So we headed back and there she was . On the roof of her building on the opposite corner that faces the Extension building. She was facing in.
Humanizing again, but Peter said it was if she was looking at where she was going to head and was memorizing the direction that Dad took.
After a bit she flew off and we saw her tuck into her ledge for the night.

 


« Last Edit: October 02, 2008, 08:31 by bev. »

Offline bev.

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1426 on: October 02, 2008, 07:48 »
hi guys.  Well before I start on tonight I will give a brief Tuesday report.

I did not see much of anything on Tuesday night. I was beginning to think that she  had left. :( :( I must have just  missed her on the nest box while I was waiting to get my ticket to park .
I looked all over. I saw pigeons scattering in various areas and so I checked those areas.
Peter surprised me by coming down after his work and he looked all over also. I shed a few tears and just as we were going to check if she was a tucked in for the night, she flew in from the direction of the Newton apartments(6:45pm) and pigeons were scattering. :) :)
I did not get those pictures as it all happened so fast but she looked beautiful flying to her building.(College Plaza) . She flew up to the top side facing the parkade . She was not  there long and then she flew off and around the corner. We knew she was turning in for the night.
We went down to check and there she was tucked into the same place as the last few nights. Bless her little soul.
Dad is gone as there is no sign of him so he must have left either Sunday evening or Monday. 
The male usually leaves first and I wish him a safe journey.  I always hold my breath until they make it back.  He has been such a great male that I hope he is back again next year.
We then went and checked on Transmitter girl(Miss Edmonton) and she was still there. she also was looking beautiful.
I have a few pictures but not much tonight.
« Last Edit: October 02, 2008, 07:49 by bev. »

Offline carly

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1425 on: October 01, 2008, 19:06 »
Hehe..yes Bev will set us straight  8)

Offline bcbird

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1424 on: October 01, 2008, 19:02 »
Bev is likely watching too, and will tell us what that was all about.
It is fascinating to realize we are all watching at the same time, even accounting for the freeze, the webcam experience seems almost miraculous!

Offline carly

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1423 on: October 01, 2008, 18:55 »
That's what I was thinking too.  It's so hard to tell with the freeze, one second they're there and the next they're gone  :'( :'(  Nice show she put on for us tonight. 

Offline bcbird

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1422 on: October 01, 2008, 18:50 »
I had a Cassie flashback too!
That was really weird, all of a sudden she had prey in her talons.  It was as if she snatched it off the end of her rail as it flew past.  Do you think it could have been in the box and she fetched it out while we were on freeze pose?

Offline carly

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1421 on: October 01, 2008, 18:45 »
Cassie flashback!!  Those wing flap poses remind me of when cassie was testing out her wings!

What's that she's got in her talon?!  Housecleaning maybe?  Maybe she's taking a piece out at a time and discarding it or did I imagine that? 
« Last Edit: October 01, 2008, 18:47 by carly »

Offline carly

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1420 on: October 01, 2008, 18:39 »
Yes she seems to like that spot doesn't she, empty nest syndrome perhaps!??!  I too wonder if they know the other is gone.  Any species that is intuitive enough to sense a storm from miles off or danger around them must have a sense of some sort that their mate is gone.  

I'm with you, I'd love to know what they think about it all!

Offline bcbird

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1419 on: October 01, 2008, 18:33 »
Definitely no prey stashed in the box today, as she has hopped out empty taloned.

Offline bcbird

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1418 on: October 01, 2008, 18:25 »
Awww! She is back in the corner where Cassie hatched, it seems to be the favourite scrape place.  Now back on the edge, but facing out .  Does she figure Dad has gone?  Wouldn't it ever be amazing to know how/what they think about this migration season? 

Offline carly

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1417 on: October 01, 2008, 18:21 »
Our mom Angel is glued to her nest box these days as well.  I know that the females are more territorial than the males are about their boxes, or perhaps I should say more demonstrative about it and from what I've seen here - they guard it with their lives and leave only when they have to.  But then and again, every time I think I've learned about a certain behaviour - they go and prove everyone wrong!

Honestly I'm surprised Transmitter girl stayed in the area given the fights she had because everything I've read says they leave and go elsewhere or become floaters.  However after Bev's explanation of her being born here - I'm not surprised and honestly I wonder what she'll do.  Will she wait and see if Radisson leaves so she can come home or will she leave and then come back next Spring and try again.  I really feel for her and it just goes to show you how much the nest box does mean to them. 

If only they could talk and tell us  ???

Offline bcbird

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1416 on: October 01, 2008, 18:12 »
dad doesn't usually move around that much..he's a much simpler type of guy  :D
Too funny, Carly.  Besides, only Mom could be that sentimental about the smelly old nestbox.

Offline bcbird

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Re: U of Alberta - 2008 / Damon & Radisson
« Reply #1415 on: October 01, 2008, 18:09 »
The Elk river female also is staying at her box a lot today.  I wonder if the females migrate at a different time depending on whether they successfully brooded?  Bev mentioned that Transmitter Girl is still around.