Dennis Patrick Reports:
Dear Peregrine Community,
I am sorry to inform all of you that late Friday the little female chick died peacefully at Wings Rehab from a type of fungus infection. We believe this to be the first reported case of such an infection at Wings Rehab.
Obviously this outcome is far from what any of us hoped for our peregrine family and our first Peregrine Watch.
However, it is important to put this sad news into perspective: the rate of mortality for young peregrines in their first year ranges from around 60% to over 80%.
The fact that one out of two chicks on our Watch not only survived, but seems to be doing very well is a success. This first Peregrine Watch has been a learning experience for everyone involved, and we all did a good job under very challenging circumstances. We have learned so much that can be applied to future Watches. Look how far we’ve come! As a community we went from no peregrines, to a pair of peregrines checking out the nest site but without a successful hatching, to having 3 eggs but only 2 hatch, to having 2 young make their way into the world, and one chick doing extremely well. Now Voltaire & Freddy can focus all their attention on the young male, and that is a good thing.
Once again, Dennis & I thank you for your commitment, passion, and concern regarding these young peregrines. We do plan to apply lessons learned from this year’s Watch, and we sincerely hope that you will consider being part of this important effort in the future. And of course, we hope our family of peregrines will grace us with their presence next year.
Dennis Patrick
Gwenster
CPF Site Coordinator
Caroline Biribauer
Friends of Watersheds Organizer
Essex Region Conservation Authority
