U of Alberta - 2010 / ? & Radisson

[bob]

Hi bcbird,

As of 9:15 last night, when Carol and I left the site, red had not yet fledged. He made at least 3 short hop/flights along the edge of the roof maybe 30-40 feet in length and as high 10 feet or so. He stayed on the roof below the nest box most of the evening until he decided to hop on the top of some pillars to the left and below the nest box. He had not mustered the courage to fly off the roof by the time we left. Peter and Bev are expecting him to make the leap sometime today. I expect they're both at the site this morning and will probably provide an update later today.

[bcbird]

One on the rails, one on the roof, but I can't tell the band colours on the cam, and can't see the mesh cover.  Did red band fledge?!?

[bcbird]

Oh boy, they certainly do look like they are ready to consider expanding their horizons!

[bev.]

[bev.]

few more shots of blue band on top

[bev.]

[bev.]

Last year Peer posted when I phoned him but he has been in meetings.
so nest week I will phone him and he will post updates


It poured rain here till 12:30pm  Certainly not good for fledging.

Red band is dong very well. He is flapping and doing a few jump flies. but at 6pm tonihgt, he did a low fly from one end of ledge to other. then mom came in and  beak fed him and left some for him to eat himself. If he does not go tonight ,he will go tomorrow. He is looking so good and so handsome.

I will post pictures as soon as possible but by time Peter gets home he is too tired to download camera.

Yellow band was adoring a lot of flapping on black mesh today and she did a few hop flies on mesh.

Blue band is doing her share of flapping also.

As I am typing blue band went up on roof of nest box, and yellow is on mesh.

I just  talked to Peter and red is doing a lot of flying on ledge and is on back of ledge now .

I have to go for a bit and then  I will post some  some cam picutres

[Ellie]

Thank you so much for all the information.  I know you all are very busy but you know how it is when you're waiting and anxious to get news about the fledging.  Thanks again........so far all is good

[bcbird]

Thanks for the updates on the fledgewatch, gang. 
Good luck, and hoping for good weather.

[bev.]

I  have 2 reliable people there right now. Lisa and Rosemarie.

Peter phoned her this morning early , and red band was catwalking along the ledge and Yellow band had gone out on mesh (as parents dropped food to her there)

Blue band was feeding in side.

looking now Yellow band has gone back on mesh and blue band is outside.
It has been raining hard this morning and I have not had a call so red band will still be on ledge.

I did see blue band flapping a lot on wrung this morning.

Red band was behind in his development, and maybe adults did so on purpose. who knows. He is strong now and the ledge is great for him to flap. If I had to rescue him , that is where I would have had to put him.

It is day 42 for the oldest juvenile.(I believe to be yellow band) So red band is at least 41 days old.

Our males have typically fledged much earlier than this but having 2 females as well, might make a difference.

the males in Winnipeg fledged day 41 and 42 this year so he is ready.

and the weather has not cooperated either.

I am going down shortly and if anything happens I will phone Peter.

We will have a few pcitures later

[bev.]

Sorry, I thought I had posted.

yesterday redband spent most of the day on the black netting. He flapped like cxrazy and he went back to box twicel
either adults dropped him food while he was on netting or he brought it there from box.

Yellow band spent a lot of time flapping her wings on front wrung.   

Parents tried a few times to get red band to go but he was just enjoying giving me a heart attack on the black mesh.

At about 3:30pm yesterday Red band was making a b-line for box(as adult went there) and he over estimated the distance to perch and fell off left side. I went running as i thought i would have to do a rescue . He managed to flap a bit and get himself of the left corner of ledge, on roof ledge belwo box.
 
He stayed there a bit and then started catwalking along the ledge. Parents gave him a food drop and he went onto roof and then back up on ledge.

Peter and Elaine, and Lisa and Becky and and Dave took over from me.   When Peter left last night red band was in corner of left ledge below box area. Peter said he did a lot of flapping which he needs to get his muscles stronger

I think he would have gone yesterday but the fall scared him. He has more distance to go up now than he did from nest box.

Read on in next reply

[peaches123]

I doubt if anyone can say precisely when the chicks will fledge. It's up to them.

[Elaine L]

For Ellie and others who are wondering, we have all been taking turns down at the site, and last night it looked like Redband, the male, was about ready to go.  He was flapping up a storm outside the nestbox on the ledge, under the close watch of his stepdad and mom.  He was running back and forth, testing his wings, his white fluff just flying off.  The girls were watching their brother and doing abit of flapping of their own.  He will likely fledge either tomorrow or Sunday, at the latest, we think, but Bev is the authority on this, we just hope he and the girls, who will likely fledge a couple days after Redband, will stay put until they are strong enough to handle it.  I left the site last night at about 9:15, and Peter was staying until dusk, just in case!  

We were lucky last night as it did not rain between 7:00 and 9:30 p.m.  But this morning, when Redband might go for it, it is raining with thunder and lightning.  What a memorable occasion if he decides (or has decided, people are down at the site as of 5:00 this morning) to make his maiden voyage!

[peaches123]

I can offer an observation from 5-6 AM, albeit from a person with no binoculars  Saw male chick ( i assume) on ledge flapping. Couldn't see any other chicks out of the box. I think food was dropped in the box. Both adults were there. Storm was coming in fast so i chickened out.

[lorac]

Hi Ellie:  I've been checking in to see if Bev or Peter have had a chance to post.  I'm anxious to know how the chicks are doing since Bob and I were there on Wednesday night.  Looks like red band is out and one of the girls, but I don't know which one.  As for the weather, it was semi-pleasant last evening, but then rain through the night.  Right now in Edmonton, we're having rain, thunder and lightening.  But from my office window, I can see it clearing south of the city, so keep your fingers crossed.  Bev and some of the other volunteers are, of course, over at the Clinical Sciences Building now ... in the darned rain.