Radisson - 2009 / Trey & Princess

[bccs]

One of them is on the bottom of the J on the Richardson Bldg. Not sure who, but seemed to have a lot of white around the neck.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Glad you are back Mother Hen!  Hope BC treated you well.

Glad too you are keeping your eyes on the skies for us all.  So to answer your question - Could they nest somewhere else?  The answer to that has always been yes for every pair, every year they have nested on the Hotel.  Would they nest somewhere else?  They might but there are very few places around anymore that have the kind of spots they like to nest on, with the kind of materials they need to nest in.  And they haven't managed to find anything like that since 1989 so chance is in our favour.  It really will be a game of wait-and-see until they lay, wherever they lay.

But keep your fingers crossed just in case 

[Mother Hen]

Hi everyone. I was in Vancouver from last Wednesday and thinking that by the time I get home late last night that Tracy would be posting.........eggs have been laid. But by the looks of things no such luck. This morning I did see a big bird leave the Radission as we were driving to work. Approx time 6:55. So far today I have not seen either of them on the West side. Would they nest some where else?? I am looking up no matter where I go.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Of course I am not counting my eggs before they are laid, but this might be promising ... (knock on wood)


... what? me? superstitious? naw 

[bccs]

another look round, still no sign of them. Also no sign of pigeons, so they can be far.

[bccs]

I just was on the roof of my building on the east side. No sign of them on the ledge, Radisson sign, Serling bldg or the Avenue bldg. The cherub has one very white shoulder though.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Okay, don't have the spycam today, so it will be up to our intrepid downtown spotters to keep us updated on what is happening on both sides of the Hotel!

Will let you know what I hear re: the software-hardware connection problems we are having with the nestbox webcam.

[bev.]

No matter where you are fledging becomes a Hold the breath scenario  for at least 2 -3 weeks.

Not that they are out of the woods then , but they are getting better

Why do we do this  again. Oh Yeah, we love the falcons.

[The Friesens]

I have to agree with you. It is a beautiful site but the fledging is stressful. In the last three years I didn't think I could get any more white hair but that has been proven wrong   

[allikat]

This is why all the viewers gasp for air when the chicks decide to fledge....It's a beautiful yet stressful site! 

We all know that Tracy holds a special spot for Trey in her heart...We all do.  He's our rockstar, our King to the Winnipeg skies. 

NEST ON THE WEST

[The Friesens]

Knowing the odds are against them nesting there takes a little tension off thinking that is where they may try for the second year in a row. I understand that is still a possibility but there is always more hope against. Thank you for that info.

[LouLouBelle]

thanks Tracy, these falcons have no idea how lucky they are to have so many people genuinely concerned about their well-being! I, like many, have a lot of mixed feelings about that ledge after the tragedy last year. I am encouraged that the ledge was favoured only 4 -5 times out of the last 20 years. Let's all hope that this is not one of those years.

[The Peregrine Chick]

That makes sense. But don't they have the same risks from this lower ledge on the east?

Greater risks on the ledge - ledge is more exposed so chicks are at greater risk from the weather and predation but no more so than chicks on natural cliff-faces.  As for fledging risks, yes, more risk of problems/injuries/death during fledging because they have to work their way up out of the "canyon" to be able to get to spots to land.  In 2006 when the chicks fledged there last, the Little Daredevil, our first chick to fledge died less than 24 hours after fledging when he collided with a building and died on impact.  The other two chicks didn't run into problems - and one of them was Radisson who was/is nesting in Edmonton.  As I recall there was not as much wind in 2006 as there was in 2007 (when we named the nestbox chicks after winds) or last year which was atrocious.  If 2006 had been windy I would have expected problems with all the chicks during fleding.  In 1996, Trey and two siblings fledged from there and one of his siblings needed a stint in rehab and I had to rescue Trey - so 2 out of 3 ran into problems that year.  Fortunately, they don't nest often on on that ledge - 4-5 times in 20+ years.

[birdcamfan]

Maybe that's their new "bedroom"

[photosbydennis]

First thought was a pigeon...they are usually found in numbers and the lack of any other birds around made me stop and take second look. Only a Peregrine will perch with it's back to the street and tail feathers hanging down over the edge. A turn of the bird and the white breast revealed a Peregrine perched on the East side of the U of W downtown Winnipeg.