U of Alberta - 2011 / ? & Radisson

[The Peregrine Chick]

Thanks for the update Bev, looks like Radisson, Ivy and Hurricane all have the same reticience to leave their territories at this time of the year.

Just to confirm, the U of A male's band number has been changed to K over 97?  If I have this right, are you wanting to refer to this male by his band number or have you another name you would like to use or is being used by the Edmonton watchers?  I know your biologists generally refer to your birds by band numbers.  Let me know and I'll update the subject line for this year and hopefully he'll be back next year ...

[bev.]

just a quick report.

As of Tuesday, Oct4 , we had 2 adults still on site. Radisson and probably the new one year old male.
I am saying only probably becasue on thursday Sept29, 2011, Gord released our dad in southern Alberta. He came on strong the last 2 weeks of September and was flown on a line. they flew him free about Sept 23rd and he looked good. Once they got hi back they fattened him up on wild duck and drove down to Southern Alberta and released him. So hopefully he headed for migration but he could have come back. When Peter and I checked Wed and Thursday evening we only saw one tucked in. they turn in earlier and earlier before migrating.

I could not go down any earlier the last few days but will head out shortly and stay till dark hopefully.

check out Weber for some news there.

Just editing to add that Gordon changed his band to K97(K over 97)

I will try and do a wrap up report with pictures after Thanksgiving.

I will post a picutre of dad in a few.

[Kinderchick]

Sounds like a wonderful vacation for you bev. I'm sure that Elaine will give us updates of your birds, as she sees/hears anything. Enjoy your time away.

[bev.]

Thanks Kinderchick and Bcbird.
 
We are going to  a B and B at Sooke first and then up island to my dads at Duncan and my brothers at Cowichan Bay. It is a trek we do every year. We love traveling the in September.

Hopefully I will get my picutres posted when I get back.

[Kinderchick]

...I will be saying my adieu to Miss Edmonotn and RAdisson on Thursday ,as we leave to get away for 2 weeks...

Sure hope you can enjoy a well deserved holiday, bev!

[bcbird]

The upside - Radisson's 2011 mate could be back and ready to defend against all comers - he won't be tried after a long season of rearing kids rather hormones on the upswing and he will be ready and fully able to defend himself and his right to hold the territory.

So it looks like the will be wintered here and if strong enough he will be released in spring.

We never know what the spring will bring.

It sounds like Dad may have the opportunity to strengthen and be on site in spring without the tires of migration.
We can hope spring will bring a good story.  

Have a great holiday, Bev.  September is a good month for travel.

[bev.]

Thanks kinderchick.I am just a big ham, . 

Becasue our kids were chased away we did not get to see them as much as usual.

I will be saying my adieu to Miss Edmonotn and RAdisson on Thursday ,as we leave to get away for 2 weeks. Radisson and Miss Edmonton  usually do not leave till first week in
October but in case they are gone when I get back I will do it Thursday.
We never know what the spring will bring.

[Kinderchick]

Thank you for the update, bev. It must be a very difficult time for you, where your birds are concerned. My thoughts are with you.

[bev.]

I am posting the letter I sent to my group

Good afternoon,

Well what a year we have had.  Our adult male got injured a block away from Bell site on Monday evening, august 15th. At first Gord was told he had a bonk on his head, but when Gord picked him up, it was much worse. It was obvious he had been in quite a fight. He had septicemia, no broken wings, but lots of talon wounds and feathers off neck and one side of head. He was very sore, and Gord figured bruised. Gord kept him and nursed him back to health.

The plan was to release him in the marshlands of southern Alberta last week but Dad is not ready. He is not strong enough yet. So it looks like the will be wintered here and if strong enough he will be released in spring. I sure hope he can be released in spring because I hate to lose such a good male. And if this one comes back he is young and we have so many problems because of the Maz.

If DAD is not strong enough, they will keep him as and educator bird and a breeder.

The reason they were going to release him in southern Alberta is because about August 25th a young male moved into our territory gradually. With the pictures I sent Gord, he agreed he is a yearling. The male proceeded to chase off our young ones. We monitored closely and we have not seen a kid since about August 29th. That does not men they are not sneaking back in. Gord is sure they are just fine and probably independent. I hope so. But to release our male back at Uni would not have been good. He would not have been ready for a fight.

So Gord is to send me pictures of our male, which I will send to you.

All appears well at Weber. As of Friday night we saw 3 falcons s, 2 for sure were kids and we believe the other was as well.

Cheers
Bev


I am devastated about this but remain hopeful.  I need to get some distance and I just get myself too attached. Hopefully dad can make a full recovery.

[Kinderchick]

Yes, let's hear it for "age & guile" for our birds, other wildlife and humans, alike!

[Saoirse]

Sometimes our window on nature gives us a painful view.

What a lovely way to express it, BCBird. We get so attached to the birds we observe and it's sometimes hard to accept when nature follows its own course. My fingers are crossed that age and guile win out this time (thanks for that, TPC -- funny how much more apt that expression seems now than it did a number of years ago!). 

[The Peregrine Chick]

The upside folks is that everyone will be leaving from Alberta in the next couple of weeks then its a clean slate come next spring - Radisson's 2011 mate could be back and ready to defend against all comers - he won't be tried after a long season of rearing kids rather hormones on the upswing and he will be ready and fully able to defend himself and his right to hold the territory.  And who knows if the "new kid" will even survive the year, he's kinda  late making a bid for a nest site and a mate    Don't write your boy off yet, age and guile vs youth and optimism (or something similar) and all that

[bcbird]

Thank you Elaine and Bev for filling us in.
All this update news is appreciated even though it is not great.
Sometimes our window on nature gives us a painful view.

[bev.]

Thanks Elaine , for coming over and reporting this. I was jsut going to come in today and post. I was waiting till I knew more about dads release.

I have been very busy since Dad was found, observing down at clinical science site and also watching Weber/ Dad was found on MOnday evening Aug15th. Becky saw him at noon and I did not see him in the evening.
Luckily , he was found very quickly.

He was only a few blocks from the Bell downtown site, so Gord thinks, that is who he fought with. Now dad knows not to go down there but maybe  a kid of his was being chased. We will never know. First report Gord got was that he had a bonk on his head. But it was much worse. He had several talon wounds and had feathers plucked from side of head and neck.
 Gord picked him up and nursed him back to health. It was a long go, as he had septicemia and was badly bruised and underweight. He had no broken bones but had trouble lifting his left wing high at first.

so I spent many hours down making sure kids were O.K. Supplemental food was supplied the first weekend.  I did see Radisson come in with prey for the kids on a few occasions. On one I saw her stoop her prey. She had two of the kids chase her for the food from her talons on one occasion.
We know the kids were O.k. up until Tuesday, August 23rd. I could not go down on the Wednesday, but Becky said she saw 2 kids on Wednesday.

On the Thursday was the first time Peter and I saw a different falcon. In my heart I was hoping it was a kid but in my mind I knew it was an adult male.

On Sunday night Jean e-mailed me and an adult was attacking one of our kids. She sent me the pictures and then I went down the next day and spent the day, there. I could see nothing all day and then in the evening, I saw RAdisson on Med science and she then flew to Ed and then the adult male flew over to Ed.

I had to go to southern Alberta last Tuesday till Saturday and so I had Jean observing when she could from her apartment.
I kept in contact with Gord and it was decided that Dad should not be released at Clinical , as originally planned. He would not be able to handle another fight so soon . So sometime this week he will be released. I am just waiting word. this is when we will have to really monitor again, in case he comes back. Gord is hoping he will mellow in the marsh until migration which is not very far off for the males. But we do not know.

so Peter and I have not seen the kids, since Jean saw one attacked. the kid  hid in an aerial. Smart kid. It was O.K.
When we came back from down south, we looked all around campus and area. Gord said they may sneak back in and be cared for. Usually our young do not leave the area till mid Sept. In past years we have had them all come back at night. But this male is not letting them.  I can only pray the kids were ready . Gord said they may be able to catch smaller things if need be.

 I do believe he is a young male. I would like to kick his butt, but such is nature, I guess.

I have taken a break the last few days , chasing grand kids, but will go down again later tomorrow and weekend.

will try and post a few pictures when i can.

[Kinderchick]

Oh my goodness, Elaine, I am so sorry to hear of the injuries sustained by Radisson's mate. I do hope that the juvies are well equipped to survive on their own now, without mom or dad's help.