PA / Harrisburg - Rachel Carson Building - 2008-21

[SusanE]

There was an accidental fledge here this morning with the juvenile landing on the sidewalk.  He checked out okay and was placed back on the nest ledge.  The rescuers checked his mouth and breath, and all checked out okay.     (There was concern that NG may have passed on her problem, if it were some sort of infectious disease, to the juvies.)

[Kinderchick]

Very sad to see NG in that condition.

[susha]

Thanks for the update, Linder.  So, so sad about the female, but good news about the dad carrying on successfully and so great that there are dedicated fledgewatchers once the kids take flight!

[jadoo]

...it does not surprise me that they can't find the female NG - video they had of her on YouTube showed (to me) a VERY ill bird...in my (limited) experience, animals that ill tend to try to hide away when they are dying...
(warning, if you check out the video, it's very hard to watch - sad)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PibD9KcrX1M&feature=relmfu
 

[Linder]

Latest news from the site:

5/22/2012  ::  Update on Rachel's Falcons
Despite daily search efforts, the adult female has not been located. The male has been providing food for the eyases. He is also a very good teacher. After the eyases make their first attempt at flight, he'll provide the fledges with flight and hunting lessons. We'll be observing the progress of the fledges and rescue them if they make any bad landings.

[The Peregrine Chick]

I've watched this nest for many years, have visited the site in person and have met one of the locals who keeps a close eye on these peregrines.  The male, Lil Dad, is one of the best peregrine parents I have seen anywhere.  There is no doubt in my mind that he can handle raising the chicks from here on. 

As for the female, NG, my understanding is that someone with CPF observed video and images of her and thought the problem could be Frounce (Trichomoniasis), but cautioned that there are other diseases that mimic Frounce.  Others think she may have been injured in a battle with another adult female.  She was seen escorting one out of the territory on banding day.  (Wanted to submit this info so TPC would be better able to answer the question about prognosis.)

Frounce is in the mouth and esophagus so I daresay it would be difficult to confirm without having the bird in the hand.  But frounce is generally a disease of young birds, not adults - adults can get it but my understanding is that it isn't as common.  We band young birds so getting a looking in the mouth of a screaming chick is easy enough and if you notice, when birds are treated for frounce they are usually about banding age.  Not sure I would have posted about it being frounce until I could get a better look or confirm, but the CPF observer may have considerably more experience with the disease than I and so felt safe enough to post what they did.  And yes, there are other diseases and injuries that can mimic the obvious signs of frounce - and just for the record, my understanding is that the signs are not always obvious until the bird is in very rough shape or dead.

[SusanE]

I've watched this nest for many years, have visited the site in person and have met one of the locals who keeps a close eye on these peregrines.  The male, Lil Dad, is one of the best peregrine parents I have seen anywhere.  There is no doubt in my mind that he can handle raising the chicks from here on. 

As for the female, NG, my understanding is that someone with CPF observed video and images of her and thought the problem could be Frounce (Trichomoniasis), but cautioned that there are other diseases that mimic Frounce.  Others think she may have been injured in a battle with another adult female.  She was seen escorting one out of the territory on banding day.  (Wanted to submit this info so TPC would be better able to answer the question about prognosis.)

[RCF]

The last time they saw her was Wednesday morning, May 16th.

[susha]

Oh what bad news!  I sure hope the female's okay and that the male is able to sustain the pace necessary to keep these little guys fed until they fledge and then until they can hunt for themselves.  What's the prognosis, TPC?

[Linder]

Latest from the site:

5/17/2012  ::  Falcon Sightings
The adult resident female has sustained an injury or disease that has rendered her unable to effectively hunt, feed herself and the eyases. The male has redoubled his hunting activities and is providing for the eyases. DEP staff has been trying to locate the female in hopes of live capturing her for treatment at a nearby wildlife rehabilitation center. Any information on her whereabouts would be appreciated. The female is one third larger than the male and is not banded. The male is banded.

[RCF]

Wonderful !  Two I am sure, "bad boys".     Thanks for letting us know SusanE

[SusanE]

Banding was today.  Two males. 

"Red Boy" 42/AP (black/green)
"Blue Boy" 43/AP (black/green)

[Linder]

Latest from the site:

5/8/2012  ::  Banding Event
The banding event will be live webcast at 1 PM, tomorrow May 9th. Over 150 students, teachers and youth groups will be in attendance. Many of the teachers who will arrive with their students also attended a falcon teacher workshop here at the Rachel Carson State Office Building on April 3rd. This year we'll have two nestlings. They'll be weighed, examined and the sex will be determined before leg bands are attached. These bands will provide for an individual signature that identifies the birds when they fledge, disperse and seek out their own nesting territories.

They are 1 hour ahead of us. So would be Noon here.
Just checked the cam and both chicks were snuggled up the box. It is raining there so they are not moving.

[The Peregrine Chick]

I went back to the Site News from Feb 17 2011 and this was reported about NG.

The new female is not banded so her age and geographic origin cannot be determined. However, when she arrived, she sported a bit of rusty brown coloring, an indication that she was emerging from juvenile plumage.

Ah, so that would make this her third summer mostly likely ... thank you!

[Linder]

I went back to the Site News from Feb 17 2011 and this was reported about NG.

The new female is not banded so her age and geographic origin cannot be determined. However, when she arrived, she sported a bit of rusty brown coloring, an indication that she was emerging from juvenile plumage.