Okay, long post here.
On Wednesday (the 22nd) Faith and Joli had a series of knock-down, drag-out (almost literally) fights in the Radisson nestbox. Since then there haven't been anymore fights on-camera at any of the nestsites we are monitoring. Yesterday (24th) Joli was hanging out at her nestbox at Logan much more regularly. And as Dupre & Cooper have reported Faith had been in West Winnipeg since the Thursday but it wasn't until this morning (Saturday) that she actually turned up on-camera at the nestbox.
So why the detail about Joli and Faith comings and goings? Well at noon on Thursday a bird made a very brief visit to the Radisson nestbox and though I can't be sure until it lets me read its band, my feeling is that it is Princess. So am I breaking my own rule about IDing birds without a band number? Sort of but I hope not really. Folks are concerned about Faith and Joli fighting and what would happen to the much older Princess when/if she returns, so in the interest of helping folks feel a bit less concerned, I am reporting we have another bird in town and although I'm not sure it is Princess, the bird looks to have the right band combinations on the correct legs and the facial/body markings look right (when it lets me see him/her). Add to that the behaviour of this new bird - hanging out on the Hydro B (Faith, Joli & Hart haven't done that this year), the JR sign (no one has done that but her), lunching on the east side ledge and hanging out on the west side Radisson sign. And Princess has always been the hardest bird to get a band number on camera - usually we have to rely on Dennis to charm her long enough to get her band number. Add on top of all that that Faith and Joli have gone back to their own territories - neither one had shown any interest in their own boxes before the 23rd and since then they have both spend hours hanging out there. Remember, females fight females so though Hart is a trooper, he really isn't any real help during a fight between females in a nestbox.
We have seen Hart and Faith and Joli and they are all fine, no limping or signs of distress so I am confident that they are doing fine after the dust-up on the Wednesday. As for the bird I think, might just be Princess at the Radisson, bird is totally serene and unperturbed. If I am right and it is Princess, sure shows you that there is more to holding a territory than being the first bird home, or be willing to fight. Sometimes you just need to turn up.
So until we can confirm this new bird's identity, yes, I think, it could, just might, possibly be Princess. And folks can stop being concerned that the fighting over the Radisson will get worse ... it looks like Faith and Joli have retired to their respective corners and the Radisson is currently conflict-free.
