Rfalconcam Forum

3/1/17

Great Spirit Bluff falcons are back! We have a new HD nest box camera that has been working well. It is amazing the difference that HD technology makes. We thank A2Z Security Cameras for their help and support!

http://www.ustream.tv/greatspiritblufffalcons?utm_source=crowd-live-backend&utm_medium=visit-channel&utm_campaign=notifications (http://www.ustream.tv/greatspiritblufffalcons?utm_source=crowd-live-backend&utm_medium=visit-channel&utm_campaign=notifications) Nice clear pic! HD

Michelle & Newman, the pair with 4 eggs!  :clap:

 :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Sad news on FB... :crying:

We are aware of the two dead eyass falcons at Great Spirit Bluff and are planning a recovery tomorrow, weather permitting. We believe that insects may have clogged their airways, causing them to suffocate, but we can't know for sure unless we recover the carcasses. We will also try to capture some of the insects while we are down there. We've called them black flies and buffalo gnats, but black flies come in roughly 30 species in Minnesota and it would be helpful to know what we are dealing with.

We've had black fly problems here in the past, although we've never seen this kind of problem this early in the year. For more on that, read this blog: https://raptorresource.blogspot.com/2017/05/black-flies-and-falcon-deaths-at-gsb.html

More problems with insects there! At least they didn't jump to their deaths this time, but still, this is very sad.   :(

How awful. I knew I was afraid to look for some reason!!  Poor lil ones!!

More bad news.. :crying:

http://youtu.be/-9DaHKuIjTE

 After one chick falling, the other tries to follow, hanging by his foot. Newman arrives but doesn't have Michelle's experience. Michelle finally gets it back in.

Tragic events at this site!  :crying:

http://youtu.be/3_IrlG3NiQA (http://youtu.be/3_IrlG3NiQA)

From their FB page:

Great Spirit Bluff Peregrine Falcons

As viewers have seen, of our two remaining eyasses at GSB, both have gone out of their nest box again this morning. One has fallen, and we suspect that the parents are trying to locate and care for it as we have seen in the past. The other eyass has escaped a couple of times also and in a remarkable display we have seen Michelle turn into super mom mode, pulling on the chick's wing and leg to pull it back in to safety.

RRP had planned for scheduled banding today and we have a few members of our team on site and others arriving as this is posted. We will keep you informed as more information is received, and would like you all to keep good thoughts for our climbing team and the young eyasses.

Raptor Resource Project is considering all options for the remaining eyases at Great Spirit Bluff now that one has jumped from the box. Our permits do not allow us to preemptively collect young birds from nests; as watchers know, birds face and overcome many dangers in their lives and we simply can't protect them from everything. We have located a potential foster box and are weighing treating the current box over attempting relocation, which comes with its own set of dangers and challenges. We will keep everyone posted. Thank you!

This nest is cursed! How sad for them.....again!

The babies are reunited and in a clean nest box.  They cleaned up a boat load of crap and all the gravel and put new gravel in!

2 eyases have been banded and returned to a clean nest box!  :clap:

http://youtu.be/lkJUuWs9ouw (http://youtu.be/lkJUuWs9ouw)

YAY! Both eyases banded and back in nest box. They replaced the substrate and powdered & sprayed the area.

Check out Raptor Resource Project (https://www.facebook.com/RaptorResourceProject/) page for pics at banding. The RRP FB post reads:  John Howe has repelled down Great Spirit Bluff and is now cleaning the nest box after retrieving the remaining eyas. George Howe, hero of the search and rescue team, found the little jumper and brought it back up the bluff. Two eyasses banded today. Both males, names are Hamilton and Burr-d. Great work by the whole team, Amy Ries, David Kester, George Howe, and John Howe.

In attached cliff pic #1 you can see the repeller, eyases back in box, and a parent (blur in the left corner). Mom landed on perch as soon as repeller reached top in cliff pic #2. Lastly, adventurers in #3...just 2 very tired eyases.

 :bow: Oh this is great news!! Thanks Joyce, I was so worried about the jumper!! Glad the boys are OK!!

Chick was outside on the wrungs and plummeted off to the ground!!  :crying:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afPKiZQwiRk&feature=youtu.be (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afPKiZQwiRk&feature=youtu.be)

Oh no, not again!!!  :o

Both remaining chicks have fallen from outside of the nest box now.  :(

Just saw on FB, poor babies and parents.  Hoping both are safe down there and parents can attend to them safely.  :(

http://youtu.be/nr6u8Z-KbAI (http://youtu.be/nr6u8Z-KbAI)

2nd one plunges!!  This was hard to watch!!!

 :(

From RRP FB page...

We are aware that Hamilton and Burr-D are out of the box at Great Spirit Bluff. The two falcons are around 28 days of age today and we have decided not to try to bring them back to the box. Michelle and Newman will find them and care for them until fledge, as we saw in 2013 and 2014. We will see if we can locate them with the camera, but we have no intention of going to the base of the cliff, which could drive them deeper into the tangle below. We are hopeful for both little falcons and will keep everyone posted.

We're getting questions on the box design and production at Great Spirit Bluff. Are the falcons falling because the perches are poorly designed? In short, no - but you can read more about the issue here: http://bit.ly/2qNSRsJ (http://bit.ly/2qNSRsJ)

John is thinking about ways to design the replacement box that will minimize problems with black flies. We are about 40% of the way through our banding season and it looks like black flies and weather plagued impacted many of our wilder sites this year. We'll talk about that later this week.

Had this cam going since early morning! I don't hear a peep, kak, scream......nothing!!

  Oh dear me,I so hope the babies survived their falls and that we hear good news.Watching the videos was sad and hope they can make changes to enhance safety.   

I can see where the adults perch and also they have been going down and up every few minutes, so I believe they are being fed! Hopefully!!

http://explore.org/live-cams/player/falcon-nest-cam?popoff=true (http://explore.org/live-cams/player/falcon-nest-cam?popoff=true)

I'm hearing alarm calls now and see 3 flying!! Oh boy!! 3 what though???

Great Spirit Bluff Falcons ~ RRP ~ June 5th: "Just an update for everyone - We have been able to see that Michelle and Newman are perched in the trees below and are continuing to care for their eyasses. It's hard to hear sometimes, with the traffic noise, but we have heard vocals (yes, plural) and are hopeful that both are fine. We will continue to keep you updated as we have more information." ~Sherri Elliott

http://youtu.be/dAyUfrq6bEY (http://youtu.be/dAyUfrq6bEY)


OOPS, YES, Kris, I goofed!! THANKS!!

I'm so happy for these kids!!  :heart: :heart:

I am too!  I wasn't sure they survived!  :clap:

Thanks for posting. I saw on Facebook that they had both visited the nestbox.  Another miracle for Great Spirit Bluff!   :2thumbsup: :2thumbsup:

The nest box at Great Spirit Bluff was taken down, and a new nest box has now been installed. Apparently this was done in an attempt to deal with the bloodsucking insects which have killed a number of chicks over the years.

The area has some very pretty scenery, but I still think that the site itself is too dangerous and unsuitable for chicks, with a sheer drop of some 600 feet from the nest box and no space for the chicks to strengthen their flight muscles before fledging. It has long been recognized in Europe that some kind of platform or deck or other exercise area is necessary to give the chicks a better chance to fledge successfully.

I wish that the new nest had been installed in a safer location.

(https://picload.org/image/draropdw/gsb-new-nest-box-1a.jpg)

(https://picload.org/image/draropar/gsb-nov-7-2a.jpg)

More information:

https://www.facebook.com/RaptorResourceProject/photos/pcb.1509887962381151/1509876672382280/?type=3&theater (https://www.facebook.com/RaptorResourceProject/photos/pcb.1509887962381151/1509876672382280/?type=3&theater)

Is that a nest box or a cliff wart?

Good one, Shaky!  :happy:

The new nest box looks much better now that it has been finished. The box has been painted, and a perch and a cam have now been added.

(https://picload.org/image/drilalor/gsb-nov-22-2a.jpg)

(https://picload.org/image/drilaloa/gsb-nov-28-2a.jpg)

Hamilton (banded black/red K/52) and Burr-D (banded black/red K/51) both survived the fall from the nest box, but when I was checking their band numbers, I found very sad news about Burr-D.

Burr-D was struck by a vehicle and killed on September 21, 2017 on I-90 on French Island, La Crosse, WI. Note the early fledge date [June 3, 2017]. Blackflies were a huge problem at GSB this year. They killed two falcons (confirmed by autopsy) and drove the surviving young from the nest box at a very early age.

After somehow surviving a 600-foot fall, it does not seem fair that little Burr-D had such a short life.  :crying:

He was not far from home; La Crosse is just across the Mississippi from La Crescent, where Burr-D grew up.

(https://picload.org/image/drilalol/la-crosse-french-island-6a.jpg)

That really sucks!  :kleenex: :sorrow:

Every year they say they got a handle on the flies and every year they prove them wrong! Wish they could figure a way. Those poor babies!!


Bye Bye Burr-D, Fly Free  :crying:

 :( :( :(

Aww, geez.  Sometimes life is definitely not fair. :'(

             :sorrow:

Sad news indeed. The Bluff is a dangerous home. Worrisome.   :sorrow:

So very sad.  :(