national wildlife federation is having a photo contest


http://online.nwf.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=98022.0&dlv_id=100895

The pictures and videos are adorable!!!!

Yikes, Sage!  I'm surprised that the DEC can't get access since the birds are endangered!  Hope the little one is ok!

Hope the UB folks stay protective.  That one guy on tv was irritated that his dog got attacked by mama bird!  She is really protective!

I just read the montreal blog.  They are waiting results for Eve but they think it was some bacterium since multiple organs were infected.  Poor thing

The little guy flew into a classroom and had to be rescued!  There are pictures of that and of one of his landings.  He landed beneath an adult but not well-- doing the "bat" look while gripping the building!  The adult was looking at him!

This is very weird:

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/local/Falcon-dive-bombs-unwitting-pedestrians

Falcon dive-bombs unwitting pedestrians
Updated: Monday, 14 Jun 2010, 10:53 PM EDT
Published : Monday, 14 Jun 2010, 10:39 PM EDT

George Richert
Posted by: Eli George
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Remember oohing and aahing over those cute peregrine falcon chicks who showed off for a UB nest cam? Well, the chicks are out of the nest, and the protective mom is dive-bombing anybody who gets too close.

Resident Antoine Lanier said, "And you can hear them, they're up there. The big one's about to land, and they're up there."

It was Sunday evening at around six when Antoine watched a peregrine falcon chase a teen-aged boy across Winspear.

"You know what scared me is he ran out in the middle of the street. He coulda got hit by a car," said Antoine.

Minutes after that, his dog was attacked.

Antoine recounted, "I felt something, something go right by me, and it hit my dog, and you know, she yelped, and I could see it was a big bird and it was trying to pick her up. It was shaking, she had blood on her paws and her ears. These were all ripped off, the nails were down, she has cuts underneath her body."

It's all happening around the McKay Tower at UB where state wildlife officials and UB put a nesting platform and a live camera on a family of peregrine falcons that have taken up residence there.

>>>Watch George's reporter's notebook as he "hunts" for shots of the falcons in their tower nest

NYS DEC Wildlife Biologist Connie Adams said, "The unique thing about this week is that their chicks have fledged, or left the nest, which they did on Sunday, and so they are especially defensive."

Falcons are only about the size of a crow, but this family has one over-protective mama.

"She is acting differently from any other peregrine in New York State at this point," explained Adams.

On Saturday, a pair of bird watchers were attacked. Then, on the roof of the VA Hospital, a worker was forced over the edge.

Adams said, "And he was tied in, but he was struck several times in the head and back area."

What's next?

"It will get better in about two weeks," stated Adams.

Antoine added, "We can't wait two weeks."

An aphrodesiac needs to be discovered for pandas!

That is for sure, Jeanne!  The only thing that interests them is bamboo and naps!    

True!!!!  I felt so sad that Tian and Mei at the National Zoo had a false pregnancy.  They are scheduled to return to China at the end of the year.  Folks are already sad about Tai Shan leaving

An aphrodesiac needs to be discovered for pandas!

I like this box set-up!  Gives the kids an early peek at something other than the box.   

It's better in some ways than the "playpen" at the Kodak tower.  There's no four-foot drop to get there, and it's easy to get back to the nest box if needed (for instance, to get out of the rain).  There's also a ramp going down into the alcove below so the eyases can get up and down.

The downside is that there's basically nothing on the south side except a long drop to the ground.  Hopefully when they go off that side it'll be under good wing power.

That's what scares me...the looooong drop off. What's in front of the nest and down....sidewalk..traffic? YIKES. Need some mattresses down there, in case. Trampoline?

makes me nervous too but I keep remembering the Sheraton Toronto.  They are on the 43rd floor so when they are on the ledge, that is how far up they are.

I think she was scrunched in the bottom corner.  I had the same panic

You beat me to it...I was posting at the same time when it came in on my phone.  She's looked out and said "Can't see anything - too much fog!

Exactly Joyce! 

"Hmmm, that's where the people came when we got our ankle bling"

Judi,

Happy birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes I met everyone. It's funny how you get a picture of how someone looks and they turn out to look way different than you expected. It's all good!  I met Joyce,Kathy,Carol, Brian,Dana,Lou,Jim and Marcia previously.  For the first time I saw Jeanne,Lisa McK,Larry and a few others that I can't recall by name.(sorry)    

So nice to meet you!!!!  And glad you came down to watch!

From Rochester Falcon Watcher, Lou C.

Dana and I were asked to take banding day photos from on top of the First Federal building yesterday. Although the building is a bit too far away from a photographic standpoint (sort of like taking someone's portrait from the other end of a football field),  I couldn't say...

Link:
http://rfalconcam.com/falconwatching/?p=528

These are magnificent!

Donna, my memory is shot!

Very cool!

I wonder if he knows about this site?