An exotic seabird that arrived in Los Angeles as a stowaway aboard a ship from Korea is taking an unusual flight home to Hawaii this week having been rehabilitated at International Bird Rescue’s Wildlife Center in Los Angeles.

http://blog.bird-rescue.org/index.php/2011/11/exotic-stowaway-bird-flying-home-from-lax/

[if they're smart, mentioning that $10K reward.]

Animal Cops To Search SF Construction Sites For Red-Tailed Hawk's Shooter

After one of Golden Gate Park's hawks was shot -- in the head! -- by a nail gun, rescuers captured the bird, nursed her back to health and, yesterday, released her back into the Park. But our story's not over yet, as authorities are now on the hunt for the hawk's attacker.

The injured hawk, a female juvenile that is about 6 months old, was first spotted on Oct. 9 in Golden Gate Park with a framing nail lodged in its head, according to Rebecca Dmytryk, director of WildRescue, a Monterey-based wildlife rescue group.

After several days of trying to catch the hawk, members of WildRescue were able to lure it into a wire mesh trap with rats inside, Dmytryk said.

The bird was then transported to the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley in San Jose, and during the trip, the nail fell out of its head, said Anita Templer, the center's director.

Templer said "the bird was traumatized but wanted to eat" once the nail fell out.

Center officials inspected the hawk and found that the nail had pierced its skull but missed vital organs and its breathing cavity, allowing a full recovery.

The bird weighed about 1,180 grams when it arrived at the center and grew to about 1,570 grams, or just under 3.5 pounds, when it was released.

The hawk was brought out in a cage to the main field at the Botanical Gardens where Lt. Le-Ellis Brown from San Francisco Animal Care and Control opened the cage. The bird hesitated for a few seconds before flying out into a nearby tree.

There is a $10,000 reward being offered by WildRescue for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the shooting. Investigators believe the shooting was intentional, but there are no leads in the case, Brown said.

But perhaps some leads will emerge soon -- according to the Ex, Brown plans on running forensic tests on the nail to try to track down the shooter.

"Nails are like bullets," Brown tells the Ex, saying that with the right tests they can determine what kind of nail gun was used. They'll be searching construction sites for that type of nail gun, presumably questioning workers and, if they're smart, mentioning that $10K reward.

The federal Migratory Birds Treaty Act protects red-tailed hawks, and the Ex reports that "harming one is punishable by up to six months prison and a $15,000 fine."

Anyone with information on the shooting is encouraged to call Animal Care and Control's emergency dispatch line at (415) 554-9400.

The Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley is also asking for about $1,000 in donations to recoup the costs of caring for the bird. You can donate to the fund here.

SFAppeal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-XTU8bxTc94#! What goes up..must come down!

S2 spending more time up in the branches getting very close to fledge! Crashed down on parents twice for food arrival, 2nd time had everyone worried because he took 14 minutes to arrive! Enjoy

[Yeah, where is it?]

Yeah, where is it? I'm up the same time as always...6am, (5am according to my PC)! It didn't work!

[So what happened up there in that nest box? Did you clean.....hang out.....sweep....watch Beauty watchin you.....was hoping to see a smiley face on Orville!]

So what happened up there in that nest box? Did you clean.....hang out.....sweep....watch Beauty watchin you.....was hoping to see a smiley face on Orville!  


TAKE PICS????  

We replaced the IR camera on top of Main Camera to restore the ability to stream video from Main Camera's point of view at night.

We also did some cleaning.

Nice and  thanks again!

[Wow, nice feather. I have a Downy Woodpecker too but he hasnot left me any feathers. It is really beautiful! Lola]

Wow, nice feather.  I have a Downy Woodpecker too but he has
not left me any feathers.  It is really beautiful!
             
                   Lola

Looks like a little clown feather! Should be "Clowny" not "Downy"!! 

["It got found somewhere in a Dumpster]

Stolen peregrine falcon found safe in Davis

A peregrine falcon stolen in Rancho Cordova has been recovered in good condition.

The bird - in need of antibiotics because of recent foot surgery - had been taken from a car that was parked overnight Thursday while the falcon's owner waited for freeways to clear so he could drive back home to Reno.

It was in a pet carrier, hooded and with its feet wrapped.


"It got found somewhere in a Dumpster   and some people turned it in to a veterinary clinic in Davis," said Martin Stiasny, the bird's breeder and owner. 

"Supposedly the bird is in good condition," he added.

The bird will be taken to the Roseville bird specialist clinic, where it had been treated for a foot infection.

Stiasny hopes to get the bird back Monday and return to Reno.

Never saw one before! She found it in her backyard! Very cool jeanne!

[So what happened up there in that nest box? Did you clean.....hang out.....sweep....watch Beauty watchin you.....was hoping to see a smiley face on Orville!]

So what happened up there in that nest box? Did you clean.....hang out.....sweep....watch Beauty watchin you.....was hoping to see a smiley face on Orville!  


TAKE PICS???? 

Great news, great video...thanks Alison! 

The cameras are up again.

We will need to take them down again Sunday morning for a few hours.

Thanks!!

Beauty on Mercury!! YAY...thanks

From Brian: Beauty here yelling at peeps at the nest box!! LOL 4:36pm

[Have a great Birthday]

Have a great Birthday

Beauty sings for you!

Rob Kupniewski was attempting to reel in a steelhead Sunday morning from the north face of Dobbins Landing in downtown Erie.

"It was running pretty hard, and it went past the guy next to me and around the corner,'' Kupniewski said.

That's when things got interesting.

In the blink of an eye, Kupniewski, 36, of Erie, watched as a peregrine falcon dived toward the fish, which was about 30 feet from Dobbins Landing.

"It was so fast, I barely saw it,'' said Kupniewski, a lifelong fisherman. "It went from the air to on top of the fish. As soon as the bird hit the water, it became tangled in the line.''

Kupniewski reeled in the bird, then cut his line, losing the fish.

"The bird wasn't hooked,'' Kupniewski said.

The fish line was wrapped around the falcon's wings and body.

Kupniewski put a soft net over the bird and spent about 20 minutes reaching under the net and gently cutting away the line to untangle the falcon.

"I couldn't tell at first if the bird was hurt,'' he said. "I was going to take him to the emergency animal hospital near the (Erie) zoo. I put a jacket over the net so he wouldn't be freaked out.''

Kupniewski estimated his net was 22 inches wide, and that the falcon "pretty much filled it up.''

"He was a big-sized bird,'' Kupniewski said. "My main concern was making sure it was OK. I know there's not a lot of them out there, and it's a beautiful bird.''

Kupniewski said he noticed the bird was banded on both feet.

When Kupniewski removed the jacket that covered the net, he realized the falcon had managed to free itself from the net.

"He hopped around a couple times and took off and flew low over the water,'' Kupniewski said. "Then he flew straight up in the air like a rocket toward the public library.''

Kupniewski does not believe the bird was injured. "There was no blood,'' he said. "His feathers were fine and he looked perfect. He was flying perfect.''

Earlier this year, local birders reported seeing a pair of peregrine falcons hanging out along Erie's bayfront.

The pair has also been seen about and atop the 200-foot smokestack near Blasco Library.

GoErie.com