Hard to tell who's who from this distance.

At first I didn't think this was a falcon as it stood dormant for over an hour. Then it moved. Quest or Kendal.

Where's the camera guy?

OK...so I return to work to both all my work that didn't get done Thurs & Fri as well as the work of someone who's on vacation this week...might as well set up a cot here...

Only one picture is ready to share so far...



...a hug from Barf!

Oh and isn't he stunning!! Why is it that I fell in  with a Turkey Vulture!!!! I did. Thanks Ei, what a great pic.  Enjoy your

http://www.wftv.com/news/28581387/detail.html Sure, just say how much a swan is worth so someone else can go steal one and sell it! News...they cause more trouble!

AN eagle has been banned from Taronga Zoo's bird show after it attacked a toddler.

The 18-month-year-old boy suffered a gash to his head when Nomani the wedge-tailed eagle flew off course during a freeflight bird show on Saturday afternoon.

The boy was taken to Royal North Shore Hospital and released with "superficial injuries" later that day.

A zoo spokeswoman said it was the first time in three years of performances the eagle had pounced on someone.

Nomani will not be destroyed, but will never again be flown in public.



News.com.au

Archer and dirty feet

Toronto Don Mills - Harlie screaming to be heard
July 18, 2011 - Toronto - Don Mills
Ann Brokelman Reports:

Report by Ken and Barb Rippon

Ken and I had just parked the car in the side lot at 7:50 p.m. tonight and around the corner (I gather from the roof top) came Harlie, screaming her head off.  She tried to land on a window ledge of 245 (the coppery bldg.), but there was no ledge there, so she managed somehow to turn and keep going  to the corner of 240, where she seemed content.
No sign of Kendal and Quest - I guess out hunting.
Barb

[BEND, Ore. -- He’s still not out of the woods, so to speak, but a badly injured bald eagle is still recovering well, a Bend veterinarian said Friday – despite a scare two days ago in which he had to perform mouth-to-beak CPR on the raptor, newly named “Patriot.�]

http://www.ktvz.com/news/28568847/detail.html  Raptor, Newly Named 'Patriot,' Doing Better; Fate Uncertain (continued)

BEND, Ore. -- He’s still not out of the woods, so to speak, but a badly injured bald eagle is still recovering well, a Bend veterinarian said Friday – despite a scare two days ago in which he had to perform mouth-to-beak CPR on the raptor, newly named “Patriot.�

Paddling penguin

Happy Feet, the bewildered Emperor penguin who took a 2,000-mile wrong turn and ended up in New Zealand last month, is a boy. Didn't you just know it?

Wellington Zoo officials say DNA tests confirmed the suspicions.

Officials still haven't figured out how they're going to transport him back to the ocean near the Antarctic. In the meantime, he's getting fat and sassy at the zoo.

Now that his belly has been cleared of the sand and sticks he ate on the beach, he's feasting on more than 4 pounds of salmon every day, thanks to public donations.

Happy Feet has gained 6 pounds since he was rescued. And he's getting feisty.

"When the vet grabs him for medication ... he's fighting a lot more. He's really looking good," said zoo spokeswoman Kate Baker.

It’s a family tree that would make the Brady Bunch blush. Three parents, 10 kids and one unhatched egg.

Although this family sounds dysfunctional, it is loved by many local birders.

The proud peregrine falcons parents — Terminator, the mother, and Roosevelt, the father — are back and added three more babies to their growing family history.

The three new falcons, Eve, Beverly and Ansell, are now learning to fly near their home at the UND water tower.

“They are now roaming around a little bit, and flying pretty well,� local birder Dave Lambeth said. “The first few days are critical because they have way more speed than they know how to handle.�

The three eggs hatched about June 5, although there was also one egg that went undeveloped and didn’t hatch, according to Tim Driscoll, the director for the Urban Raptor Research Project.

He named the new falcons and banded them in late June, after they had matured to the point where he could tell their sex. The banding process helps to identify them once they start to migrate in the fall.

There are two females — Eve, named after a local birder, and Beverly, named after a friend of Dricoll’s who died in a bicycle accident in 2005. The one male was named Ansell, named after Driscoll’s father.

“I do feel a little bit selfish picking them,� he said. Driscoll said next year there might be a contest if the parents return to Grand Forks to breed again.

The birds are working on flight lessons and soon will learn to hunt, Driscoll said. In their early stages of flight, Driscoll said he’s witnessed birds of this sort chasing butterflies or doing other silly activities.

“It's doubtful they can hunt on their own yet. It's a slow process,� he said. “They look like a young, dumb teenager. But they get better. They get better at flying and hunting.�

He expects the babies to be out of the home and migrating by September, with Roosevelt staying as late as October.

Storied past

Terminator arrived in Grand Forks from Brandon, Man., four years ago with a male falcon named Bear, from Fargo. They laid a few eggs, but only one hatched. The only child was named Ozzie, after James W. “Ozzie� Osmundson, who painted the wink on the smiling face tower, where the birds used to call home.

The young, fledgling Ozzie eventually died, taking one of his first flights into electrical wires.

When Terminator returned the following year she had a new mate — Roosevelt, one of Bear’s brothers. Driscoll said he assumes Bear to be dead, since he didn’t return with Terminator after their first hatch.

Since then, Roosevelt and Terminator have had nine babies, including the three hatched this year.

With the new babies fledged and flying about, Driscoll said the maturing process can be long and tough.

“Their landing is basically a crash landing into a railroad car or into a building or something,� he said. “Ozzie was just downright unlucky."

GrandForksHerald

[was returned to her perch on the roof of the Assurant building.]

A peregrine falcon was rescued by Rapid City Police after wind blew the endangered bird to the ground last week. Officers Richard Holt and Dan Mertz rescued the bird and held her until raptor biologist Janie Fink arrived.

The rescued bird - one of 20 that are part of a program to re-establish the falcon population in Rapid City - was returned to her perch on the roof of the Assurant building.

Maybe even have babies next year. Hey, Savanah and Derek do it! 

Maybe Harlie, just now. 7:57pm

[Eagle Love Story]

And they made it to NPR All Things Considered (text posted, audio available later this evening)

Eagle Love Story

I absolutely love this story. I hope they let us follow their time together.

[Queest, Kendal and Baby H looking to take a room at the Westin hotel?July 16, 2011 - Toronto - Don MillsBruce Massey Reports:]

Queest, Kendal and Baby H looking to take a room at the Westin hotel?
July 16, 2011 - Toronto - Don Mills
Bruce Massey Reports:

Saturday July 16th - 2011 Updated Report
Because of the High heat & humidity I went home for a few hours. I arrived @ the Don Mills site a little after 1700 Hrs. There was nothing visible in the immediate area of the Nest Building so I went on a walk about. I found 2 Falcons on the Westin Hotel and as I somehow had a feeling the 2 birds turned out to be Quest & Harley. As I was walking South on Don Mills, there was a lull in the traffic and I could hear Harley screaming @ that Distance.
It was at that time I decided to approach Staff @ the Hotel & introduce myself. I spoke to the Chief of Security
Took him outside, showed him the Birds, and Harley even gave a demo of the unsolicited Wake up call a few of the guests may get @ 0500 Hrs if Harley decides to spend the night. Around 1900 Hrs Harley did a beautiful flat Glide back to the area of the Nest Building and I found her on the North East corner of the Harlequin Building. After around 1/2 an hour she flew over and finished the portion of meat she had found yesterday. After another 1/2 hour she headed back in the direction of the hotel, but soon returned to the Nest Building area noisily chasing Quest. They circled the buildings several times and Harley was on the North East corner of 240, Quest on the West Side of the same Building. About 15 Minutes later Harley announced her presence on the North West corner of 255.

No sign of Kendall until I just started typing that in. He appeared on roof of Harlequin with Food, Quest chastised him and as he flew North he was pursued by Harley. After things had quieted down, no sign of Kendall, Harley eating on the top North West Ledge of 240. And Quest on North Face of Harlequin.

Thanx Bruce
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Baby H is doing very well indeed!
July 16, 2011 - Toronto - Don Mills
Bruce Massey Reports:

Saturday July 16th - 2011

MidDay Report:

Arrived @ around 1400 Hrs. Harley was briefly on the West side of 240 Duncan Mills & then flew over to the East side of 220. Thirty or forty five minutes later Quest flew in from the West and landed on the same side as Harley. Caroline dropped by and then both the birds disappeared in about 30 seconds as we were catching up with what had happened over the Day.

Anne covered the next hours in her Update (See “Harley Finding�). About the only thing I would add is that it was about 2.5 Hours before Quest came back. During this time Harley amused herself by flying around the 4 main buildings. I must say that she definitely has a smart head on her shoulders, she doesn’t force a landing, if she can’t make it, she will abort and try again.

To illustrate the above point, at the end of those 2.5 Hrs Mom brought in some food and landed on the Nest Building’s. SE Corner. Harley, attempted to land, was unsuccessful and recovered and landed just North at the same level. After watching her mom eat in front of her, she figured she had to fly out over the street to make a successful landing to be fed by Mom.

Again Mom disappeared between the Harlequin & 255 Duncan. After a momentary lapse in concentration, Harley also dissappeared. Given, that she seemed to be prone to following her parents I went in Southerly Direction. I found a bird over on the East side of the Westin and in taking a short cut to the rear of the Westin Property I determined it was Quest. I had a moment when I heard several Robins Alarm calling. It might have been “GROUND HOGZILLA� (A 20-25 Lb Ground Hog) that was in the Vicinity. However, once I got to the rear of the Westin & looked to the SW facade of the Thales Building I found Harley at the Top Roof Level. After I went back to tell Caroline where she was and Mark and Marion arrived we set up to watch if she returned, or attempted to fly to the Westin Hotel. We also @ one point also saw Kendal join Quest on the Hotel. She eventually did fly back to the vicinity of the Nest Building. Mom followed soon after, and I left soon after that.
Bruce

Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Everyone still visible and on territory.
July 17, 2011 - Toronto - Don Mills
CPF Postmaster Reports:

Sunday July 17th - 2011
Dropped in at 7:30 pm and left at 8:15 pm.
When I arrived there was either Kendal or Baby H. on the north-west corner on top of the Harlequin building. He/she moved next door and stood on the south-east top corner, flew around with Quest and then out of sight. Quest landed on the 255 and stayed there.

When I left, Quest was at the north-east corner – top railing at 255 Duncan mill, looking south. She had her antenna and no ruffled feathers as we have seen in the last few days.
Caroline Luce.