Medina, NY.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20110715/NEWS01/110715005/Injured-bald-eagle-mates-reunited

Now that's a romance novel, with a happy ending!! Thanks so much, what a story!! 

He may not be frolicking in the icy wilderness of the Antarctic, but at least he's tucking into some good quality salmon.

Happy Feet, the lost emperor penguin who turned up alone on a New Zealand beach almost a month ago, has been packing on the pounds since he was brought to Wellington Zoo amid fears he would die from eating sand.

The young bird has been feasting on up to two kilograms of high-grade salmon each day - funded through donations from the public and Wellington businessman Gareth Morgan, who chipped in with more than $NZ5000 ($3900).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXO6YjXLMZk# Decorah Juvenile Eagle captured and fitted with a transmitter.

Decorah bald eagle chick is fitted with GPS transmitter

One of three world-famous bald eaglets from a treetop nest in Decorah, Iowa, on Tuesday was banded and fitted with a GPS transmitter that could enable scientists to track its whereabouts for years to come (see the female bird's post-banding release in the video).

Millions of people became enamored with the eaglets and their doting parents, thanks to a high-definition web-cam that spied on them day and night since the chicks emerged from their eggs as in early April.

Now they're as large as their parents, and although they've made their maiden flights they're remaining near the nest and still accepting food from the adult eagles.

Experts with the Raptor Resource Project maintained the web-cam -- and will do so again next season, when new eggs are laid -- as the eaglets and their parents became perhaps the most-scrutinized wild critters on the planet.

Based on the success of Tuesday's operation, project scientists are considering banding and attaching GPS transmitters to all three eaglets "to help us determine where they go and whether or not they survive," reads a statement on the RRP Facebook page.

Realizing that folks have become fond of the eaglets and are concerned about whether the banding might affect their chances of surviving in the wild, the RRP statement added that project manager Bob Anderson thoroughly researched the issue "and was not able to find any evidence that banding affected the survivability or reproductive success of eagles -- a finding supported by our own years of banding young falcons."

Elsewhere in the statement is this passage: "We understand that people are concerned about the eagles and our motivation for banding. However, at our core, we have always been about science, conservation, and education. Banding the eaglet will not harm it and will aid the service of all three areas."

In a recent interview with Pete Thomas Outdoors, Anderson said placing a transmitter on at least one eaglet will allow fans of the birds as well as biologists to track its progress.

"Every day we'll be able to tell the world that this bird is in Missouri, Mississippi or Des Moines," Anderson said. "We will have a website that will follow this bird for years to come. The most common question I get is, 'What happens to the babies,' so we're going to try to answer that question."

The RRP will soon provide a link on its Facebook page that will allow viewers to track the newly-banded eaglet's movements via Google maps.

Harlie has been doing some ledge running this am.

I feel bad for Kendal, the poor guy is going to need therapy soon! 

The part of the Harlequin romance that never makes it into the book.

  No, those chapters are continued in Steven King Novels!    Hope Kendal don't snap!!

Four peregrine falcon chicks were retrieved from a nesting box on top of Great River Energy’s scrubber stack after hatching June 19 and 20.

Bob Anderson of Raptor Resource and Great River Energy administrative assistant Brenda Hoskyns went up in a cherry picker to get the chicks.

Once on the ground they banded two females and two males, recording the information on the birds that included names, sex and weight.

The two males were named Wayne and Hanson after Great River employee Wayne Hanson who recently died after a sudden illness.

Salk Middle School students named the females. They had been following the nesting site via an online Web cam.

Skye was chosen for one female, while Hoskyns named the other Elisabeth after Salk student Elisabeth King, who was present to witness the banding.

Nearly three weeks old at the time of the banding, the female chicks weighed approximately 24 ounces and the males slightly less.

This year’s chicks are a month later than usual.

The original nesting female had laid four eggs, but she was killed by an unknown predator and her eggs went unattended while the male sought a new mate.

Those eggs, no longer viable, had to be removed from the nest once the male returned with a new female.
So far, 17 falcons have fledged from the Elk River Great River Energy nesting site.




Star News

An endangered peregrine falcon is back on her perch atop the Assurant building in Rapid City after police rescued the raptor early Wednesday morning.

Athena is one of 20 peregrine falcons housed on the roof of the building as part of a program to re-establish the falcon population in Rapid City. Athena had not yet taken her first flight, but sometime Tuesday, the bird blew off of the roof. An Assurant employee working late spotted her on the ground and called police.

Senior officer Richard Holt was patrolling the area with officer Dan Mertz, an officer in training, and together they rescued Athena and held her until raptor biologist Janie Fink arrived.

"As a police officer, I have been called upon to do many unique tasks," Holt said. "This was one of the most interesting. When I arrived, I recognized the bird as an incredible animal and one not commonly found in the Black Hills. Even though saving a raptor falls far outside our typical duties, I knew it was important for us to do our best in helping to save the bird. I am glad we were able to help, and this will always be a call I will remember.

  YOW!!!! Poor dog!

I feel bad for Kendal, the poor guy is going to need therapy soon! 

If you see Cody, a Long Ear Owl, give him a hug for me please. Kris had adopted him for me last year.
I wished that I could join you, but it is impossible this year. Watch for me next year ! ! ! !
Have a good weekend.
Nicole

Cody is the 1st Owl you see when going to the other outdoor cages. He's a cutie also!

Went for a long walk today and passed through Sheraton peregrine territory.  Saw three peregrines way, way overhead, soaring around, chasing each other, doing stoops, apparently just having fun while learning!  They were too far away to identify, but feel like they were Sunshine, Kate and Cinnamon!  Definitely the right sizes!!  It was wonderful to watch!!

Anne in Toronto

  so happy for them!!

OMG, poor Kendal has a nagging wife!! If Mark is shocked, well then! 

Looking for falcons!

(Was just thinking, where the heck is Jim P?) Did he move?

He is on vacation in Hawaii.

Paul

For months?!!! I knew he went to Hawaii, wasn't that a few weeks ago? Nice!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP8ZbTDX6ik&feature=player_embedded#at=209 This should happen every day. Hmm