And I am so glad she showed up again!!  bguitar

 

As I knew you would be! 

Bobbin's back! From this am.

This is interesting.. A raven knows exactly what it's doing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPB2TikKfPA

Lou

Wow!  Very interesting Lou.  What a very brave Raven!
Carol P.

Smart like the crows! Thanks.

December 14 update 

On December 9, the Peregrine Falcon was brought into the clinic for follow-up radiographs.  Dr. Miranda reported that the bird’s right coracoid continues to heal well.

For the past week, the rehabilitation staff has been exercising the peregrine daily.  The bird has been showing great progress in increasing stamina and in her ability to maneuver around obstacles.  The Peregrine Falcon has been showing so much progress that the veterinary team began looking for other ways to condition her and evaluate her flight.   

Dr. Dave McRuer contacted local falconers to see if they would be interested in training the peregrine using falconry techniques. The Wildlife Center is hoping this training strategy will better condition the bird through intense exercise and test the bird’s eye sight and wings as it attempts to capture artificial lures while in flight.

On Monday, December 13, the Peregrine Falcon was transferred to two experienced local falconers – Eva and Andrew King.  At first, the falconers will work with the peregrine indoors with food to establish trust and safety.  They will feed her only during these training sessions while the bird wears jesses and a leash.  At first the distance between bird and falconer will be small; over the course of days to weeks the distance will be increased so that the bird has to fly to the falconer to get food.

Once trust is established and the Peregrine Falcon is successfully flying to each falconer to eat, the training session will be moved outdoors, with the peregrine still on a leash.  Ultimately, the goal is to unleash the falcon so that it can fly freely in the field while still returning to the falconers for food.  While there is always the risk that the peregrine will fly away during these “off-leashâ€� times, the bird’s motivation for food and the known safety associated with the glove will likely bring the bird back to the glove.  This technique has been used by falconers with birds of prey for centuries.

When the bird is routinely flying and  returning to the glove, Eva and Andrew will attach food to a lure; the lure will be moved through the air so that the bird can wheel and dive to catch its food.  This free-flight outdoors will improve the bird’s stamina, build muscle and test the healed shoulder  through repeated stoops, tight turns and lengthy flights — key elements of a peregrine’s survival skills.   

If the Peregrine Falcon passes these  “testsâ€�, she will be ready for release back into the wild.  Falconers routinely train and keep birds of prey for a short time and then return them to the wild, without “imprintingâ€� or other behavioral modification.  The Center believes that this approach provides the best opportunity to build up the falcon’s stamina and to ensure that she will be able to survive, and thrive, in the wild.

Wildlife Center staff is very excited to explore this new relationship with Eva and Andrew.  This process will likely take weeks to months.  Stay tuned for more updates on how this Peregrine Falcon is progressing.

The Wildlife Center depends on the donations of caring individuals for the health care provided to this Peregrine Falcon – and to about 2,500 wild animals in need each year.  Please help!
About Peregrine Falcons

The Peregrine Falcon is a native species to Virginia, once nesting in the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains.  By the early 1960s, the falcon was believed to be extinct as a breeding species in Virginia and all areas east of the Mississippi River — a decline linked to the widespread use of DDT and other chemicals.  A program of peregrine reintroduction began in Virginia in 1978.  There are now about 20 known breeding paris of peregrines in Virginia.

The name “peregrineâ€� derives from the Latin word for “wandererâ€�.  Some falcons that nest in the tundra of northern Canada winter in South America and travel more than 15,000 miles in a single year.  “Island Girl“, a Peregrine Falcon currently being tracked by the Falcon Research Group, left her nesting range on Baffin Island on September 21 and on November 5 was in northern Chile — nearing the end of her migration.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-0WVfj76bo so so funny

Too bad the bus driver didn't do everyone a favor and run over the idiots who put the snowman in the middle of the road.

Exactly Shaky, they could have caused a horrible traffic accident. They should have been arrested.

Cam 1 is very patriotic

Cam stand off

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/12/13/bus-driver-loses-job.html

Bus driver loses job after officials discover video of snowman murder!!

An Illinois bus driver lost their job (or quit, it's not entirely clear) after supervisors at the transit agency viewed this YouTube video of the driver running over a snowman in the middle of a street.

[Down Through the Chimney]

Down Through the Chimney

PATIENT:  Eastern Bluebird, #10-2252

LOCATION OF RESCUE:  Albemarle County, Virginia

CAUSE OF ADMISSION:   Fell down chimney into fireplace

ADMISSION DATE:  December 11, 2010

PROGNOSIS:  Hopefully releasable in 2011

On Saturday December 11, residents in Crozet received an early (and unexpected) Christmas visitor down their chimney—an Eastern Bluebird!  After falling down the chimney and into the lit fireplace, the bird was quickly plucked out and brought to the Wildlife Center.

Eastern BluebirdThe veterinary staff examined the bird and it was found to be in fairly good condition … given that it had landed in a fire.  The bird’s eyes were shut when it first arrived, and its wing and tail feathers were singed.  Dr. Kelly Flaminio flushed the bluebird’s eyes with saline solution and checked for corneal ulcers—fortunately, no ulcers were found.  The bird also received fluids.

Since most of the bird’s flight feathers are singed, the bird will need to remain at the Center until it fully molts–which could take several months.  Thus far, the bluebird is bright and alert and is eating well.  Live mealworms are a particular favorite.

My brother in law Gary took this pic a few minutes ago. It's always in his parking lot at work. He wants to know what it is! Thanks.

Looks like a Red-tail Hawk to me, but I could be wrong.
Carol P.

Thanks Carol, your usually right!

My brother in law Gary took this pic a few minutes ago. It's always in his parking lot at work. He wants to know what it is! Thanks.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/15-ways-to-organize-your-cats 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/cat-confused-by-the-size-of-his-head