(movie)  Looks like Beauty

Osprey Diary August 7, 2010
August 7th, 2010 by rboardman

And very good hello to all. If you will indulge me for a few lines of a song rotating around my mind shortly after our last image of “our� female. This song, in choir, recalls for me a past poignant tribute to a beautiful teen aged woman tragically killed in a car accident. It is credited to Gordon Light and found in the Book of Common Praise, Anglican Church of Canada. Excerpts as follow;

She comes sailing on the wind, her wings flashing in the sun, on a journey just begun, she flies on…

And in the passage of her flight, her song rings out through the night, full of laughter, full of light, she flies on….

Silent waters rocking on the morning of our birth, like an empty cradle waiting to be filled, and from the heart of God the spirit moved upon the earth, like a mother breathing life into her child…

The season, the year continues. Parents efforts are securely planted and two young new creatures have the world ahead. “Our� male solidly continues to do what he has done; care for his offspring. Yes, there must be a sense of separation amongst all of the individuals. Yes, there must be a sense of the unknown. However the skills, health and fine weather that we continue to have boad well for the “our� three resident osprey at the Loch of the Lowes. Rinchen

Gosh, I'll miss that ole gal. I'll be waitin on her next season.

Hey! Whole stole my topic? This is the Sarcastic Fringehead topic, not the freakin' Mink discussion topic. For crying out loud, go get yer own topic! We're talking more 'mink' than 'sarcastic fringehead' here because of you. C'mon - who did it? Fess up.

Lou

OH, noooooo, Lou! Looks like I just "infringed" on your topic!!! Ooops!

Slainte!

Bobbie

Yeah well Bobbie, you better "HEAD" on out of here before Lou wakes up!
 

[McKenzie Banded May 26, 2009 at Etobicoke Sun Life Centre SpottedAugust 06, 2010 - International, National and Local NewsSue McCreadie Reports:Since July 26 Bill and I have been following the goings on of a couple of adults peregrines who have been hanging out on the hydro towers at Brant and Ghent Streets in downtown Burlington, ON. Yesterday I was finally able to see a band number, black band 29 over Y. Mark Nash has advised that this is none other than McKenzie who was banded May 26, 2009 at the Etobicoke Sun Life Centre at Bloor and Islington. The female is unbanded.I wonder if we are going to have a new nesting pair in Burlington, Ont???]

McKenzie Banded May 26, 2009 at Etobicoke Sun Life Centre Spotted
August 06, 2010 - International, National and Local News
Sue McCreadie Reports:

Since July 26 Bill and I have been following the goings on of a couple of adults peregrines who have been hanging out on the hydro towers at Brant and Ghent Streets in downtown Burlington, ON.  Yesterday I was finally able to see a band number, black band 29 over Y.  Mark Nash has advised that this is none other than McKenzie who was banded May 26, 2009 at the Etobicoke Sun Life Centre at Bloor and Islington.  The female is unbanded.

I wonder if we are going to have a new nesting pair in Burlington, Ont???

Quick update from Windsor
August 06, 2010 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Dennis Patrick Reports:

      Well, it’s been a while since we have reported anything so I thought now would be a good time. Our little family of 5 Peregine Falcons are doing quite well. Dennis and I were down by the bridge last weekend. One of the five was sitting on the letters of Ambassador, the children are so big now we couldn’t tell if it was an adult or a youngster. About 15 minutes of just watching one, we heard the noise of the rest of them, wow, the other four of them flew in under the bridge and then the one that was sitting on the sign joined in and away they went again. I am so excited and happy to have 5 Peregrine Falcons here in Windsor it’s amazing. All I can say is keep looking up and you’ll be amazed at what you will see.
      Gwen


!!! Fledge photos. Just dropped in to say hello!
August 05, 2010 - Etobicoke - William Osler
CPF Postmaster Reports:

With a big thank you to Ava St.Onge for her kind words and photos, we’ed like to share some of the conversation with our peregrine supporters. Photos of the little fledgling female on her maiden flight, and one of her first “rest stops�. Funny that this little baby ends up landing on the 4th floor, maternity ward window! Hmmmmm, as fate would have it.

Hello Peregrine Foundation,

I just finished speaking with a lovely gentleman in the parking lot of the William Osler Etobicoke Hospital who explained his purpose for standing near our truck with binoculars. He was watching the activity of a baby falcon who was perched on a building nearby to where we were standing. I explained to him that not even an hour earlier, the same falcon had landed on my sister’s room window ledge (4th floor, maternity ward) and I had taken some pictures; he gave me the web address to send them to you.
I just wanted to say that my husband and I really enjoyed our impromptu conversation with your team member (we didn’t get his name), and learned a lot in 20 minutes! I hope you enjoy the pictures I took, though only a few. (She looks like she posed in one of them!) Keep up the great work of helping (endangered) birds in need… Always a worthwhile cause!

Warmest regards,
Ava St.Onge

http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2010/08/sightings/fledge-photos-just-dropped-in-to-say-hello/  Photos here

!!! The young juvenile female takes her first flights!!
August 05, 2010 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Bruce Massey Reports:

Fledge Day 8
Thursday August 5th:

Arrived @ 1530 Hrs. Still pretty hot, so was quiet for an hour or so, until adult Female (Gray & White, Split Tail (Missing Feather) brought in food & juvinile male popped up & began to eat. After another 1/2 hour of not seeing his sister, I got concerned & started a wide circle search around the property. I worked my way around to the SW side and finally found the juvenile female. She had indeed Fledged and was now on the south side of the Hospital 4 stories up.

All remained quiet and she stayed in that area until her brother buzzed her about 1710 HRS.

Then, one of the adult buzzed her 5-6 times and this got her going! She took off and made one circular flight & gained a few feet, then a 2nd flight that put her out of my sight. By the time I got around to the E side of the Hospital, I saw her glide over to the roof of the Medical Centre. Sure enough both her & her brother spent a 1/2 hour or so together on that roof, and at one point got buzzed a couple times by a Kestrel (Looked to be a Juvenile). Finally little brother got tired of waiting and flew off.

The young female finally got up enough nerve and flew off trying to get back up to the Nest Ledge. She got up 7-8 Floors, did a face plant on the building face, lost altitude and headed back to the Medical Centre. (A good lesson learned). By this time, Dad flew down & joined her and encouraged her back up to 7th Floor Window Ledge were she settled Down for the night. All in all, a good day for both juveniles, especially for the young female, as she learned some important lessons today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bvwx0fl89M Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-03ky-QcUo Part 2

What an amazing looking Eagle.

Actually, I leave home every day, just have a job where I can be on PC too. I watch my brother-in-laws kids all Summer, Winter, Fall & Spring. It's a tough job but someone has to do it. They are great kids and adjusting well to their new home and family.

I still say you should give a special award for all you do for those kids - you are really doing God's work.   

Thanks Janet, they really had a tough life up until now. You would never know by looking at them that they were struggling. Greg and Gary take good care of them and it's like they've been a family forever. It's all good.

Thanks, Donna - no wonder you "never leave home"!

 

Actually, I leave home every day, just have a job where I can be on PC too. I watch my brother-in-laws kids all Summer, Winter, Fall & Spring. It's a tough job but someone has to do it. They are great kids and adjusting well to their new home and family.

Donna, you are right up there with the news from my part of the world! Here's hoping for long and productive lives these latest releases, what with the continuing poisoning... which has happened here in my County Wicklow with the Red Kites. Seems that no matter how much information and support is out there, the poisoning continues. Shame on them.

(BTW - where did you see that piece?)

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/nine-whitetailed-eagles-released-to-boost-numbers-2284715.html  Here ya go Bobbie

MAK/Dan: Archer stoops on small bird, misses. Flew to river, now back on Mercury.

[seven from poisoning.]

NINE white-tailed sea eaglets took to the skies yesterday as a project to reintroduce them to Killarney National Park continues.

So far, 64 white-tailed eagles have been released in Killarney, Co Kerry, 14 of which have died, including seven from poisoning.

This year, 11 protected birds of prey, including three kites, three white-tailed eagles, a golden eagle, three buzzards and a peregrine falcon, have been confirmed poisoned here.

The three white-tailed eagles were poisoned in a four-week period in the Beaufort area near Killarney, close to where they had been released.

Dr Allan Mee of the Golden Eagle Trust, and director of the Killarney project, yesterday said it was likely all three had fed on the same poisoned sheep carcass.

He was still hopeful, however, that the project would be successful, despite setbacks.

Poisoned

There has been strong farmer opposition to the project, amid fears eagles would kill lambs and that stricter regulations would be imposed on farming practices to facilitate the birds.

Farmers are liable to have their EU payments reduced if they are found to have killed protected wild birds such as eagles and red kites.

But, Dr Mee said there was also a huge amount of support for the project and felt what happened in Beaufort was most likely a single incident.

Following a recent meeting with the Irish Farmers' Association, the Irish Creamery and Milk Suppliers Association, Teagasc and other groups, he hoped the situation would improve.

"We must turn things around before next year's lambing season. I'm hopeful the meeting will be the start of a better relationship,'' he said.

Farm organisations have strongly rebutted suggestions the eagles were deliberately poisoned.

Farmer representatives maintain the poisonings were accidental, with the birds consuming substances that are normally put out for foxes, crows and other predators of lambs.

Gardai and the Department of Agriculture and Food are investigating the poisonings and nobody has been prosecuted, as yet.

The latest 22 birds -- 16 male and six female -- have again been donated by the Norwegian wildlife authorities.

Three of the birds have satellite tags that enables their movements to be tracked.

Some of the previously released birds have travelled all over this country and have been traced to parts of Co Antrim, Lough Neagh and the Orkney Islands in Scotland.

MAK/Dan: Archer and Callidora on Mercury. C eating  6:39am

That drawing always amazed me. Dale, you captured the true eyas. Thanks for contributing that design for a T. 

Osprey Diary 6th August
August 6th, 2010 by E Rawling, Perthshire Ranger SWT

  Well folks, it does look like our magnificent lady has left us for the year- it is now almost 48hours since she was last seen at the nest and she has not been seen on the loch either, so we can presume she has begun her annual journey south. The instinct to migrate is incredibly strong and our female is always the first of the family to leave and  interestingly her timing this year is exactly consistent with her average dates- that’s our lady, regular as clockwork!

Spare a thought for her and the hazards she will face on her migration journey as,  like all Scottish ospreys she may have up to 4,000 miles to travel in the next month or so. She will stop, rest and refuel on route, relying on wetlands, estuaries and rivers as vital links in the chain for food and shelter. She will face the dangers of bad weather (particularly Atlantic gales that can blow an osprey out to sea where it cannot survive too long) and desert dust storms; indiscriminate shooting (particularly around the Mediterranean); power lines and rubbish entanglement hazards; and last but not least, shear exhaustion and starvation.If she makes it to her traditional wintering grounds ( the exact location of which are still unknown) she will have just over five months of blissful relaxation before she has to do it all over again to return to us here at Lowes.All of us are wishing her strength, luck and safe journeys, and are lost in admiration for all our birds who make this amazing journey yearly. Ospreys are truly remarkable!Emma Rawling

She has a rough few months ahead of her, I wish her the best and strength to endure, on her trek. 

Well, glad your back in commission Sage. Thanks for the great pic.

You guys are CR "ACK"  N me up!   OK so a Juvie alarm is Ack and an adult is Kak! Very interesting.