http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89Kz8Nxb-Bg&feature=email   bguitar

Pic from just now....poor gal. She'll do fine. Snow just started here, 1 to 3 is all we expect. Janet and others in that area.....Good luck.

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A steady snow will continue to fall through the overnight hours. Cloudy with temperatures steady or falling to near 24F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 95%. Snowfall of 2 to 3 inches through 4am. 

Ahhh, this is baby stuff.

Feb 4, 2010 - Two adults - a regular day...

Every morning so far this week, two adult falcons are being seen at the south end of the property. They seem to prefer the south end for some reason, not sure how much time they're spending at the regular nest ledge area but I'm personally not seeing them there much.

New regulations protecting the habitat of several of Ontario’s endangered species, including the peregrine falcon, take effect later this month.

The Ministry of Natural Resources Thursday hosted an open house at the Victoria Inn to share the new regulations with the public and let them know what this could mean for individuals and what can be done to protect the peregrine falcon.

Manager of protection and species at risk Jason Travers said the rules were developed to ensure peregrines are sustained across Ontario’s landscape since the bird is found in both urban and natural environments.

"They nest all over the place in terms of cliff faces in Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury and even in Ottawa and Toronto, you can find them on hotel buildings in downtown," he said. "Those are actually protected as well under the regulations, not just the natural cliff faces you might find in Thunder Bay. Anywhere you find the peregrine falcon, they’re protected."

While the falcon’s habitat is protected, that doesn’t mean people can’t do regular activities in those areas, Travers said.

"It doesn’t mean you can’t re-shingle your roof or put an addition on your house; it just means big items within that area including any activity that’s sort of larger than your space you might occupy already," he said. "It’s about when you change the landscape significantly."

The regulations mean you can’t damage or destroy the habitat, but that can be different depending on the location.

"These sessions are happening across Ontario to work with all affected individuals or interested folks because one activity might not have the same impact in the same location on the same type of species," Travers said.

"It’s about the big pieces," he added. "The little things about what you’re doing around your house or in terms of farming, that’s not the issue."

For more information see the MNR website.

IN ANCIENT ROME there was a group of religious officials called augurs, whose job was to interpret the opinion of the gods on important decisions, something they did by studying the behaviour of birds, especially eagles, hawks and falcons.

Their role is dramatised in Robert Graves’s classic book I Claudius , when a wounded eagle falls from the sky in front of the eponymous hero. The augurs interpret this to mean that the stuttering, limping Claudius must become emperor and save Rome.

And like many accurate predictions before and since, this one is ignored, because everybody thinks Claudius is an idiot.

The world has moved on since Roman times. But the notion that bird behaviour might have supernatural significance lingers to this day. Christian iconography continues to give doves a role in blessing important events. More profanely, humans on the receiving end of falling bird manure are said to be assured “good luck�.

And we still speak of “inaugurations� and “inaugural� events: terms that go all the way back to those priests who studied bird movements (no pun intended) before pronouncing on the prospects of a public enterprise.

I MENTION all of this only by way of prelude to wondering aloud whether there is any significance, good or bad, in reports that there is a peregrine falcon nesting on the roof of the Central Bank in Dublin.

Probably not, is the answer. Falcons like to nest in precipitous places, whether cliffs or tall buildings: because that’s where they can best exploit their superb eyesight and their awe-inspiring dive speeds which, at 200 miles an hour, make them the fastest animals on Earth.

Even so. According to Birdwatch Ireland’s website, the first sightings of the Central Bank bird were in late 2007; which in retrospect seems ominous. Whatever about the falcon, the Irish banking system went over a cliff soon afterwards, and the diving speed of property prices has been inspiring awe in onlookers ever since.

No matter that nesting on tall buildings is typical of falcons. Given the importance of this particular building, the ancients would have called in the augurs. Then they would have sought a second opinion from that other class of Roman diviners, the haruspices, who specialised in studying the entrails of sacrificed animals, from which they too thought they could interpret the will of the gods.

(Modern-day consultants arguably continue the haruspices’ line of work. Indeed, the mockery they sometimes have to endure is not new either. Even by later Roman times, entrail-studiers had fallen into disrepute among educated classes. Cato the Elder is recorded as wondering how one haruspex could look at another without laughing.) Reports that the Central Bank falcon has been adding to Temple Bar’s problems with fast-food packaging – in this case by dropping the carcases of small birds – seems somehow portentous too.

Augurs would probably need more detail about the locations. But putting myself in their shoes, I would say that if a dead bird fell at the rear of the bank, on Cope Street, it could be a message of qualified hope to the Irish people: ie that we must manage as best we can until we turn the corner, from Cope Street to somewhere else.

Whereas if the bird fell at the eastern side of the bank, on Anglesea Street, it could be a more worrying sign. Apart from anything else, it might hit an already-nervous trader entering the Irish Stock Exchange, thereby triggering market panic, and setting the recovery back years.

IF YOU still doubt the lingering power of Roman augury, consider another word we use in everyday English: “auspicious�. This too comes to us via the augurs: from “avis� meaning “bird� and “specere�, “to observe�.

Thus the original “auspices� were omens so derived. And the phrase “under the auspices of� also has supernatural origins; although it now features mostly in discussions about public bodies. One recent usage, for example, was an Irish Times Editorial about Nama, in which we warned against secrecy about the value of properties paid for by the taxpayer, “under its auspices�.

In these circumstances, I make no apology for considering the name of the man appointed to lead one of the inquiries into Ireland’s banking crisis – Klaus Regling – very auspicious: even though it was hardly a factor in the Government’s choice.

My German is not extensive, so I’m indebted to alert reader Jake Walsh for explaining Mr Regling’s nominative significance as he attempts to mop up after an era of financial laxity. “In case you’re not aware,� Jake writes, “Regel in German means rule, regeln is the verb ‘to rule’, regler means regulator and closest of all, regelung , is a regulation or settlement. Apt or what?� Apt indeed. In fact, maybe this was the message of the peregrine falcon. “Peregrine� meaning “foreign�, or “imported from abroad�, perhaps our feathered friend was emphasising the need to look overseas for someone to lead the bank inquiry.

And while we’re on the subject, how should we interpret news of the imminent return to Ireland of another peregrinating bird: RTÉ’s Charlie? No, I don’t know what it means either. But I recall that one of the veteran journalist’s greatest exposés was a bank scandal involving a Fianna Fáil TD. If Mr Regling believes in auspices, maybe he should inaugurate his Irish investigation by giving Charlie a job.

2010-02-05 10:18

A peregrine falcon identified by bird-watchers by the name of Piri has returned to Budapest for the winter and a second peregrine has also been observed, the Hungarian Ornithology and Nature Conservation Society said on Thursday.

Piri used to spend winters in Budapest, finding shelter on the Saint Stephen Basilica in central Budapest, but had not been seen since 2005. The bird was now spotted again, near the parliament building on January 29, and its night shelter has been found on the Basilica.
A second peregrine has also been observed and identified as a young female born in 2009.
It is not unusual that peregrines move to cities for the winter where they can easily feed with pigeons and other small birds. They usually search for prey from a high perch or from the air and can dive at speeds above 300 kms per hour.
An estimated twenty pairs of peregrines are nesting in Hungary and there are returning birds in several Hungarian cities, including Debrecen, Szeged, Tata and Gyor.

The Village of Croton and Teatown Lake Reservation have installed a web cam at the boat ramp where I regularly watch the eagles.  Here is the link:

http://www.crotononhudson-ny.gov/Public_Documents/index

I am so excited about this.  I have no clue (well, almost) about where they put it.  I can't see it from where I watch.  Dedication is Sat, 2/6.

Nice Bonnie...remember to  . Oh it's just another of the many tabs I have open. Thanks.

I have faith in this pair, Alison.  They rode out a similar storm last year just as the eggs were hatching...



Both eaglets hatched surrounded by snow...

I remember that Ei and we were all saying name it SNOWFLAKE or SNOWBALL!!!

[Don't forget to send your "Snow" pictures for the contest!! More information in the first post here.]

Don't forget to send your "Snow" pictures for the contest!!
    More information in the first post here.

Well this weekend will be a good time to take some GOOD

This is very sad for both Mei Lan and Tai Shan.  Forced breeding, indoctrination, cramped quarters-sounds like a puppy mill. 

Bring them all over here at least we love them and take good care of them....this is very sad.

I'm glad he's back.  This makes me wonder more about Kaver. Is he out there, is he alive, did he try and come back last year, did A & B chase him out? Unless he tries to come back this year, I'm afraid we'll never know. It's not getting any easier missing Kaver, it's getting worse. Now my concerns are on Mariah, what the heck will happen this season?

I am sorry to say I think something happened to him.  Remember right after he disappeared at the end of 2008, Mariah was hanging out in all the places Kaver usually did where she didn't usually go. Also they did no pair bonding (that we could see) before he vanished. I think she was looking for him. I really don't think he would have left her for another female. He didn't come back because he couldn't. I wish I was wrong but that is the way I feel. I miss him. He was the best.

Now I am conflicted. I want Mariah to come back but I am also afraid she will (and get hurt again). is there a smilie biting his nails all worried?

I really feel the same about Kaver, (just in denial) over it. It's heartbreaking, he was such a LOVE.
As far as Mariah goes....I shudder to think.   

You are welcome.....but aliens would of been more fun. 

A few years ago Lisa McK and I saw a UFO hovering above the Kodak Tower, while on Watch.  It had just turned dark........................... We don't like to talk about it.   

   Say WHAT?    ???

Bald cypress are found in Pocomoke State Park near Snow Hill in Worcester County, MD. Residents of bald cypress swamps include the river otter. Residents of bald cypress swamps include the Kentucky warbler.

Towering over coffee-colored waters, a majestic tree, the bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), dominates isolated swamps of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Although more common to swamps in the Southeast, stands of bald cypress can still be found in parts of Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Inhabiting areas too wet for many other tree species, the bald cypress catches attention with its buttressed trunk and odd knobby "knees."

A member of the redwood family, the bald cypress has needles and cones, but is not an evergreen. A deciduous tree, its needles turn brown in autumn and fall off by winter giving the tree its common name, bald cypress.

Their featherlike appearance is produced by the flattened needles. The reddish brown to gray bark is stringy and flakes away from wood, peeling off in strips. Flowers are borne on round cones.

Growing up to 150 feet high, very old bald cypress may reach a diameter of 10 feet or more. More often, they approach 120 feet high and are 3-5 feet in diameter.

Adapted to swamp life, bald cypress trunks widen at the base to provide additional support in the soft, wet soil. Shallow roots spread out from the base of the trunk. Where water stands during part of the year, roots develop into elongated "knees" that grow above the mud and correspond to the high water level. The knees help to anchor the tree and may aid in respiration. The hollow knees usually die if the water is permanently drained

Because they do not produce seeds every year, bald cypress trees must be long-lived to reproduce. Conditions must be just right for a seed to develop into a tree. Seeds must set down on a hummock, a knoll of land that remains moist, but not flooded, for three to five years in order for the sprout to grow into a thriving seedling. Seeds are dispersed by wind and water.

Bald cypress wood is valued for both interior and exterior building materials. The heartwood is durable, even when it comes in contact with the soil or if exposed to the elements. Bald cypress wood is very resistant to most insects and rot. Because of the wood's durability, large tracts of cypress swamps, from Virginia south to Texas, have been logged.

Bald cypress often share the swampy landscape with other water-tolerant tree species such as black gum, sweet gum, red maple and a variety of oaks and hickories.

In the understory, look for persimmon, sweet pepper bush, swamp azalea and southern arrowwood. Lichens and mosses may add a soft coat to trunks and logs. Open water supports both floating and submerged plants

These forested swamps provide homes for wading birds like herons and egrets, and waterfowl like mallards and wood ducks. Many songbirds-the Kentucky warbler, hooded warbler, prothonotary warbler, yellow-throated warbler, ovenbird, Louisiana waterthrush and yellow-breasted chat-depend on these swamps for migratory and breeding habitat. Cavity nesters, like woodpeckers and owls, are right at home here.

Temporary pools are excellent breeding grounds for frogs, toads and salamanders. Snakes and turtles take advantage of both aquatic and terrestrial environments. Even fish find both food and refuge among the twisted submerged roots. Muskrat, raccoons and otter are a few of the mammals that live in these forested wetlands.

There are still some areas within the Chesapeake Bay watershed where you can find bald cypress swamps. Explore and enjoy!

HOPKINTON —

 Dr. Margo Roman, founder of Main St. Animal Services of Hopkinton (MASH), was alarmed to find a fire truck blocking the driveway to her veterinary practice on West Main Street last Wednesday morning.

"I thought something was terribly wrong," she said.

Inside, she found firefighters and an injured bird. The truck was returning from a call and saw a red-tailed hawk dive-bomb into the fender of a car. They called police and animal control.

"They grabbed the bird and rushed it here," Roman said.

"We have such caring officers in this town," she said.

This time, Roman said, they went beyond the norm.

"That, to me, was amazing, overwhelming actually," she said.

The bird was in shock, eyes swollen shut, suffering head trauma. It couldn't hold its head up, seemed unstable, and rocked back and forth, indicating inner ear damage. Its wings and legs were bruised, but not broken.

Hopkinton's animal control officer initially planned to take the bird to Tufts.

"I asked him to leave it with me," Roman said.

Roman is a veterinarian who offers more than the standard fare, including homeopathic medicine. She was confident the raptor, whom she named Haiti, could be treated with less invasive methods than traditional medicine.

"This was an opportunity to show the possibilities," Roman said.

Care began immediately, starting with the herbal remedies Aconite and Arnica for shock, swelling, bruising and pain. Haiti's eyes were misted with lavender in water, which relieves pain, and oxygenated water, which speeds healing. The bird was given reiki by local practitioners.

Within 24 hours the swelling in one eye was reduced by 90 percent, and Haiti started accepting food and water.

The right eye, however, remained swollen shut so Roman continued flushing it with oxygenated water. In addition, Haiti was given oxygenated water to drink. All organs in a body heal faster when oxygenated, Roman said.

"Homeopathy is excellent for head injury and ozone therapy allows oxygen to pass into the blood brain barrier and brings down swelling. If you give the body ways to heal itself, it will heal itself," Roman said.

The "beauty" of ozone therapy, Roman noted, is it's inexpensive. For $100 you can treat 75 patients, she said.

Six days later, Haiti is almost fully recovered, eagerly eating beaten organic egg from a dropper and indicating by restlessness bordering on anger that the bird is ready for release. That will happen within a day or two.

The raptor's sex is unknown.

Why the name Haiti?

MASH participated in a fund raiser last Saturday for the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) to benefit Haitian animals. More than 1.5 million animals were affected by the earthquake in Haiti and WSPA wants to raise $1.2 million to help those animals.

MASH raised $1,200 for WSPA by having clients write checks to WSPA rather than paying the veterinarians and technicians for their time. Roman challenges other clinics to do the same.

"The hope is that other veterinary clinics and animal care providers will do the outreach and donate a day at work to help the helpless animals in Haiti. The funds for WSPA will be joined together with other animal welfare groups," Roman said.

And she also hopes that the care brought to Haitian animals will include alternative integrated treatment.

To read more about Dr. Margo Roman, MASH and veterinary care, go to www.mashvet.com. To learn more about WSPA, go to www.wspausa.org. To learn about an educational program launched by MASH and its veterinary holistic care center, go to www.drdomore.com.

Roman wasn't surprised by the response.