http://youtu.be/2YSxPgquZLs

15th October. After a long day for the seaglets and S3 spending the night with Dr Stacey the vet, mum returns to nest with dinner and can't quite understand where her missing baby is? Up, down and all around, looking at S4 "what have you done with S3?".

[Too bad there weren't any iPhones or iPads back then.]

I had webcams that were doing something like this with my backyard feeders and birdbath 13 years ago. From any computer on the Internet I could even remotely control the water flow on the dripper/refill tube attached to the birdbath. Too bad there weren't any iPhones or iPads back then.

Now there is, so you can start it up again, with a camera. 

The Camera Bag: Capture close-up photos of birds with this feeder that doubles as a remote camera.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/10/16/the-camera-bag-capture-close-up-photos-of-birds-with-this-feeder-that-doubl  Pretty cool!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/591095948/bird-photo-booth-experience-nature-like-never-befo

TX: New citizen science initiative
inviting Texas residents and visitors
to help collect sightings of whoopers.

http://www.brownwoodnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9990:whooping-crane-migration-watch-gets-under-way&catid=40:outdoors&Itemid=63

Illinois

http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=209090

Meet Annette Prince, a suburban speech pathologist who doubles as the commandant of 100 volunteers who wake up hours early during the fall to scrape warblers and sparrows off the pavement. About a dozen of the monitors are on patrol each morning during migration.

[The nest box will be returned back to the ledge no later than December 31st - 2012]

!!! Some great camera screen shots of Quest and Kendal
October 12, 2012 - Toronto - Don Mills

CPF Postmaster Reports:

Friday Oct. 12th - 2012 Continued
Again thanks to Nona for the great screen shots of Quest involved in a leisurely afternoon in the nest box tidying up and re-arranging things. After spending an afternoon of nest box maintenance, Quest takes and opportunity to capitalize on the warm sun light that has absent for the last week given all of the rain and overcast conditions that we’ve all had to deal with.

Kendal visited several times throughout the day, roosted outside of the nest box but only stayed a short time during each of the visits.

At this time, it appears that all of the mortar work on the south side of the nest building (the same side of the building that Quest and Kendal have been nesting on) is all but completed, with the exception of the nest box ledge itself. We can expect to see the nest box removed soon as they will have to complete the repairs to this final ledge very soon.

Approved by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, the nest box will be temporarily removed from its place on the ledge during the final stages of the work on this ledge to allow the ledge repairs to be completed.

We have already observed the ledge repair process up until this point. There is ledge prepped - (scraped, cleaned and finally swept clean), than the application of the new mortar. It would appear that some of the ledges are then covered with a mortar paint type sealer that can only be applied once the mortar has finally dried. * (See attached photos of the processes).

The good news is that the ledge prep and mortar application is easily completed in less than two hours per section. Application of a sealer to the dried mortar takes less time again.

We are to understand that the final application of aluminum work will also be done on all elevations of the building, and is the final step.

So far, Quest and Kendal have handled all of the on-going construction activities, (cranes, lifts, jack-hammering and other human activities) going on around the nest ledge over the past month just fine.

It will be most interesting to see just how Quest and Kendal will react to the nest box having been removed. As you might expect, the process is being monitored very closely by all to ensure that the peregrines are not hurt or harassed during the ongoing processes.

The nest box will be returned back to the ledge no later than December 31st - 2012 WOW!!!! I thought like this week!

Given what has already been documented of the ledge work, it is very likely that the aluminum work needed on the nest ledge itself will be the first that they do, so that the nest box can be returned back the ledge much sooner than December.

Stay tuned…………..

!!! Both Adults on Site Today
October 16, 2012 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre

Kathy Reports:

Heard and saw both Jack and O’connor today up on the ledge.  There was some nest box chupping and bonding going on and he stuck around until at least lunch time hanging out on the ledge beneath her.  She was on her new favorite perch as always, preening away in the sunshine.

Last week when Jack was around I did see them both take off after a bird in the distance - it was too far to tell what it was but they obviously saw it as a threat as O’connor  kacked up a storm as they both flew out to give an escort out of the territory.

Otherwise it’s been relatively quiet and peaceful for our resident pair.

!!! Mortar work on the south building elevation is almost completed!
October 12, 2012 - Toronto - Don Mills

CPF Postmaster Reports:

Friday Oct. 12th - 2012
At the close of today, it appears that the final mortar work to be completed on the south building elevation (the same side of the building where the peregrines have been nesting for the past two years) is the nest ledge itself.

Observations gathered have shown that the contractors doing the work are very quick indeed, as they were able to complete a single section - (top to bottom, end to end, side to side, inside pillar to pillar including the back wall above and below the windows, overhang and ledge base) in less than two hours! This included the time needed to return back to the ground level to get more mortar and return back to the ledge to finish!

Its nice to see that the building management has agreed to hold off doing the actual nest ledge repairs until the very last.

We can expect to see the nest box temporarily removed from the nest ledge so that the contractors can complete the necessary repairs.

Stay tuned……….

http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2012/10/sightings/mortar-work-on-the-south-building-elevation-is-almost-completed/  pics here


!!! Nest box removed to facilitate ledge repairs.
October 15, 2012 - Toronto - Don Mills

CPF Postmaster Reports:

Monday Oct. 15th - 2012
As we have been expecting, the nest box has been removed from the nest ledge at the 220 Duncan Mill Road nest site to facilitate the ledge repairs.

By 9am this morning, the nest box had already been removed from the nest ledge in an effort to facilitate the mortar work needed to be done on the nest ledge itself. Over the past two months, the building has been under construction with repairs needed on all elevations of the building.

Quest was observed late morning in several “fly-byes’ obviously reviewing the situation. At no point were the workmen stooped during the mortar application and it appears that all went well.

The next serious of camera screen shots, (thank you again Nona), shows one of the workmen doing the mortar application, and in a final shot, the entire nest ledge having been completely mortar finished. Now of course the drying process.

By days end, it would appear that almost all of the ledges on the south elevation have been mortared and this part of the work is almost completed.
Stay tuned……..

http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2012/10/sightings/nest-box-removed-to-facilitate-ledge-repairs/ pics here

She is hanging out on a building nearby, she sees everything! 

I had the wrong photo album link on my report so the first 11 people that looked at it saw pics of my great niece. Thanks to Ruth Rutty who sent me an email to tell me of my blunder!  The correct link has been posted now. Sorry!

Hey, she's a cutie, was worth the look!   

Caught in traps, ready to be clubbed.    Trapped and killed in NC

http://youtu.be/bglHI0gWR0g They are adorable!

No falcons but a pretty day!


from fb

  More post Mortar??? How many coats are these guys doing? This is the 3rd so far.

I'm looking forward to seeing this one! 

Amazing, the trailer, that little one swimming across the pond! Who knew!! Guess they do what they have to, to survive.

Rich will record this for me, even he knows that I love the Snowy!

  of course he does!