I'm not understanding DC's position here. Beauty & Orion battle intruding female and he sits and does nothing? He's not with Orion during the morning watch while MAK is there. Orion hunts with Beauty, talon tags with Beauty. What exactly is DC's role here? I've never heard of such a thing. Don't get me wrong here, I really like DC but I don't think he knows what his role is yet. If he's suppose to be watching the air space, he failed tonight letting his son take that role. It's said that males don't go after females that come into their territory but he had no problem going after Beauty. Hmmm. Help me out here guys!  ???

[The original nesting pair of peregrine falcons settled in North Boston; the male was directly from the release program started by Cornell, and his mate was banded in Toronto.]

19 hours ago  •  Amy Barra, Special to The Citizen(0) Comments
I just spent an entire month in Cambridge, Mass. looking at urban ecology for a grad school course. Coming from a very rural background, I was not expecting to find a very diverse ecosystem in this highly urbanized area. I was surprised to find pockets of biodiversity, culture and green spaces throughout the Boston area. Throughout the month I thought about how the man-made landscape may help, not hinder, certain species of plants or animals. I was surprised to find that the city of Boston helps one of my favorite endangered species: the peregrine falcon.

On one of our first days in the city, one of our resource people mentioned that she had sometimes seen peregrines in downtown Boston, near Faneuil Hall. I began an online search for information on the peregrines, but couldn’t find too much, other than old newspaper articles. So I called up Tom French, from the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. I was surprised that these Boston falcons could trace some of their heritage back to Cornell.

In the '60s and '70s, peregrine falcons and other birds of prey had their populations decimated by the pesticide DDT. A Cornell professor, Tom Cade, started a peregrine falcon breeding program at the Hawk Barn at the edge of Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary. Tom Cade, The Peregrine Fund and other groups released more than 6,000 peregrine falcons in 37 states, and Massachusetts was one of those states.

The original nesting pair of peregrine falcons settled in North Boston; the male was directly from the release program started by Cornell, and his mate was banded in Toronto. There has been a pair of falcons living in this area since 1985. You can often hear them calling above the busy tourist areas, and people seldom realize that a rare endangered species is right above their head.

There are also nesting pairs of peregrine falcons in the Back Bay area, Cambridge, West Roxbury, Quincy and near Fenway. Many of these predators actually share Boston’s biggest resource in the eyes of the falcons: Logan Airport. Logan Airport is big falcon feasting area. The open area near the water is a perfect place for birds to hang out and eat, and peregrine falcons prey almost exclusively on other birds. Usually peregrine falcons will not share hunting areas, but Tom French says that three different pairs have been recorded hunting here.

In natural areas, peregrine falcons nest on cliff faces; they do not build nests, but rather create a scrape in the gravel. In Boston and other urban areas, the falcons have utilized bridge trusses, window ledges and nest boxes that have been built for them by different associations and organizations.

So next time you’re in a city landscape, don’t despair over the loss of habitat — maybe that concrete jungle has more biodiversity than you think. And if you’re in Boston, be sure to look up more. Maybe you can spot an endangered species soaring over Fenway.

THE PUB

Joyce says all accounted for? Ei

Ei we had all the rochester falcons

Thanks Jeanne-Larry's tweet didn't say it was B on FCT, so we weren't sure.

Sorry - just catching up once again, and confused....are all Pefas accounted for?   B, Dc? O, KP, BS? 

What happened?  Was it two fem pefas or herons?   Both?     

Both Margaret! B and female, then it was 2 Herons. Lots of action!

Looks like Swift laid an egg during the snowstorm.

Thanks Kris for the heads up!

Keep it warm!!

Oh no!!!!  He never used to eat rats

Not good!

http://youtu.be/QBufBWOYhvY and look what he's eating.

Pale Male in the late summer and early fall seems to fall into a routine in the late afternoon.  Hunting near the Great Lawn, eating a meal, and then going to roost.  He's begun that pattern once again.

Urban Hawks

http://youtu.be/s1_WZOqQM20 The healthy fledgling

B and O on base of Mercury.

Quest, all alone and drenched in the pouring rain today on the top of the Thales Building 

Aug. 15/12 - Quest, doing her usual housework !

Aug.15/12 - Kendal, in his corner, looking handsome as ever !

Aug.15/12 - Kendal, being generous with another "pose"

Pics by Patty Gale   

[MAKfalcon (MAK):]

MAKfalcon (MAK): From Brian:Orion acts like a RoadRunner. He ran the top I beam and turned the corner lol, hes out of site 4 now. MeepMeep Vroooom!

Link:
http://twitter.com/MAKfalcon/statuses/235823429125804032

 

http://seewinter.com/winter/dolphin-tale Great movie

http://seewinter.com/winter/media/webcam Live cams

  I just happened to get a pic of the stick nest on the FTC that MAK was talking about this am. Was it a Hawk nest? What happened to the residents?  Who knows but it's pretty big.

White tailed sea eagle chick Gorm should have flown the nest at the eagle hide on Forestry Commission Scotland land at Glen Seilisdeir, Mull, weeks ago.

Dave Sexton, RSPB warden on Mull, has never known a chick take so long to fledge. Gorm’s sister, Buidhe, fledged three weeks ago, leaving Gorm home alone.

Mr Sexton said: “Normally one chick soon follows the other, but Gorm has got himself a very comfortable set up, with mum and dad still providing him with all his 
daily needs, so why fly away? He’s like a big kid who won’t leave home. He just won’t take that epic jump into the unknown.

“I was a little worried at first, in case he was unwell and his sister was getting all the food, but now I think he’s just waiting for the right moment.�

Gorm’s father Fingal, 15, and 14-year-old mother Iona have been seen providing the chick with mackerel, rabbit and gull.



Scotsman

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19255320  No wonder Jeff is leaving!

http://youtu.be/PjAanUL2H5E