I was reading all about them on C & C's page. I'm surprised Mystic didn't let MO back in. She went after him a few times and he was seen peeking in on the wing. Felt bad for him and the poor little one that died!! Fly free!  Falcons sure do surprise us every day. I don't think anyone really knew their behavior and new books need to be written! I believe they feel!

When he first came back, he stole some cached food which Mystic was upset about plus the kids had just fledged.  It was felt that Mystic thought Mo might harm them-treating him like an intruder even though he was only gone a week. It will be interesting to see if she accepts him after the kids are gone. Always learning something new...

Mystic and Maurice in Canton lost one of their fledglings to a window strike yesterday.  I had to share the beautiful tribute to "Ice" that was written by Matrix:

Thoughts on Ice...
To have felt the wind beneath him and to have it lift him up to the bottom of the clouds, to have chased his brothers and his mother...to have seen the world below from his peregrine's eyes...seeing in a way we humans dream about...Ice did this! He lived! And he died by it. Trying to not be sad, and instead to think of the others that never made it as far as he did...We know they all can't make it, that is the law...and we enjoyed the sights of an exuberant youngster, learning the ways, that was cut short, as so many before him were. Lets celebrate the fact that he got to be what he was meant to be, for however brief time he was his own master of the air.....

The dad, Mo, was injured slightly in what was thought to be a territorial battle on May 25th, just before the kids fledged.  After a week, he was released back to his site but, being very protective of the fledglings, Mystic did not welcome Mo back.  Since then, she has been feeding, teaching the fledglings all by herself and was doing a wonderful job of it.  I'm so sorry this had to happen when things were going so well.  Fly free, young Ice. 

Very touching article about Silver Boy and his parents in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette


http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/car-kills-springs-lone-falcon-fledgling-in-oakland-691745/

A great article, although some of the comments were pretty crude-such is life.  Thanks for posting!

Flap flap

I do love their wings!

Those feathers are growing at an astounding rate now!  I just read somewhere that a Peregrine's first 3 weeks of life go into bone development while the next 3 weeks go into feather development.

Laughing Buddha!

nobody cleans out a wild nest, but the algae means its staying wet, not having enough drainage could cause problems if not to the eyas then to the box itself shorten its useful life.

If I remember right, on banding day, someone will usually clean some stuff out of the box plus remove the egg while the banding is taking place. As to the algae, it's been raining here a lot!  Maybe when sunshine returns to WNY for any length of time, things will get a chance to dry out!

Big news to report.  The female we named Athena has been 99 percent verified as being 18 years old.  My friend Mike got enough band numbers to put with the other numbers we have to get enough of the band to get her banding place and year. 

She was hacked outside Maiden Creek, PA in 1995.  She has been in Jersey City since 2001 or so.

So Athena wasn't her banding name? Was she hatched in PA? So it took all these years to get the band numbers? Wow-18! She's quite old then but still a great mom!  She's done a wonderful job fostering this year!  Was Six her mate's real name or did you name him too?  How old is he? Lots of questions! 

Nice write-up on Harlequin site about the banding:

Say Hello to Luna, Carina and Kimani
On Friday June 7, we officially welcomed Quest and Kendal’s three new offspring into the family with a banding ceremony here at our offices in Toronto.

At 10:00 a.m., the Canadian Peregrine Foundation (CPF), working with the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), sent someone rappelling down from the rooftop of the building across the street from Harlequin’s Toronto Headquarters and onto the ledge where the three new hatchlings were huddled in a corner of their nest box. An agitated Quest and Kendal made aggressive swooping dives to scare off the intruder unaware that the three fluff balls were being bundled into a soft carrycase, lowered to a waiting accomplice on the ground below and carried over to the Harlequin’s offices where a large group of people (including Quest’s godparents—our friends from Rochester—who have been watching out for her since she was a hatchling herself) gathered to greet them and witness the banding.

We were met by three very healthy hatchlings that were quite vocal in conveying their displeasure at being removed from their comfortable nest box. Mark Nash from the CPF explained that the easiest way to identify the sex of hatchlings is to weigh them. Anything 750 grams and over is a female, 650 and below a male. After plopping each of the fluff balls on the scales we were delighted to discover that Quest and Kendal have three brand new daughters.

The good folks from the MNR declared all three birds healthy (and scrappy, another good sign), logged all their vital details and banded each with a Canadian MNR band on one legs and a U.S. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries band on the other. Now, wherever their peregrinations may take them, they can be identified.

Before returning them to their nest box, we got one last chance to welcome our Quest and Kendal’s third generation of offspring. So everyone, please give a big “hello� to our three new peregrine falcons: Luna, Carina and Kimani.

Harlequin encourages anyone who wishes to learn more about peregrines, pledge support or discover what they can do to help this threatened species to visit the Canadian Peregrine Foundation at www.peregrine-foundation.ca

Another classic still!

Very sad news from Kate St. John:

http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2013/06/14/sad-news-pitts-only-fledgling-is-dead

Fly free, Silver Boy. 

I am so glad that I am able to simply walk by the windows at work and see these beautiful birds in person almost anytime.  And I am so excited to be able to be here for my first Watchers Weekend and to meet watchers from all around the country!  No prior commitments or company coming this time!   

           Glad you are coming this year! 

Day 4 of Etobicoke Sunlife Fledge Watch...

LOL, anticipation!! Don't look away or they will go! Good luck!

             

Does June Summers/DEC know the oldest eyas is 21 days old tomorrow?

I'm sure she does.

Let's hope.

I know this is not the correct place to post this question, but has a banding date been set yet?  

I hope they don't wait till the last minute to let us know when it is again this year.

The Canadian Peregrine Foundation website says, "If leg bands are being put on the chicks for identification purposes, this is usually done during their fourth week, when they are large enough that their legs are fully grown, but not yet old enough to consider flying away when the banders approach the nest." That's usually anywhere from 22-27 days old. That could mean anytime next week.  Unfortunately we haven't heard anything definite yet.

Does June Summers/DEC know the oldest eyas is 21 days old tomorrow? I hope it's not another rush job like last year for Orion's banding-no fanfare like M/K years.

[Gurdy - Female - Yellow Tape Felix - Male - White Tape Welcome - Male - Green Tape]

While we wait for pictures and more information about Rhea Mae and Tiago's banding day, Linda Woods, Rhea Mae's Watcher, has sent me the names of their eyases.  Thanks Linda!!!   

Gurdy - Female - Yellow Tape 

Felix - Male - White Tape 

Welcome - Male - Green Tape 

So we can say Welcome Welcome?? Umm!! Thanks for sharing!!

  Thanks, Carol.