Post on BCAW says Cadence has lost her silver band.

I saw Betty Ann had reported it earlier today.  Well we knew it was coming given the screw had come out several months ago.  Hopefully the blk/green one is okay and doesn't come loose!

Isn’t that very odd that the screw came loose?

Post on BCAW says Cadence has lost her silver band.

(movie)

                                 

I'm heartbroken by this news, no more RM & Tiago? I know shtuff happens but WOW........both? Hate when cities have more than enough buildings but just need to squeeze in a few more......I call that GREED!!!!

I agree with you on everything you said, Donna.  It’s heartbreaking that we can no longer watch RM & T, after all these years...I just hope they’re safe and still together.

A really great story!  Thanks for sharing, Alison and, hopefully, TG will be a mom this year!

Dot.ca thought bubble: "Holy Moly! How did the snow get all the way up there?"

             

Insemination video of Mei Xiang today

http://youtu.be/99OSjc6HYqE

http://youtu.be/3uOihvzUP3k

Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute


A team of our reproductive scientists, veterinarians and panda keepers performed an artificial insemination on giant panda Mei Xiang today, March. 1. Scientists and keepers had been closely monitoring Mei Xiang’s behavior and hormones since she began displaying behavioral changes Feb. 17, indicating she was almost ready to breed. Daily hormone reports showed Mei Xiang’s estrogen levels peaked Feb. 28, which means she was ovulating and able to become pregnant. Female giant pandas are only in estrus or able to become pregnant, for 24 to 72 hours each year. Paws-crossed!

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/news/giant-panda-mei-xiang-artificially-inseminated-smithsonians-national-zoo

I had read that she was exhibiting estrus behavior recently..hopefully it takes this time! Thanks for posting! 

Lynne wins! Even though she was 11 days off the actual date of February 25, her guess of Valentine's Day was the closest.  B&DC fooled a lot of us this year.

Oh thank you!  Couldn't have done it without Beauty and DC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Forgot to say.. Congrats, Lynne! 

Was just outside and saw an aerial food transfer from Lucky to Aria!  She took her gift and is under the ADP sign on the other side of the nest ledge eating it!  

  Awesome!

Lynne wins! Even though she was 11 days off the actual date of February 25, her guess of Valentine's Day was the closest.  B&DC fooled a lot of us this year.

     They sure did but at least they came back to TS..I wasn’t so sure they’d return this year.

Beauty(?) at TS nestbox!

 

More questions than answers now.  Definitely 2 birds on site at Sheraton- unbanded female and male (no idea if he's banded or not as though he was flying with her he wouldn't come close enough for us to see his legs).  Both were defending the territory together, both courtship flying together.  She went to ledge several times - he didn't go near the ledge.  We were in lounge area right under the nest ledge and could see them flying in front of us and her going up to the ledge. These two were definitely 'owning this territory', there was no 'we're strangers here, they know the place and acted like they own it.

Two at King,  chit chatting to each other and acting like a bonded pair...bowing behind pillar on nest ledge there and perched nearby both times we were there.  Sadly I don't have a cell phone otherwise we could have split up with one at each site to see if we had 2 pairs or 1 pair going back and forth.

Questions:  Are new female and Stormin going to both sites?  Why would Stormin not go to his birth ledge - the male seemed quite comfortable in the area when were there but wouldn't go near the ledge?  Do we have 2 unbanded females?  One new pair at Sheraton and new mate at King for Stormin?  Are the Sheraton pair the ones from Rogers Centre?  Female there is unbanded and before we left there the male flew south in that direction.

So a good visit in one sense but more questions than answers now.  And where are RM and Tiago?  Safe somewhere together we hope.

Thanks for all your sleuth work today.  Hard to believe that RM & T might not have this territory any longer..just hope they’re safe and still together.  It’ll be interesting as to what the coming weeks reveal.

Beauty in the nest, looking gorgeous: 

     

     

It's sure not looking good for nesting at TS this year..