Peregrine roll callWith winter setting in around Orange, and a week of the coldest nights so far this year, it’s been comforting to see both adult peregrines staying with us. Swift spends the afternoons up on the tower roof sunning herself, while Beau tends to roam the countryside. Every so often you’ll catch Swift overnighting in the eyrie. We can go days without spotting Beau so it’s good to see him when he does decide to grace us with his presence. Last evening both birds came back to the tower, and again this morning both were here, one on the roof and one on the microwave dish down the side.
Winter will get much colder but with some luck either (or both) peregrines will remain live Internet stars for the duration.
The new server configuration for our streaming capability now seems to be more stable & automated, with some software contingencies in place if things go wrong; we can but hope that electrical power & the campus network stay up for us!
Swift stretching in the night chill
Swift overnighting in the chill
Off-season research homeworkIt’s been a month of promotional work & visits for Project members. While we sit out some unusual Orange autumn weather we’ve been spreading our wings a little ourselves (pun; terrible, sorry!). Fellow Project co-ordinator Dr Cilla Kinross has been sending back some amazing photos and stories from a whistlestop trip through France and England, with plenty of bird-watching, including some awesome peregrine photos from ornithological colleagues in Albi, France. Fellow England-based Project colleague, Dr Ian Grange, will also be receiving a visit from Cilla shortly and no doubt will be comparing some interesting notes and catching up with recent events.
http://fauconpelerin.mairie-albi.fr/Scott’s just returned from a trip to New Zealand, including a few days in Queenstown and over to the Franz Josef Glacier. While in Queenstown he was lucky enough to visit & acquaint with the good staff at Peregrine Wines near Queenstown who are very strong supporters of the Wingspan New Zealand Falcon research & rehabilitation centre up in Rotorua (North Island). We’ve had plenty of recent local travellers telling us to go to the winery and it was indeed worth the visit; really nice people with interesting stories & a love of wildlife to boot (wine’s fantastic too)!!
http://www.peregrinewines.co.nz/http://www.wingspan.co.nz/Just over two years ago the West Coast Wildlife Centre was established in the Franz Josef Glacier village as a joint project to breed and rehabilitate the extremely rare local “Rowi” kiwi. With only 375 individuals left on planet Earth it’s an amazing look in to a successful rare species breeding program. A highly recommended visit & well worth the entrance fee to see a couple of Rowi in their own nocturnal enclosures and the guided tour through the on-site breeding facility.
http://www.wildkiwi.co.nz/
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Happy belated birthday! 
