Looks like she's sheltering them...maybe a storm cell coming?  I actually had to mute the sound...the high pitched one is hurting my ears!

Uh oh!  Beauty arrived with no food...they are NOT happy!  Good thing I know what they're supposed to sound like...I'd think they were being tortured!

First Fledge!

June 05, 2010 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre
Linda Woods Reports:

Toronto Sheraton Centre has had their first fledge of the season. Star took flight sometime early this morning, Unfortunately it was only seen by his siblings.  Numerous sweeps of the area throughout the day and at 8p.m. there was still no indication as to where this little guy has flown.  The adults were not  giving up any secrets either. Food went to the ledge this evening at 7p.m. Legacy had his fill and even a second helping. Lorenzo was content not to partake of the evening meal and kept to himself at the other end of the ledge. Lots of flapping by Lorenzo and looks like he’ll be the next to take flight.

!!! First to Fledge, “Star� - Still missing.
June 06, 2010 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre
Mark Nash Reports:

A quick check of the nest ledge early this moring still has little Lorenzo and Legacy on the nest ledge. Heavy rains and wind last night made for a very wet, blustery and cold night and still its around 11 degrees calceus this morning. In comparison to the hot humid weather that we’ve had over the past day, it’s actually very cool!

The search is on to locate �Star�, the first to peregrine to fledge this season. What a heck of a night to spend your first night away from home!

Rain's blowing in pretty good today...our little girl got wet...little boy is staying dry behind his sister

Not quite sure who this is in my grass.  In flight I thought young catbird, but looking at the pics the beak seems too wide at the base.

Looks like a female Brown-headed Cowbird to me.

I also thought Cowbird...I think of the females as more gray than brown when I've seen the couples (males and females hanging out together).

As I said, I've never seen one before...I'll have to keep an eye open for a male...or a nest with an odd looking finch...

Beauty was not terribly impressed with the fireworks...

And neither are the babies...

Beauty was not terribly impressed with the fireworks...

My yard is mostly a mess...the lilac caper this spring opened up the "canopy"  and now the poison ivy is absolutely flourishing!  I don't like to do it, but I'm on my second gallon of Roundup...as soon as the tops die another crop sprouts up from the roots...they say eventually it will all actually die.

When I bought my house six years ago, there was a rampant growth of PI on the back fence.  As in (old cow fence) posts braided with 1' PI trunks, and a top like an elm tree.  I suited up and cut it back two feet at a time so it wouldn't fall on me, and sprayed the stumps with Ortho Brush B Gon Poison Ivy.  About two weeks later, a couple of feeble sprouts appeared, and I doused it again.  Absolutely gone, no further attempt at coming back.
PI should be the West Virginia State Vine,  :
Carol
WV

I've been looking for real brush b gone but can't find it.  Round-up PI has the same ingredient, probably just lower concentration.  That whole section was thick with it...the new sprouts came up 3 days after the last dousing.  It is working...just tedious...you can see all the vines on the ground


There's another patch on the other side of the house with the giant hairy trunks...not going near that 'til fall...once the leaves drop I can cut it back & hit the sprouts in the spring.

Cam 2 seems a bit hazy.  Thought it might be humidity earlier, but I doubt it at 68^o.  Wonder if it got hit?

[This just in..it's HOT in Florida!]

This just in..it's HOT in Florida!

What IS this world coming to?

Don't ask...long story...just needed to share...

It's been a rough year for the urban Red Tails of NYC. 

Pale Male & Lola didn't have any hatches again. Which, in my opinion, is OK...they clearly care for each other and enjoy being together, so what does it matter.  They did what they were put on the earth to do...raise enough babies to replace themselves and a few to spare...and something unforeseen...turning hard-nosed city dwellers into bird watchers!

The Riverside pair lost their nest and eyases in a wind storm.  But they're trying again...Bruce Yolton reported it on his blog, Urban Hawks.  He also reports that the RFK Bridge pair...the original female was poisoned and died-the male found a new female & they laid new eggs...have one or more hatches.

The Unisphere pair lost one-it fell out of the nest-but the remaining 2 are doing well.

And the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.  They didn't nest last year (that anyone found) due to repairs & scaffolding at the Cathedral.  Repairs done, they were back on top of St Andrew's statue this year.  3 eyases hatched, but only one remains-one died early on, the other just 2 weeks ago.  But Survivor finally fledged last night!  A fabulous story of the first flight by Rob Schmunk at his Bloomingdale Village blog.

More wings!

Beauty leaving with the leftovers

The one in back stole a piece

Wings!