Cathedral of Learning

[Donna]

http://youtu.be/SFuvDtGj6fE By Peter Bell

A breezy day allowed for some spectacular kiting by Dorothy and E2, the resident peregrine falcons at the Cathedral of Learning. At times, they would hover nearly motionless.

[Tokira]

Yep, that's what Cats do, unfortunately! 

We're all part of Mother Nature's food chain.  Some are prey, some are predators.
That doesn't make them "good" or "evil".
Carol
WV

[Donna]

Yep, that's what Cats do, unfortunately! 

We're all part of Mother Nature's food chain.  Some are prey, some are predators.
That doesn't make them "good" or "evil".
Carol
WV

I agree Carol! Cats are predators, they can't help it but as a Cat & Bird lover, I do get upset when a cat has a bird in it's mouth or a lion has taken down a baby Bison, or an Eagle catches a rabbit...etc. Wish they were all herbivores!

[Bird Crazy]

Yep, that's what Cats do, unfortunately! 

We're all part of Mother Nature's food chain.  Some are prey, some are predators.
That doesn't make them "good" or "evil".
Carol
WV

I agree Carol! Cats are predators, they can't help it but as a Cat & Bird lover, I do get upset when a cat has a bird in it's mouth or a lion has taken down a baby Bison, or an Eagle catches a rabbit...etc. Wish they were all herbivores!

I wouldn't mind so much if they caught them because they were hungry like Donna's lion or hawk. House cats kill just because they can. That is why my little girl isn't allowed outside. (though she still caught and killed and English sparrow long story)

[Tokira]

I wouldn't mind so much if they caught them because they were hungry like Donna's lion or hawk. House cats kill just because they can. That is why my little girl isn't allowed outside. (though she still caught and killed and English sparrow long story)

My own three are 100% indoor cats, although one is from the little outside family I feed.  I see the remains of maybe four to five birds a YEAR around the yard. I purposely don't feed the outside guys a large amount, so that if anything happened to me they wouldn't be left high and dry.  We have many many birds around here, including Mrs. Robin who visits me and plays with the water whenever I am watering plants/trees with the hose.
Carol WV

[Donna]

Kate StJohn

Pitt Fledge Watch excitement! Dorothy attacked an immature Bald Eagle passing over Schenley Plaza! She won. Go,Dorothy!

[MAK]

 

[Kris G.]

Kate StJohn

Pitt Fledge Watch excitement! Dorothy attacked an immature Bald Eagle passing over Schenley Plaza! She won. Go,Dorothy!

Great pics posted on Kate's blog:

http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2012/06/07/peregrine-versus-bald-eagle-guess-who-wins/

[carly]

Karen Lang just posted this sad news to CMNH:

Received bad news today one of our juvies is dead. He hit a window very hard, at least it was fast.

http://www.falconcam-cmnh.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?64070.20#post_68166

[Donna]

No matter how good they were flying, it still happens. So sad. Thanks Carly.    Fly Free!

[Annette]

Poor juvie! 

[MAK]

 

[Donna]

Blue is dead, By Kate St John



If you look closely at the mark on this fifth floor window of Craig Hall you can see it’s the shape of a bird with long wings.  In fact it’s the shape of a peregrine, one of the young peregrines who hatched at the Cathedral of Learning this spring.

Sadly, “Blueâ€� died instantly at 9:15am when he hit this window and broke his neck.  His imprint tells the tale.

At 9:20 I received a call from Anne Marie Bosnyak who works next door at the University Technology Development Center.  Someone in her building had seen the accident happen.  Using binoculars from a second floor window, they could see his body on Craig Hall’s lower roof.  They weren’t sure if it was a peregrine… but they thought so.

Even though I knew he was dead I rushed over to Anne Marie’s office to make sure.

Poor Blue.  He didn’t know what hit him.  He saw the endless sky reflected in the glass.  He thought there was a gap that he could fly through but it was an illusion.  All mirrors.

   

As I’ve said before, windows kill.

Windows kill more birds than windmills do.

Sadly, they kill young peregrines.

(Awful, just awful), hope this can be avoided in the near future. Fly Free little Blue.

[Kris G.]

Fly high and free, Blue. 

[MAK]