Cathedral of Learning

[jeanne]

Oh sweet baby

[Annette]

I hate these glass windows! It kills so many birds!   

[Donna]

Need to get the FLAP program going in all states. So many windows to cover, will be impossible and most will probably not comply unless it's mandatory. They need to come up with a new window when they make and install, have a coating, decal on it already. Millions of little guys die too. Just a shame. Lights out during migration should also be mandatory. 

[Donna]

From Kate's Blog



To put things into perspective… yesterday’s news about Blue’s death was sad but not unusual.

Juvenile peregrine falcon mortality is high.  Nearly two thirds don’t live to be one year old.  Their often quoted mortality rate is 62.5%.

Scientific research bears this out.  Marcel Gabhauer published his doctoral thesis on peregrine falcons in 2008 having studied urban and rural, wild-born and hacked birds in Ontario since 1995.  His findings showed that nest survival from hatching to fledging is high (95.8%) but first year survival is dramatically lower.  Of the chicks he was able to track for a year, only 36.5% of the wild-born birds and 31.6% of the hacked birds survived to their first birthday.  Only one out of three makes it.

My experience with the Cathedral of Learning peregrines is similar though I’m unable to track them for a year.  Each summer since 2008 at least one juvenile Pitt peregrine has died in Pittsburgh.  Interestingly, I didn’t begin to hear of the Pitt peregrines’ deaths until 2008 when my blog made me known as The Peregrine Lady.

Monitoring juvenile peregrines is a roller coaster experience. Dorothy and E2 know this much better than I do.  Yesterday evening I found them where I expected them to be – on the Cathedral of Learning on the side facing the scene of Blue’s accident.  E2 was gazing in that direction. Dorothy was in her mourning nook, a place she only uses just after one of her youngsters has died.

This dip in our roller coaster won’t last long.  The demands of the remaining juveniles will perk up Dorothy and E2.  The Pitt peregrines’ success stories will keep us going with Dorothy’s “kidsâ€� across the eastern U.S:

    Louie (2002) in Downtown Pittsburgh
    Stammy (2003) in Youngstown, Ohio
    Hathor (2003) in Mt. Clemens, Michigan
    Belle (2003) at the Univ. of Toledo bell tower
    Maddy (2004) at the I-480 bridge near Cleveland
    Beauty (2007) in Rochester, New York
    Rufus(2007) in Warren, Ohio
    Unnamed male (2008) at the Tarentum Bridge in 2010. (Not confirmed in 2012.)
    Unnamed female (2009) in Wrightsville, Ohio.
    And Henry — who hit a window on Henry Street last year — is thriving in Ohio!

 

[margaret]

From Kate's Blog



To put things into perspective… yesterday’s news about Blue’s death was sad but not unusual.

Juvenile peregrine falcon mortality is high.  Nearly two thirds don’t live to be one year old.  Their often quoted mortality rate is 62.5%.

Scientific research bears this out.  Marcel Gabhauer published his doctoral thesis on peregrine falcons in 2008 having studied urban and rural, wild-born and hacked birds in Ontario since 1995.  His findings showed that nest survival from hatching to fledging is high (95.8%) but first year survival is dramatically lower.  Of the chicks he was able to track for a year, only 36.5% of the wild-born birds and 31.6% of the hacked birds survived to their first birthday.  Only one out of three makes it.

My experience with the Cathedral of Learning peregrines is similar though I’m unable to track them for a year.  Each summer since 2008 at least one juvenile Pitt peregrine has died in Pittsburgh.  Interestingly, I didn’t begin to hear of the Pitt peregrines’ deaths until 2008 when my blog made me known as The Peregrine Lady.

Monitoring juvenile peregrines is a roller coaster experience. Dorothy and E2 know this much better than I do.  Yesterday evening I found them where I expected them to be – on the Cathedral of Learning on the side facing the scene of Blue’s accident.  E2 was gazing in that direction. Dorothy was in her mourning nook, a place she only uses just after one of her youngsters has died.

This dip in our roller coaster won’t last long.  The demands of the remaining juveniles will perk up Dorothy and E2.  The Pitt peregrines’ success stories will keep us going with Dorothy’s “kidsâ€� across the eastern U.S:

    Louie (2002) in Downtown Pittsburgh
    Stammy (2003) in Youngstown, Ohio
    Hathor (2003) in Mt. Clemens, Michigan
    Belle (2003) at the Univ. of Toledo bell tower
    Maddy (2004) at the I-480 bridge near Cleveland
    Beauty (2007) in Rochester, New York
    Rufus(2007) in Warren, Ohio
    Unnamed male (2008) at the Tarentum Bridge in 2010. (Not confirmed in 2012.)
    Unnamed female (2009) in Wrightsville, Ohio.
    And Henry — who hit a window on Henry Street last year — is thriving in Ohio!

 

After reading this, I  to our Beauty!  She has been through so much in her short life.   She is a strong PeFa and I hope that she and  Doc.ca have many more young here, and continue the legacy that Mariah and Kave began. 

[Bobbie Ireland]

Very much like Kate's blog. Thanks for posting, Donna.

[BIGFRANK]

Marcel was with CPF for many of the early years of his study as a volunteer.

[MAK]

Brought tears to my eyes to read how Dorothy has a mourning spot for her babies that have passed. They don't have emotions?! I absolutely believe that they do!!! 

[Donna]

Marcel was with CPF for many of the early years of his study as a volunteer.

Marcel was a very informative guy. Miss all his reports.

[Bird Crazy]

Brought tears to my eyes to read how Dorothy has a mourning spot for her babies that have passed. They don't have emotions?! I absolutely believe that they do!!! 

I agree look how O'Connor acted when her little one died.

 

[Shaky]

Marcel was with CPF for many of the early years of his study as a volunteer.

Marcel was a very informative guy. Miss all his reports.

Yes, he was an active member of the Kodak Birdcam discussion board for several years and was instrumental in publishing satellite tracking data for Hafoc and Skye.

[Dumpsterkitty]

Marcel was with CPF for many of the early years of his study as a volunteer.

Marcel was a very informative guy. Miss all his reports.

Yes, he was an active member of the Kodak Birdcam discussion board for several years and was instrumental in publishing satellite tracking data for Hafoc and Skye.

And, for the geeks among us, I found his doctoral thesis...

BREEDING, DISPERSAL, AND MIGRATION OF URBAN
PEREGRINE FALCONS IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA

[BIGFRANK]

Thanks that will be quite the read but worth it Im sure. I never tire of learning new and interesting facts. I will have to scan in a paper I hand out at my raptor watch which is only a list based on many raptor books published over the last 50 years about where our birds of prey migrate to. A friend Colin collects old raptor books. He is closing in on 80 years old and taught me so much of what I know about raptor ID and he put it together. Sorry no timeline for that but it shall be done.
  Its great what cameras and boards can teach us.

[Donna]

Dorothy at nest. Today

Jan 3

Jan 3

E2

From fb

[MAK]

Yay-nice to see where Beauty was born! Haven't looked there in a long time!! Thanks Donna!