Pip on 1st INDY Egg

[valhalla]

   I like it!   

I would like to get to the Tony Stewart store in downtown Indy on Friday or Saturday before the Brickyard (let me know if you "need" anything), but one of our big projects is that I told Gigi, I'd help her put together a Kodak or Shutterfly book of her Hatten experience.  Rich and Frank will gladly go play with guns and cars, so as long as we feed them, all will be happy.  MAK - this is going to be Smoke's year - I feel it!   

[MAK]

   I like it!   

I would like to get to the Tony Stewart store in downtown Indy on Friday or Saturday before the Brickyard (let me know if you "need" anything), but one of our big projects is that I told Gigi, I'd help her put together a Kodak or Shutterfly book of her Hatten experience.  Rich and Frank will gladly go play with guns and cars, so as long as we feed them, all will be happy.  MAK - this is going to be Smoke's year - I feel it!   

Thanks for asking Janet but I don't need anything. I hope you're right about our boy cuz I'm not feelin' it.(not yet anyway)      

[Donna]

INDIANAPOLIS -- After a near miss earlier this week, another young peregrine falcon is missing from its downtown roost.

Volunteers said the banded bird was spotted on a car in a downtown alley below its home on the 31st floor of Market Tower on Thursday.

Images: Downtown Falcon Chicks Get Tagged

As people stopped to take pictures, they said a woman came out of a nearby building and drove off with the bird still on the windshield, according to an entry in the Falcon Blog.

"Patrol members have looked in the immediate area but no luck. No telling how far the bird hung on," wrote falcon watcher Laura James-Reim, who said volunteers searched Thursday night with no luck.

On Tuesday, another of the young birds, named Hatton, was returned to the tower after it was found on the ground outside a building at Ohio and Capitol. Volunteers said the bird likely had an unsuccessful flight or was the victim of Monday's storm.

The peregrine falcon is an endangered species in Indiana, which is why the birds are being closely watched. Four new chicks were welcomed in April.

Anyone who sees a banded bird is asked to call Richard at 317-697-9922 or James-Reim at 317-403-5503.

HOW DO YOU NOT know a falcon is riding on your windshield???????????????????

[jeanne]

OMG!  I agree, Donna!  They needed Linda W. from Canada who stopped the bus when one of Rhea Mae's daughters was on top!

[valhalla]

A couple of things happened - the gal in the car was an airhead and the folks around the car were happy snapping pictures.  No P-Petrol people were around.  AND certainly no mouthy Jersey Girl who would have shouted, "lady!  There is a big birg on your car - watch it!"

[Bird Crazy]

what the H E double toothpicks is wrong with some people, she needs to have her hind end kicked more than likely the poor thing came off and got run over by another car. 

[Kris G.]

June 16, 2010
And So It Goes...
Time does fly. So do the falcons. It is now that time of the season where we all say just a little bit of a goodbye as the birds are out of our immediate, loving and watchful sight and we all must return to the reality of our daily lives.

One update I would like to share with everyone. Today, Anna was able to identify the one remaining male juvenile that is flying the skies of Indy with his sisters. He was sitting on the 23rd floor ledge of Market Tower and she had her binocs handy. It is Coach. It is sad to think that we are missing little Hatton but I always remember in these situations that he had that taste of what it is to be a falcon for just a brief time - the full force of his heritage blazed for a bit over the Circle City. And so that mystery is solved - maybe not the whys, wheres and hows, but perhaps that is best for all of us who love these birds.

So now to my annual, chapter-closing, falcon season-ending blog post. Can I really have been doing this for what - 4 or 5 years now? And all of you who have faithfully followed the birds and the newbies who joined in this year - wow, what dedication that you all display and the joy and amazement that show in your comments year after year as we breathlessly wait for first egg, first hatch and first jump up on perch. Thank you all for caring about this little special K family. There are so many folks who have followed from day 1 that I feel you are part of my family - look how the Ks have created families other than their young ones!

As speaking of special K, you know I'm not going to let this opportunity go by without raving about Kinney. I know you are all probably sick of it, but I'll continue to raise the roof about this special tiercel. Every year, I hold my breath as I look at the cameras through the summer, fall and winter to make sure he is still with us. Oh I know he is just a bird, but really he is NOT just a bird.

And KathyQ, always an amazing falcon mom. Stern disciplinarian, taskmaster, fierce defender, tender mate - all rolled into one great bird. I do admire her, truly I do. She is the boss and she knows it and is not afraid to show it. Many in my family say I have similar traits : )

[Kris G.]

New post today:   

No Easy Way
Life is sometimes difficult and hard. Especially for young, juvenile, barely fledged falcons just starting out in this world.

There is no easy way to say it. I picked up the body of Coach this afternoon from the 4th floor roof area of the AT&T building at 220 N. Meridian.

I know this is always hard on falcon watchers, but I hope we prepare all of you enough to know that the first year of life is extremely precarious for these young birds. I fully believe that Coach died doing what a falcon loves to do - chasing something at lightning speed, intent on his prey, going the next step to adulthood, fulfilling his purpose.

I am only theorizing but I believe he hit the glass building at a higher level and fell to the 4th floor roof. He was in a tuck position and his feet were slightly balled up - and I am sure he died on impact with the building, that there was no lingering or slow death.

From all accounts this happened on Monday, June 28th. I took his body to a DNR office to see if it will be in good condition for an education mount. I didn't have time to assess this today and will need to check with John Castrale on next steps.

Many, many thanks to my old friend at AT&T, Larry Smith (Smitty), the property manager for the AT&T buildings. We go way back and he knows of my love and involvement with the birds and was so helpful in getting the information to me and assisting me in the recovery of Coach's body. Thanks to his co-workers also.

I'm so sorry everyone. Yet I still am joyful - we have 2 surviving girls and I know we all hope they are successful.

[Annette]

New post today:   

No Easy Way
Life is sometimes difficult and hard. Especially for young, juvenile, barely fledged falcons just starting out in this world.

There is no easy way to say it. I picked up the body of Coach this afternoon from the 4th floor roof area of the AT&T building at 220 N. Meridian.

I know this is always hard on falcon watchers, but I hope we prepare all of you enough to know that the first year of life is extremely precarious for these young birds. I fully believe that Coach died doing what a falcon loves to do - chasing something at lightning speed, intent on his prey, going the next step to adulthood, fulfilling his purpose.

I am only theorizing but I believe he hit the glass building at a higher level and fell to the 4th floor roof. He was in a tuck position and his feet were slightly balled up - and I am sure he died on impact with the building, that there was no lingering or slow death.

From all accounts this happened on Monday, June 28th. I took his body to a DNR office to see if it will be in good condition for an education mount. I didn't have time to assess this today and will need to check with John Castrale on next steps.

Many, many thanks to my old friend at AT&T, Larry Smith (Smitty), the property manager for the AT&T buildings. We go way back and he knows of my love and involvement with the birds and was so helpful in getting the information to me and assisting me in the recovery of Coach's body. Thanks to his co-workers also.

I'm so sorry everyone. Yet I still am joyful - we have 2 surviving girls and I know we all hope they are successful.

Poor Couch. 

[valhalla]

Thanks for posting this, as I didn't get a chance to.  As an additional fyi, and this one hurts, my friend Gigi also told me that "her" falcon, Hatton (2nd male) went MIA and is presumed to be dead as well.  That leaves the 2 females remaining. 

[MAK]

 

[valhalla]

My feelings exactly.  I'll have to see how Gigi feels about it, but my plan was to spend parts of Friday and Saturday before the Brickyard 400 putting together/designing a Hatton photo book for Gigi.  It would be a bittersweet effort, so it will be up to her.  I'm certain that our hubby's will be out and about doing guy stuff and more than happy to leave Gigi and me!

[huddiecat]

How sad  

Hope all goes well with the two females!!

Suzanne

[valhalla]

How sad  

Hope all goes well with the two females!!

Suzanne

It was one of the females that landed on a car, was driven away, and later recovered.

[jeanne]

They found the one who landed on the car???  I tried going on the site but didn't really follow it too faithfully! 

I know it is nature and these little ones have such a high mortality rate but it is so devastating to see it happen.  When they are in the nestboxes, I cherish the moments because they are safer than when they start venturing out (infections aside).