Jersey City Chick Check May 10 2010

[Patti from Kentucky]

Here's a link to my website with a short video of the kakking, err, banding.

http://web.me.com/talluto/Wildlife_2010/Jersey_City_Banding_2010.html#0

Cool, Bonnie, thanks for sharing!  Looks like you didn't just get to attend...you got to hold an eyas.

[MAK]

    Very nice Bonnie, thanks!   

[Bonnie]

Here's a report from my friend, Mike:

****Breaking News****

We had our first fledge early this afternoon! Kathy Clark got a call from an office worker at 101 saying the fledgling had landed on the roof on the 37th floor, NW corner of the building. Kathy had me go up to the office and observe the bird through the office windows. When I got there around 3:30 she was perched on the ledge, and there was a nice fat pigeon about 15 feet away on the roof that the parents had dropped for her. Dad came in and perched on the corner parapet to watch over her. She was screaming at him almost the whole time (he's probably thinking "she's got a fresh pigeon here, she just has to walk over to it!"). I observed her for almost an hour. She didn't appear to be injured and seemed comfortable where she was. She did alot of preening (even pulled off some of her white down and ate some of it!) and some stretching. Her leg feathers covered her band, and I didn't have my binoculars (this was all a spur of the moment thing), so I don't know exactly which girl this was (but most likely it's the first one that left the box on Friday and the one that was on the ledge yesterday evening and at noon in my last post). Dad left after awhile (probably to go hunt). She was still preening and occasionally resting her eyes when I left.

As long as she stays put on that roof she'll be fine until she gets more strength. That section of roof is of decent size, and the office workers are aware of her presence and the situation in general, so they won't disturb her. Plus the parents will watch over her and make sure she has food.

***I posted that I didn't think it was a real fledge.  She got down four floors below.  The building is terraced and the birds have a lot of ways to be safe if they fall off the 41st floor.  I'll keep you all posted.  I'll be down on Saturday and Sunday.*****


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[Bonnie]

Well, the news is not so good today.  Where shall I start - bad news, good news.  Mike and I were out watching three of the girls doing their thing on the ledge around the corner from the scrape.  Well, not quite around the corner.  It is an L shape.  They can hop/fly between terraces on the 41st floor.  Which one of them did.

Then a passerby said they picked up one on Friday at 2 am and she was taken to a rehab center.  ????  We checked the Jersey Journal and discovered that our first girl had gotten down to the ground and was picked up by JC Animal Control after boys were throwing rocks at her.  Raptor Trust reported to the paper that she has bruises and a broken clavicle.  The RT has been wrong before in their diagnosis so we will wait and see.  But the bruises would be totally believable after a 37 story fall.  As would a broken clavicle.  The good news is that she can be rehabilitated. 

And the second good news is that as of 1:30 pm on Saturday her sisters were still on the 41st floor.

[Donna]

Well, the news is not so good today.  Where shall I start - bad news, good news.  Mike and I were out watching three of the girls doing their thing on the ledge around the corner from the scrape.  Well, not quite around the corner.  It is an L shape.  They can hop/fly between terraces on the 41st floor.  Which one of them did.

Then a passerby said they picked up one on Friday at 2 am and she was taken to a rehab center.  ????  We checked the Jersey Journal and discovered that our first girl had gotten down to the ground and was picked up by JC Animal Control after boys were throwing rocks at her.  Raptor Trust reported to the paper that she has bruises and a broken clavicle.  The RT has been wrong before in their diagnosis so we will wait and see.  But the bruises would be totally believable after a 37 story fall.  As would a broken clavicle.  The good news is that she can be rehabilitated. 

And the second good news is that as of 1:30 pm on Saturday her sisters were still on the 41st floor.

Never a dull moment with fledglings. As far as the boys throwing rocks at her, I don't know if I want to cry or scream! They need a good  whooping. Thanks Bonnie. Hope she does OK.

[Donna]

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/06/a_young_peregrine_falcon_fell.html Here's the article

That is a long way down to fall...

[Annette]

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/06/a_young_peregrine_falcon_fell.html Here's the article

That is a long way down to fall...

Poor eyas/juvie. 

[MAK]

    Little boys can be so cruel to wildlife.   

[valhalla]

As far as the boys throwing rocks at her, I don't know if I want to cry or scream! They need a good  whooping.

Can't - Child Protective Services will step in and punish the parents.  Madness!

[Donna]

As far as the boys throwing rocks at her, I don't know if I want to cry or scream! They need a good  whooping.

Can't - Child Protective Services will step in and punish the parents.  Madness!

True! 

[Bonnie]

We have a successful fledgling here in Jersey City. She flew strongly with an adult right beside her one block north and circled back. She is now perched with her sisters on the terrace around the corner from the scrape. One adult kept trying to lure them out.  Still lots of down on the other two.

When I was at 101 Hudson with the biologist, building manager and Conserve Wildlife people talked briefly about a stepped up education program. I am sure the talks will get more serious now. I would like to spend a few hours with those boys and show them how to watch birds.

[Donna]

We have a successful fledgling here in Jersey City. She flew strongly with an adult right beside her one block north and circled back. She is now perched with her sisters on the terrace around the corner from the scrape. One adult kept trying to lure them out.  Still lots of down on the other two.

When I was at 101 Hudson with the biologist, building manager and Conserve Wildlife people talked briefly about a stepped up education program. I am sure the talks will get more serious now. I would like to spend a few hours with those boys and show them how to watch birds.

You go girl! 

[Tokira]

As far as the boys throwing rocks at her, I don't know if I want to cry or scream! They need a good  whooping.

Can't - Child Protective Services will step in and punish the parents.  Madness!

For the Whooping, but not for the bad behavior 
Carol
WV

[valhalla]

As far as the boys throwing rocks at her, I don't know if I want to cry or scream! They need a good  whooping.

Can't - Child Protective Services will step in and punish the parents.  Madness!

For the Whooping, but not for the bad behavior 
Carol
WV

Insanity - I know that I wouldn't have sat for a month

[Bonnie]

Here is a pic of the fledgling with one of the adults.  I do believe this is Athena (Mike and I named her, sorry Linn P) and one of her girls.  The bigger one is the fledgling of course:



The almost whole family:



And have you ever seen an upside down peregrine?



Update on our first almost fledgling:  She does have a broken clavicle that has started to heal on its own.  She will be in Raptor Trust for the next week until the x-ray technician gets back to take a picture of the break.  Until then it would hurt for her to fly and she would most definitely get into trouble again.  She is in a darkened room being kept calm.  My friend, Mike, said she looks good.  It is 03/AE or Barbie as I started calling her.