Richmond, VA Falcons

[MAK]

 

[falconsforever129]

She is so sweet and patient looking...I hope our dear little Harriet heals completely.
I want her to feel the wind in her wings again. 

[jeanne]

She is so sweet and patient looking...I hope our dear little Harriet heals completely.
I want her to feel the wind in her wings again. 

What a beautiful way to think of it.  Be well, sweet Harriet

[falconsforever129]

She is so sweet and patient looking...I hope our dear little Harriet heals completely.
I want her to feel the wind in her wings again. 

What a beautiful way to think of it.  Be well, sweet Harriet

Thank you so much!   She is such a sweet bird...

[Donna]

October 25 Update:  A  Case of Mistaken Identity …

The falcon — a large female [weight of 1 kg] — was intially identified by Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries biologists as the female from the pair of peregrines that have been nesting in downtown Richmond since 2003 — first at the BBT Building, and more recently on the west building of the Riverfront Plaza.  This pair has produced numerous offspring, included chicks that have been used to introduce peregrines into other areas of Virginia. This female also had been the “starâ€� of the VDGIF Falcon Cam – a web-based camera focused on the falcon’s nest.  Web-cam watchers have given this bird the name “Harrietâ€� – her mate, of course, is Ozzie.

However, VDGIF biologists have now changed their minds and have concluded that #10-2118 is NOT “Harrietâ€�.  A pair of peregrine falcons has been seen in the past few days defending the downtown Richmond nesting site, and careful examination of photos of Harriet and #10-2118 suggest that these are NOT the same birds.

So who is #10-2118?  According to Dr. Dave McRuer, the Center’s Director of Veterinary Services, this adult female is likely a southbound migrant – most probably from New England, Canada, or even Greenland.

The Peregrine Falcon is a native species to Virginia, once nesting in the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains.  By the early 1960s, the falcon was believed to be extinct as a breeding species in Virginia and all areas east of the Mississippi River — a decline linked to the widespread use of DDT and other chemicals.  A program of peregrine reintroduction began in Virginia in 1978.  There are now about 20 known breeding paris of peregrines in Virginia.

[jeanne]

I take it, they are not banded???  Poor sweetheart, whoever she is.  I hope she makes a full recovery

[Donna]

I take it, they are not banded???  Poor sweetheart, whoever she is.  I hope she makes a full recovery

Me too, Harriet or not. 

[falconsforever129]

I take it, they are not banded???  Poor sweetheart, whoever she is.  I hope she makes a full recovery

Me too, Harriet or not. 

Ditto! Poor little one...I am so glad she is in good hands.   

[Donna]

http://falconcam.tumblr.com/ Here's the webcam

[MAK]

 

[falconsforever129]

http://falconcam.tumblr.com/ Here's the webcam

The photos of Harriet and the little injured "wanderer" are so precious!
 

[Donna]

Update:

WAYNESBORO --

An important patient got a checkup in one of Virginia's more unusual hospitals yesterday.

The patient was a rare peregrine falcon injured in Richmond. The hospital was the Wildlife Center of Virginia, which treats wild animals.

"You can still see that spot," said veterinarian Miranda Sadar, peering into the falcon's right eye with an instrument called an ophthalmoscope.

The spot was the area of a detached right retina. "The retina's trying to reattach itself, but it looks about the same as it did a couple of weeks ago," Sadar said.

That was not good news.

A downtown worker found the dark-eyed, gray-and-brown falcon on the ground near Shockoe Slip on Oct. 12. It may have crashed into a high-rise window.

The crow-sized bird also hurt its right shoulder, and Sadar took X-rays yesterday. The shoulder appeared to be mending.

But would the eye heal enough to allow the falcon to be returned to the wild? "Right now -- I'm more of a conservative person -- I'd say no," Sadar said.

If the falcon can't be released, it will be used in educational programs.

Experts initially thought the bird was Harriet, a falcon that nests in Richmond. But after checking photos, the experts decided the hurt falcon was a solitary bird.

There are only 23 breeding pairs of peregrines in Virginia, and that makes a big female like the Waynesboro patient so important.

The bird had spent the past few weeks in a dog crate. After her exam yesterday, she was released into a small outdoor pen. She hopped up on a table, fluffed herself up and looked about.

"I'm sure she'll want to preen all her feathers, get them in the right place," Sadar said. "She's such a pretty bird."

[MAK]

Thanks for the update Donna. I knew that eye was gonna be a problem.

[jeanne]

Oh dear

[falconsforever129]

I'm really worried about that eye too....