Richmond, VA Falcons

[Bonnie]

The action has slowed from snail's pace. The potential fledgling is not fledging despite the fact that she is over 50 days at this point. This is a web cam and the posts from Gen Nature need to be moved here.  The Richmond Times has another great article today. My name for the bird is the Pokey Little Peregrine.  This may be de ja vu for Harley.

[Donna]

Falcon chick still reluctant to fly

Richmond's chicken-hearted falcon showed little interest again Friday in making its first flight from a 21st-story ledge downtown.

The peregrine falcon was released Thursday morning from a temporary pen by its nest on Riverfront Plaza, 901 E. Byrd St. Young falcons usually fly within a couple of hours of release.

"This is not what we expected, which is often the case in wildlife management," said Stephen Living, a biologist with the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

A pair of the rare falcons has nested downtown since 2003, but this was the first year they produced just one chick. That meant the reluctant falcon had no sibling to urge it on.

"When birds fledge, we've noticed there's a 'me too,' " Living said. The chick looks healthy, he added.

Barbara Slatcher, a Hanover County wildlife-rehabilitation expert, offered another explanation: As an "only child," the chick was spoiled with extra food and attention. "She doesn't want to leave the comforts of home."  (Harlequin!)  

Experts and volunteers watched Friday from Kanawha Plaza, ready to assist if the crow-sized chick plummeted into traffic. The parent birds flew by the chick a couple of times, apparently offering encouragement.

The chick peered over the ledge and flapped its wings occasionally, but by early evening it hadn't flown. The falcon watch enters its third day this morning.

Peregrine falcons were nearly wiped out by pesticides in the 1950s and '60s. Virginia scientists are trying to help the majestic predators rebuild their numbers.

There are only about two dozen nests in Virginia, so every chick counts.

Steve Living, a biologist with the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, used a spotting scope Friday to watch a peregrine falcon chick on the BB&T building in downtown Richmond. The department's Ray Fernald also was waiting for the falcon chick to fly. (he looks bored)

Richmond Times Dispatch

[valhalla]

Believe it or not, one of the parents flew over us late yesterday afternoon (4ish) as I was flying up I-95!  Jersey Girls can bird watch and haul butt up the highway at the same time!

[Bonnie]

    why aren't you there watching?  Or why would you be there watching the grass grow.  Pokey Ginger is still on the ledge.

[valhalla]

Coming back from NC and Fathers day with Rich's Dad.  Of course, I hear Richmond and think racing!  No wonder I was doing 90 (God was riding with me beacause 15 over is an automatic Reckless - have no idea what 20 would get me).

[Bonnie]

Very sad news to report about our girl in Richmond.  She did fledge, but got confused by glass in some of the building windows.

Fly Free, Ginger.

[Kris G.]

Very sad news to report about our girl in Richmond.  She did fledge, but got confused by glass in some of the building windows.

Fly Free, Ginger.

I was just going to post this, Bonnie.

Monday, June 20, 2011
Young Richmond falcon does not survive collision with building
The story of the young Richmond peregrine falcon has unfortunately come to a premature end as the bird died from injuries resulting from a collision with a downtown building.

The young falcon was last seen on the Falcon Cam this morning at around 7:40.  At 10:20, a DGIF biologist spotted the bird on a window ledge directly below the nest box on the Riverfront Plaza West Tower, approximately 15 ft below the box.  Both adults were seen repeatedly circling the building in flight in an effort to encourage the young bird to fly.  At 11:20, a flash of light from behind the window where the juvenile was perched spooked her off the window ledge.  The bird took a strong, level flight northward, accompanied by her mother, and disappeared from sight behind a building.

The DGIF biologist was joined downtown by a dedicated volunteer at around noon.  Before long, the volunteer spotted the young falcon perched on a building to the NE of the Riverfront Plaza towers.  Following a brief preening session, the bird took a short flight and then circled back.  It skittered some 20 ft down the glass facade of a nearby building, but was able to regain altitude.  Unfortunately it then flew headlong into another glass building, the James River Tower Three, dropping straight down.

The young falcon was retrieved from the rooftop of an abutting building, where it landed approximately 10 stories below the collision point.  The DGIF veterinarian arrived on the scene and confirmed that the bird was dead, citing head trauma from the collision as the cause and stating that the falcon likely died immediately upon impact with the building.

This unfortunate event represents the worst possible outcome that could be expected from this much anticipated fledging event, and underscores the need to monitor the progress that young urban falcons make as they leave the nest.  We would like to thank all of the volunteers who have participated in the Fledge Watch this year, as well as all those folks who have followed the young falcon’s progress this year.


   Fly free, little one.

[margaret]

So sad for little Ginger. 
Fly free, sweet Ginger.   

[Donna]

This is awfully sad. So sorry for little Ginger. Tragic.

[MAK]

  Poor Ginger! How sad for the parents too even if they don't have human emotions  It's still the loss of a child that they fed and nurtured. 

[carly]

Heartbreaking, she was such a beautiful girl and her parents fought so hard to keep her alive...what a horrible ending for everyone involved. 

[Donna]

By Rex Springston
Published: June 21, 2011


As people watched from the ground, a rare peregrine falcon crashed into a glassy downtown Richmond high-rise Monday and died not long after taking its first flight.

"One second it was flying. The next second it was dead, just like that," said Sergio Harding, a biologist with the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

Experts and volunteers had watched the bird since Thursday morning to try to ensure it made a safe first flight.

"Tragic is what it is," said Barbara Slatcher, a volunteer who watched the fatal flight with Harding. "The first flights are the most dangerous, which is why we do the fledge watch to begin with."

The falcon was released Thursday from a temporary pen beside its nest on a 21st-story ledge at Riverfront Plaza, 901 E. Byrd St.

Harding said he arrived downtown Monday about 10 a.m. to find that the falcon was no longer on that walkway ledge but on a window ledge about 15 feet down. The bird had to have flown to get there. That was great news.

Shortly after 11 a.m., the fledgling took off again, accompanied by its mother, and flew strongly until it disappeared behind another downtown building.

Just after noon, the falcon approached a glassy building northeast of Riverfront Plaza, Harding said. "It came into contact with the glass but recovered quite nicely."

A short time later, the falcon flew at high speed into the glass-sided James Center III building in the 1000 block of East Cary Street near Shockoe Slip, Harding said. "The bird flew into it, collided with it and dropped like a stone."

A state veterinarian examined the falcon and said it probably died instantly.

Pesticides nearly wiped out peregrine falcons in the 1950s and 1960s, so Virginia scientists are working to help the crow-sized predators build their numbers.

But city living is dangerous. To a falcon, glass that reflects sky and clouds apparently looks like more open space.

A pair of falcons has nested downtown since 2003. Another of their young crashed into a building and died in 2004.

Fly Free
 

[Guru]

I all.  Sorry I did not copy the link but they have banded 3 little ones at Richmond.  The reason I am posting....they have caged the baby falcons on the ledge so they won't wander "off".  The parents feed through the bars.  Has anyone ever seen this before?  I find it a tad odd.

[Guru]

OK.  Here is the link.

http://falconcam.tumblr.com/

[Dumpsterkitty]

They do this every year there. Very unsafe area for them to wander. Once they have wing feathers they'll rig up a device to open the door automatically-they use a bottle of ice that drips as it melts. It's still not ideal for fledging, but at least they have a chance once they can fly.