Quest and Kendal - Toronto/Don Mills

[margaret]

Thanks, Kat, for the report, and thanks, Donna for the pictures!   love to see our Quest looking so beautiful!  That transmitter is going to be four years old this spring!     Gotta love that Mexican Red Nailpolish.  Is there any information out there about any other falcon or other bird having a transmitter on for four years?     

[BIGFRANK]

No Peregrine until Quest had ever mated successfully with a transmitter on. I cant say with 100% certainty but she is very likely the only Peregrine to wear one for 4 years. They are designed to fall off after 2.

[BIGFRANK]

As of right now,as we cant read the band number from Anns none-the-less great photos, we are unable to ID the Mystery Guest. We can see it has green tape and a black over black band, which means it is a Peregrine which CPF banded. We can also see that the bird isnt adult, which narrows the number of birds it can be. A CPF volunteer will attend the site tomorrow(Tuesday) and make an attempt to refind and identify the bird. Being that it is a juvenile Peregrine,there is a good chance it has already moved on,but the situation will be monitored. Quest certainly didnt seem terribly bothered by its prescence. The behaviors described, seemed to Tracy like a young bird that happened upon the site and then realized it wasnt its mama nor nest and then left.
 Our mild weather has been great for observers. We have been getting reports and sightings more frequently this winter so far. Lets keep this going gang!!

[Dumpsterkitty]

No Peregrine until Quest had ever mated successfully with a transmitter on. I cant say with 100% certainty but she is very likely the only Peregrine to wear one for 4 years. They are designed to fall off after 2.

I do believe there have been successful mating peregrines with transmitters in the Southern Cross peregrine project http://www.frg.org/SC_PEFA.htm I'm not sure how long their transmitters are designed to last.

[BIGFRANK]

I do believe there have been successful mating peregrines with transmitters in the Southern Cross peregrine project http://www.frg.org/SC_PEFA.htm I'm not sure how long their transmitters are designed to last.
[/quote]
Not doubting what Uve said but in the interest of time,could you please direct me to where it mentions that. I am very bleary eyed from being up most of the night and on first scan, I cant find mention(sure its there Im just blind tired lol) I do see most of the 2008 birds transmitters failed or the birds perished. I also saw that the birds were all adults when banded,which would make it likely theyd try to mate. I am interested to learn this,so I dont spread bad info.

[Donna]

Do we know where Kendal is? I'm confused on this, maybe that juvie was also the one Kat saw last week too, flying around the nest, back and forth. Hmmm

[schlaf374]

No Peregrine until Quest had ever mated successfully with a transmitter on. I cant say with 100% certainty but she is very likely the only Peregrine to wear one for 4 years. They are designed to fall off after 2.

I do believe there have been successful mating peregrines with transmitters in the Southern Cross peregrine project http://www.frg.org/SC_PEFA.htm I'm not sure how long their transmitters are designed to last.

I found this
http://www.falconcam.med.ualberta.ca/faqs.html

"They continue to hunt, feed, breed, and raise young without a problem. The adult female at the U of A nest has been wearing a backpack for her entire breeding life and has fledged 7 young in two years - pretty good going!"

[carly]

Yes both Southern Cross (Arctic falcons fitted with transmitters in Chile while on migration) and Alberta have had success with transmitter falcons breeding.  I believe Island Girl is the longest surviving female with a transmitter to date but I haven't checked for awhile so don't quote me!
(I should add here that Southern Cross is a Washington organization so that would likely count as a US operation since they are doing the research and fund it - so wouldn't count as 'Canadian'.)

Miss Edmonton as she is now affectionately known (formerly called Miss Homeless) was the successful Alberta female that has bred successfully.  She had her transmitter removed last year by Gord Court.    

Same with one of the males at the Genesee Power Plant, he was up to a month late coming home for both years they had a transmitter on him and as a result he lost his nest site as his mate bred with another male.  Both times he has succeeded in winning back his site .  The also were able to capture him and remove the transmitter so hopefully he'll be home on time this Spring!

[MAK]

  Very interesting Carly. Thanks for sharing! 

[carly]

Do we know where Kendal is? I'm confused on this, maybe that juvie was also the one Kat saw last week too, flying around the nest, back and forth. Hmmm

Meant to say also that I hope Kendal is okay.  Perhaps he was visiting one of their other other haunts yesterday!  You know that if it turns out Windwhistler is still the resident male at King St - that makes Kendal his son... 

[Donna]

Do we know where Kendal is? I'm confused on this, maybe that juvie was also the one Kat saw last week too, flying around the nest, back and forth. Hmmm

Meant to say also that I hope Kendal is okay.  Perhaps he was visiting one of their other other haunts yesterday!  You know that if it turns out Windwhistler is still the resident male at King St - that makes Kendal his son... 

It just gets thicker here! Thanks Carly

[Dumpsterkitty]

I do believe there have been successful mating peregrines with transmitters in the Southern Cross peregrine project http://www.frg.org/SC_PEFA.htm I'm not sure how long their transmitters are designed to last.

Not doubting what Uve said but in the interest of time,could you please direct me to where it mentions that. I am very bleary eyed from being up most of the night and on first scan, I cant find mention(sure its there Im just blind tired lol) I do see most of the 2008 birds transmitters failed or the birds perished. I also saw that the birds were all adults when banded,which would make it likely theyd try to mate. I am interested to learn this,so I dont spread bad info.
[/quote]

There are many pages of info there but my work 'puter is being...challenging...so I'll just post a bit from the winter newsletter...apparently there have been some challenges gathering data over the past year...

"The Southern Cross Peregrine Project and Our Changing World
Last February, our research team was at ground zero on the Chilean coast of South America during one of the largest earthquakes in recorded history. Most of our study area at Putu was destroyed by the 20 foot tsunami that followed, effectively de‐railing our project. Although we attempted to continue working, we found that beach and dune access was impossible, basic logistics became a constant nightmare and few peregrines could be found. After two weeks of fruitless effort and constant heavy aftershocks, we decided to call a halt to the project for the year and head home.

We had planned on returning south this fall, driving through Central and South America once again. However, as many of you know, things are changing rapidly in our world. We were advised by several good and knowledgeable friends in Arizona, Texas and Mexico that driving through Mexico was not a great idea at this time because of safety issues. Even Guatemala and El Salvador have become dangerous for US drivers. So, very reluctantly, we have put the project on hold for this year and will see what develops in the future. Meanwhile, our last tagged falcon, “Island Girl the Earthquake Queen�, has completed her fall migration and returned safely to her southern range in Chile."

http://www.frg.org/docs/FRG_2011_Newsletter.pdf

[carly]

Thanks for the update Kitty!  Very happy to hear Island Girl is still thriving and hope she continues to do so! 

I admit I thought of her the other day when I read about the forest fires down in Chile.   

[AlisonL]

As Carly mentioned, the peregrine known as Miss Edmonton (banded black/black M/07) successfully raised chicks while wearing a transmitter, at the University of Alberta nest site. In 2005 she raised three chicks:

 

In 2006 she successfully raised four chicks:

   

In 2007, she lost her nest in a bitter territorial battle with a new female. She was badly injured, but recovered and was released. She attempted to take back her nest several times, but was not successful.



She now has a new nest at the Weber building in Edmonton; this year she and her mate raised three chicks.

I am glad that Gordon Court was able to remove her transmitter in 2010. She winters in Colombia, and the transmitter did seem to delay her return in the spring.

[Carol P.]

Thank you Alison.  Very interesting.  I'm happy too that they removed her transmitter and that she went on to successfully nest again after her territorial battle.