New Peregrine cam in Australia

[MAK]

 

[Annette]

Quiet weekend, busy morning

Little activity to report over the weekend, with weather ranging between lightning storms and brief driving rain, to high humidity and bright sunshine. Hard to know, as a peregrine, whether to stay under cover or to be out in it!

This morning saw one of the young’ns gleefully accepting a bite and then playing with breakfast before eating.

http://youtu.be/T6QZo2Qttbc

[MAK]

  Thanks Annette! 

[Annette]

Feeding activity in eyrie this morning
Posted on 11-01-2012

Visits to the trees and in to the eyrie are patchy at the moment but most of the peregrines are still in the area. Going home back down the road the other evening I witnessed a writhing starling mass, similar to a shoal of sardines in a panic, above some pine trees. As I drove closer I was passed going the other day at high speed & low altitude (i.e. car height) by one of the young falcons who must have terrified the starlings in to panicking but seemed far more determined to get home than to harass the potential dinner menu.

More activity in the cameras this morning with a feed supplied by an adult (most probably Swift as she’s been back with us more recently) and voraciously accepted by the young’n. Calm then returned after a lengthy meal, with some very generous poses, contemplating and preening.

Video clip of the day – 2 of the 3 youngsters enjoying time together, away from the blustery day outside.





http://youtu.be/FOY8XGGMs0g

Quiet time together



An article from across the water
Posted on 16-01-2012

Just noticed an article from over the Tasman Sea in New Zealand about a new New Zealand Falcon chick hatched at Staglands Wildlife Reserve near Wellington. Very cute photo of a very young eyas, but  alarmingly low numbers for yet another species in trouble. Great to see more recovery efforts making a difference – “Fast life for a little predatorâ€� (Stuff.co.nz, 13-01-2012).

There’s little to report from up the Concrete Hilton over the weekend, with one video clip ready  to upload (troubles uploading; will repair ASAP). The good news is that the new HD camera is running beautifully and the paperwork is going in to CSU’s DIT people shortly to allow us to change over from the old camera to the new nest camera. There will also be some security upgrades to the server undertaken.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/6252931/Fast-life-for-little-predator


Training with an edge
Posted on 17-01-2012

An unusual moment of interaction late this afternoon up on the tower. Swift was quietly sitting on the small WiFi antenna on the north side of the tower, sunning herself in the hot summer glare, when Beau arrived and started urgently bowing and chirping away to her from higher up on top of the ridge. One of the youngsters swung around from above the trees and as it attempted to land next to Beau he hopped along and pushed it away, before following it down over campus and out in to the northern yonder, all the while being harassed by his offspring. Eventually Beau quietly returned to settle on the ledge, no doubt without realisation that Swift is still just around the corner! This behaviour is reminiscent of most probably what’s to come in the next 3-4 months as the youngsters will be driven off for good near the end of summer/beginning of autumn. Debate continues as to why this was such a dominant display by Beau. Of course it would have to be a day where the SLR camera was absent. All comments welcome!


Severe lightning storms strikes Orange
Posted on 19-01-2012

If you’re currently having problems with the cameras it could be that the sky is at present falling on our heads in Orange. A severe and very direct storm is passing overhead and has required 2 restarts to the streaming & monitoring servers. Hang in there – normal transmissions will resume as soon as possible!
All falcons have hunkered down elsewhere, which is a good move as no doubt Beau remembers being caught on the microwave dish 4 years ago when a direct hit struck the tower & flashed across campus. The only (other) bright news from amongst the 50 dead computers & printers that day was that 3 days later our first born, Migii, miraculously & against all laws of nature, hatched!


New video footage, courtesy of Beau
Posted on 19-01-2012

The worst of the storms have passed by (more later this week), with fortunately no serious damage to equipment nor peregrines, although I gather there were a few nervous moments up top too. During the storm a video clip was run, (just in case!) showing one of the youngsters trying to shelter on the microwave dish arm – just about the very worst place to be during one of our storms! Luckily nothing happened but the audio in this clip is an indication of what went on for about 45minutes around us.

Also some really nice quality video footage of Beau running an eyrie tour inspection the other day. Interesting his desire to “scrape� at this point in time but good to see him. All family members are finally getting used to the new “eye� in their eyrie too.

http://youtu.be/9yU1MqmUZUs

http://youtu.be/S9lleQISbtI

Siblings together once more

[MAK]

  Gorgeous young falcons! Thank you so much Annette!!! 

[Annette]

Dreary quiet days

With some pretty average weather, violent storms last week and rain predicted this week, it’s a quiet time in the trees, although regular feedings (or pleading for feedings!) can be heard every day still. The youngster roll call has reached two at any one point in time since last year so we can but hope that number 3 is safe and sound elsewhere. This period has given us an opportunity to breathe again and plan ahead for this year. The priority for us now is to achieve funding for the second HD camera. This first camera, to appear soon on the streaming pages, is vastly superior to our our older models, and a second unit will replace the current ledge camera. We’re well on our way in $ terms, thanks to our brilliant supporters from every walk of life! Once improved vision is in place we’ll be looking further towards upgrading our two servers as they’re old and running very close to 100% most of the time, but in saying that they’re very reliable and proving their current worth.

The feeling of the day

[Annette]

A changing of the guard, or, home to roost

It’s been a few days now since we last saw one of this season’s three youngsters. It may well have something to do with the bad weather, but it will no doubt also be influenced by all three maturing and attaining more independence. With some luck they’re all becoming adept at hunting.

Indeed since earlier this week we’ve only been accompanied by Swift and Beau who may be feeling more “at home� once more, now that their offspring are flying off to new regions on their own. Swift has spent many hours on the ledge , with an entire overnight the other evening. Beau also comes home to roost and if you’re lucky you’ll catch either/or in the cameras during the day, most often at dawn or dusk.

In saying that here’s a shot from earlier this week of the last sighting of a yearling, taking a snack:

Dining in

[Donna]

It's sad when they finally leave for good. Thanks Annette for 3 months of great fun with this family.  I wish them all well.

[MAK]

It's sad when they finally leave for good. Thanks Annette for 3 months of great fun with this family.  I wish them all well.

 

[Annette]

Peregrine roll call

With winter setting in around Orange, and a week of the coldest nights so far this year, it’s been comforting to see both adult peregrines staying with us. Swift spends the afternoons up on the tower roof sunning herself, while Beau tends to roam the countryside. Every so often you’ll catch Swift overnighting in the eyrie. We can go days without spotting Beau so it’s good to see him when he does decide to grace us with his presence. Last evening both birds came back to the tower, and again this morning both were here, one on the roof and one on the microwave dish down the side.

Winter will get much colder but with some luck either (or both) peregrines will remain live Internet stars for the duration.

The new server configuration for our streaming capability now seems to be more stable  & automated, with some software contingencies in place if things go wrong; we can but hope that electrical power & the campus network stay up for us!

Swift stretching in the night chill


Swift overnighting in the chill



Off-season research homework

It’s been a month of promotional work & visits for Project members. While we sit out some unusual Orange autumn weather we’ve been spreading our wings a little ourselves (pun; terrible, sorry!). Fellow Project co-ordinator Dr Cilla Kinross has been sending back some amazing photos and stories from a whistlestop trip through France and England, with plenty of bird-watching, including some awesome peregrine photos from ornithological colleagues in Albi, France. Fellow England-based Project colleague, Dr Ian Grange, will also be receiving a visit from Cilla shortly and no doubt will be comparing some interesting notes and catching up with recent events.

http://fauconpelerin.mairie-albi.fr/

Scott’s just returned from a trip to New Zealand, including a few days in Queenstown and over to the Franz Josef Glacier. While in Queenstown he was lucky enough to visit & acquaint with the good staff at Peregrine Wines near Queenstown who are very strong supporters of the Wingspan New Zealand Falcon research & rehabilitation centre up in Rotorua (North Island). We’ve had plenty of recent local travellers telling us to go to the winery and it was indeed worth the visit; really nice people with interesting stories & a love of wildlife to boot (wine’s fantastic too)!!

http://www.peregrinewines.co.nz/
http://www.wingspan.co.nz/

Just over two years ago the West Coast Wildlife Centre was established in the Franz Josef Glacier village as a joint project to breed and rehabilitate the extremely rare local “Rowi� kiwi. With only 375 individuals left on planet Earth it’s an amazing look in to a successful rare species breeding program. A highly recommended visit & well worth the entrance fee to see a couple of Rowi in their own nocturnal enclosures and the guided tour through the on-site breeding facility.

http://www.wildkiwi.co.nz/

[Annette]

It’s “stay indoors� weather in Orange

With winter well & truly on us the days have been really great – if you’re inside! But Beau and Swift don’t have that luxury and endure the wintry blasts, along with the occasional sunny afternoons. We’re lucky they’re both hanging around campus, and for any campus visitors they can be pretty sure they’ll get a sighting up on the tower or around the corner on the old microwave dish, enjoying what warmth they can find. Comforting to know they’re both reporting in to the regular roll call. Peregrines have a requirement for a large personal space and as such these two always play the game that they don’t know each other, and never get close.

There was conjecture as to whether this breeding season could possibly begin early. This is based on
the ideas that the young’ns from last season left us so early in the piece (an average and cold summer),
and it’s been pretty cool and wet all the way through, so the possibility that the peregrines could be signalled earlier than they normally would may be a point of campus discussion. Of course the other possibility is that they gauge their seasons rather more on the length of the day instead, and so
won’t change their cycles noticeably. Time will tell and the TAB will no doubt be taking bets soon!!

Two high and fast flyers

[Annette]

Just seen: A falcon sleeps in the nestbox

[Donna]

Just seen: A falcon sleeps in the nestbox

Very nice Annette, thanks!

[Kris G.]

Just seen: A falcon sleeps in the nestbox

 

[Annette]

Mid-winter happenings

Apologies to all our followers for a lack of news posts lately about our fine peregrine couple. They’ve indeed stayed with us through this mid-winter Orange freeze and appear to be in good spirits and healthy. Over the last couple of weeks we’ve noticed that both Swift and Beau are frequenting the “Concrete Hilton� every day, and quite often at close quarters. Breeding season is almost upon us and we’re watching and waiting for those tell-tale signs of in-flight wheeling and chatter. It’s always when you don’t have your camera with you that the best shots present themselves though! Last night both birds remained on top of the tower until the sun went down, looking resplendent in the everning-red dusk colours.

Best chance of seeing them at the moment would be via the camera pages. We’ve been having a few issues with the streaming but we’re on to it! When the cameras are working you’re more than likely to see either falcon on the ledge during daylight hours.

News of the next HD camera — we’ve now reached the financial target to purchase the second HD camera, but we’ll be racing to fit it in the eyrie in time as neither falcon is giving us any opportunity to spend even 10 minutes inside the box at the moment! Our fantastic technology partners at Lan1 and CCTV Hire have been chosen once more to supply the equipment, soon as the paperwork is done! And without forgetting all those followers of ours who have so kindly donated their hard-earned funds to enable us to improve our good looks – we thank you! You’re all a part of this fascinating and educational project, and we all benefit from new-found knowledge and the opportunity to observe these amazing raptors in the wild.