For Quest, Life Really is a Beach
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(Zoom in or out on the map by clicking the small “+†& “-†signs. Move it around by clicking your mouse button and dragging the map in the desired direction. Click the falcon icons for more information about each location.)
The latest data from Quest’s PTT (Platform Transmitter Terminal) are nearly all clustered in an area of less than a mile, just off the beach at the northern end of Monomoy Island (click the Sat button in the upper right of the map for a better look at the beach & tidal flats surrounding the island). The data points are remarkably consistent from early morning to late evening. Without eyewitness accounts it’s hard to be certain what’s there, but we’re hard pressed to come up with an explanation other than that she’s following the prey.
We can only get data from Quest’s transmitter when a satellite passes by. With gaps of several hours between passes and variable signal reception, we aren’t able to see where she’s going at all times of the day. But the data points we do have are so similar that we can confidently say she’s spending pretty much all of her waking hours there.
-Jess
November 3rd, 2008 at 3:57 AM
From these sightings Quest is spending a lot of time on South Beach which is just east of the North Monomoy Island. It is right on the path of many migratory birds. A recent sightings report that I read said that there were 14 Peregrine Falcons “working” the area including a Juvie( guess who). It’s a birder’s haven. We have been getting some cold weather and some pretty windy conditions so it will be interesting to see if she starts to move south.
November 3rd, 2008 at 3:54 PM
Jess, Check the tidal charts. Monomoy’s low tide on Oct 27 was at 5:02 am. Quest’s reading was taken at 5:57. I think she’s hunting over the tidal flats. The water around Monomoy is shallow and during low tide the shallows become flats where birds forage for what the tide left behind. The clamming there is excellen! Further out sand dures and shoals appear and they’re usually covered with seal colonies and birds.
November 3rd, 2008 at 4:20 PM
it must be a big all-inclusive buffet out there.
good girl!
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:28 PM
Mangia Quest. She has it made there. Glad she’s doing so well.
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:41 PM
I was out on the cape over the weekend hoping to get a glimpse
of Quest (I live about 2 hours away) and DID get to see a juvie
Peregrine fly over…it was too quick to tell if there was a transmitter
wire sticking up on the back : ( But I can tell you all that it is
a bird feast out there! Many gulls, migrating songbirds and sea
ducks and the usual birds were plentiful all around.
I am so happy every time I check on here and see there is another
update!!! She is off to such a great start!
November 4th, 2008 at 12:04 AM
Thats quite interesting..there must be something keeping her there, and prey is most likely it. Maybe that will be her home away from home. Glad she is doing so well, and hope she is putting on some weight. Remembering that she was sighted, not being too healthy at the time. Thanks for the update.
November 5th, 2008 at 1:19 AM
@Kathy- I don’t think anyone thought Quest was unhealthy, and only one person thought she looked thin. Others who have seen recent pictures of her report that she appears to be in proper form for a young falcon who’s out on her own for the first time.
November 5th, 2008 at 2:22 PM
Jess,
5:57 would also have been a few minutes before the beginning of nautical twilight, defined as when it starts to become light enough to see, If peregrines see just a bit better than humans in dim light, she might be able to pick out shorebirds pretty well. Apparently, shorbirds have been doing much of their feeding at night because of PEFAs –
http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/IWS/n008/p00114-p00121.pdf
Quest may have figured it out!
November 5th, 2008 at 11:13 PM
Thank you Jess! So glad for the updates coming often and so good!!
Paul, PF’s sight is much better than humans as far as I know! 😀
Donna, “Mangia Quest” looks like in Italian: eat Quest!
This lovely smart young girl is making me/us very happy!!! :-))
Once again, gooo Quest!!! 😀
November 7th, 2008 at 12:46 AM
thank you for that, Jess…KV