Quest Skims Nantucket’s South Shore
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Despite some gaps in the daily emails from the ARGOS satellite tracking service during the past several days, there’s enough data to show that Quest is staying between the communities of Siasconset and Surfside on the southern shore of Nantucket Island.
The reliable data points indicate that she’s spending much of her time along Tom Nevers Road. Satellite imagery shows this to be a wooded residential neighborhood with plenty of single-family homes. Click the View Larger Map link then click the Satellite button to switch views. Some of the houseslook quite large. It’s likely that the woodland provides a refuge for Quest, sheltering her from the worst of the precipitation and especially the wind which has been quite fierce in recent days.
-Jess
December 19th, 2008 at 11:36 PM
I certainly hope she has found some
safe shelter as we are in the midst
of getting about twelve inches of
snow up here in MA….always good
to see a new update on Quest! 😉
December 20th, 2008 at 12:59 AM
Thanks for the update
December 20th, 2008 at 5:15 AM
I posted my limericks a while ago on the kfalconcam board, but I figure they really belonged here!
The Gannet was down on its luck; it
Decided to chill at Nantucket;
Quest did more than duck it;
She stooped down and struck it;
Then flew to her lighthouse to pluck it.
The widgeon (a duck) didn’t cluck; it
Sat cowering inside of a bucket;
But Quest sauntered over
To munch on a plover
And offered the chicken a nugget.
A scoter, avoiding a boater,
Was paddling away from the rotor;
Got snatched by a raptor.
Now Quest is his captor!
He wishes he’d stayed near the motor.
December 20th, 2008 at 5:17 AM
oh, right, and this one:
A peregrine out in Nantucket
Resolved it was high time to chuck it:
“I’m fed up with days
Of nibbling on jays!
I’ll nab me a Black Backed and pluck it!”
December 20th, 2008 at 1:17 PM
Brava!!! Love those limericks Dale! 🙂
December 20th, 2008 at 2:56 PM
Ditto! Brava Dale! 🙂
Thank you Jess for the good news!
I’m really so glad Quest choosed the woodland sheltering her from the cold windy Winter days and providing a comfy refuge, besides that huge buffet feeding her! 😀
Go and stay safe, little one!
December 20th, 2008 at 3:08 PM
We are in the midst of a cold, snowy, windy, wintery weekend and as I watched the news updates last night, I thought of Quest. The reports focused in on the Cape area for awhile and I grew more concerned for Quest, hoping that she found good shelter. This latest report is good news, a sign that Quest is doing just fine in braving her first big New England storm. Thanks, Jess!
December 20th, 2008 at 5:17 PM
Dale, Good ones. You must be Irish!
Maureen in MA, I share your concern. It’s really good to know Quest is finding shelter. In Rochester it’s 15F at the moment and I’m watching several hundred geese vie for the quickly dwindling unfrozen area on the lake behind the house. This weather is tough on wildlife.
Jess, does Quest require shelter? Can she compensate for the cold temps by consuming and burning extra calories?
December 20th, 2008 at 8:10 PM
Wonderful limericks, Dale, a great treat for those of us who do not hang out at the Yahoo forum. Thank-you for sharing your talent.
One aspect of Quest’s new haunts troubles me and that is “Nantucket Memorial Airport”. We know from experience that when peregrines and airplanes try to share the same airspace it ends badly for the bird with the feathers instead of the full metal jacket.
I am hoping she heads back to the seabird smorgasbrod as soon as possible.
December 20th, 2008 at 9:55 PM
I thought the same thing myself Alison – the airport is a little too close for comfort. She’s a smart navigator thus far – lets hope her natural instincts prevail!
December 21st, 2008 at 12:53 AM
The same thought crossed my mind too.. We lost many juvies because of collision with planes. I’m thinking with special affection and sorrow of Rich from Hilliard Road Bridge (Cleveland) I met there before he ended this way.
Let’s hope our girl will be lucky and keep as far as possible from that danger!
December 21st, 2008 at 2:10 AM
Let us dream a bit.. at times planes and falcons can share the same airspace..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vfLDIvBGXE
“wenn es auch Träume sind – noch einmal dies.” (G. Benn)
December 21st, 2008 at 4:58 AM
Kim, that video absolutely took my breath away! Imagine getting all that detail while in freefall. Especially at 2:25 and 2:31. Thanks for posting.
December 21st, 2008 at 5:02 AM
In happy news, and in the spirit of the holiday, I came across a link through here a little while back that has now become my daily bookmark of awe.
For those of you who can’t get enough falcon, I HIGHLY recommend you bookmark this site and visit it daily! Each and every day this incredible photographer goes out and uploads a new set of absolutely gorgeous images! A real treat daily for sure!
http://palemale.com/
The photographer is Lincoln Karim who was recently published in National Geographic Magazine. He has fought to help preserve the red-tailed falcons in New York City’s Central Park area for considerable time.
I think you’ll all agree, his photography is just breathtaking!
Happy Holidays!
December 21st, 2008 at 12:50 PM
There was conversation about the airport on Nantucket over on the Yahoo Board. One of the members, Paul, has flow into that airport and he commented that during the Winter months, the airport is rarely used. Summertime is a different matter. So Quest should be safe in that area at this time.
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:13 AM
Just wanted to thank Carol and Paul. Was thinking the Nantacket airport cannot be busy in Wintertime. So Quest should be as safe as possible from this potential deadly danger and improve all her skills during her hard first year..
Good flights to Paul and our darling sea birdie! 😀
December 24th, 2008 at 2:45 PM
Best Wishes for the Holidays to all Falcon Fans.
December 25th, 2008 at 12:10 PM
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all. And to the graduates fledging in 2008, may you be strong of wing and blessed with long life.
December 26th, 2008 at 2:47 PM
Healthy, lucky and happy 2009 to all!
May every falcon have such a huge good lunch as Rotor, a Quest’s “sister” from Eastlake, OH, who headed to Ontario, Canada! 😀
http://www.falconcam-cmnh.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?39781.0
December 26th, 2008 at 2:51 PM
Buon Anno to all! 😀
Go, young falcons, be mighty, brave and lucky!
December 28th, 2008 at 3:55 AM
While perverying a gull on an isthmus
Quest remembered that Thursday was Christmas
So she looked to the West
and cacked, “Greetings from Quest!
To Mariah, Dad, brothers and sisses.”
December 28th, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Chrissy, that’s lovely!!! 😀
About your questions (“Jess, does Quest require shelter? Can she compensate for the cold temps by consuming and burning extra calories?”), Jess will respond in a proper way.
My two cents: yes she needs a sheltered place to rest and sleep and, as every animal (and human) being, she needs more calories to compensate the cold temps. Just we have to keep in mind they don’t fear too much this weather. We all saw PFs brooding in and under the snow for many hours.
The first time I had raptors on my fist it was the end of December in the English countryside, I was freezing, but they were pretty indifferent to that chilly, only interested to fly to me catching food!
December 29th, 2008 at 2:10 AM
Thanks, Kim. I was thinking of the arctic Peregrines described in Tennant’s book, On the Wing, when I asked about that. No shelter in the arctic. They’re a separate sub-species but like all PEFAs they don’t store extra calories as fat to burn when they need it. At least I’ve never seen a fat PEFA!
You’re lucky to be working with falcons!
December 29th, 2008 at 10:18 PM
the annual christmas bird count took place on 12/27/08 on nantucket island. we spotted a peregrine that was satellite tagged sitting on the south shore of the island just west of miacomet pond. apparently the bird had been spotted earlier in the day at tom nevers field. as your map is not updated thru this date, was wondering if the satellite tag is still operational?
February 27th, 2009 at 3:45 AM
to whom it might concern …I’m a master falconer ,and I live in the town of Sconset on Nantucket Island .I kinda had a feeling this would happen .Quest is totally smitten with me ,my french brittany spaniel,and “Rusty”my 6 times intermewed tiercel peals/anatum cross.I can’t believe Quests overall condition.I don’t even see any feather louse damage .And what a sweetheart she is !Bells are ringing here and for the last couple of years I’ve had thoughts of releasing Rusty.Quests haunts are the exact places where I’ve been flying my falcons for the last 30 years .So she’s a hippster in her own right .I’ve not heard of anatums being hard core coastal birds like many of the peals and tundras ,but maybe she will wed year round to our little chain of islands here where it seems to be a relatively safe haven for peregrines .No great Great-Horned owls here!!! LOLz…anybody up for putting up a nest box for our new couple!?
March 9th, 2009 at 4:06 AM
Hi Mark,
Would you mind emailing me (jess@rfalconcam.com)? Your observations are very interesting and I’d like to discuss them with you in more detail if you wouldn’t mind.