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 Post subject: ABOUT THE HARRISBURG FALCONS
PostPosted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 11:32 am 
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Location: Delaware
ABOUT THE HARRISBURG FALCONS

Since early June 2012, a new female has joined Lil' Dad on the Harrisburg ledge:

    - Niecey (left leg is black/green, 48/AE and right leg is silver band with green tape). She fledged from the PA/NJ Turnpike Delaware River Bridge in Bucks County, PA, in 2009. She arrived at the Harrisburg nest in June 2012.

    Note: Her father is a brother to the Mom we lost in 2010. As this makes her a niece to Mom, we decided to call her Niecey.

Image

Photo of Niecey on the ledge courtesy of Reenie.


Background Information

Nest Site:

    - The nest box is located on a ledge on the 15th floor of the Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg, PA.

Additional background:



Summary of 2016 Events

Nesting Season

First egg laid: 3/5 (total of 4 as of 3/12)

Hatches: 2 on 4/14; 1 on 4/15 (total of 3)

Chicks banded on 5/3: One female and two males

    - Red Girl (black/green band, 83/BR); 715 grams (May 27th, after two failed rescue attempts, RG went missing. On the 29th, we learned she was found by a Hbg Police Officer and taken to Red Creek Rescue. June 2nd, she was released to the roof and has been doing well ever since).
    - Blue Boy (black/green band, 07/BP); 535 grams (white feet)
    - White Boy (black/green band, 06/BP); 535 grams

First fledge: 5/23

    - 5/23: White Boy
    - 5/24: Blue Boy
    - 5/25: Red Girl


Summary of 2015 Events

Nesting Season

First egg laid: 3/14 (total of 4 as of 3/21)

Hatches: 1 on 4/21; 1 on 4/22; 1 on 4/23 (total of 3)

Chicks banded on 5/21: Three females

    - Red Girl (black/green band, 56/BR); 850 grams
    - White Girl (black/green band, 57/BR); 900 grams
    - Blue Girl (black/green band, 58/BR); 855 grams

First fledge: 5/31

    - 5/31: Blue Girl
    - 6/3: White Girl
    - 6/4: Red Girl

    Sadly, Blue Girl did not survive an encounter with a window on 6/3.


Summary of 2014 Events

Nesting Season

First egg laid: 3/12 (total of 4)

Hatches: 3 on 4/20; 1 on 4/22 (total of 4)

Chicks banded on 5/13: Two females and two males

    - Red Girl (black/green band, 10/BR); 740 grams
    - Blue Girl (black/green band, 11/BR); 785 grams
    - Green Boy (black/green band, 54/AP); 585 grams
    - Jet (male with black band on right leg); (black/green band, 53/AP); 640 grams

First fledge: 5/28

    -5/28: Jet
    - 5/30 Green Boy
    - 5/31 Blue Girl
    - 6/3: Red Girl


Summary of 2013 Events

Nesting Season

First egg laid: 3/13 (total of 4)

Hatches: 4/20, 4/21, 4/22, 4/23 (total of 4)

Chicks banded on 5/21: Three females and one male

    - Blue Girl (black/green band, 80/AR)
    - White Girl (black/green band, 32/AR)
    - Red Girl (black/green band, 31/AR)
    - Yellow Boy (black/green band, 23/AP)

First fledge: 5/31

    - 5/31: Yellow Boy and White Girl
    - 6/1: Blue Girl and Red Girl


Summary of 2012 Events

Image

NG (New Girl) and Lil' Dad were the resident falcon pair on the Harrisburg ledge at the beginning of 2012.

    - NG (no bands). NG arrived at the Harrisburg nest in September 2010.

    - Lil' Dad (black/red band, W/V). Lil' Dad fledged from the Walt Whitman Bridge in Philadelphia in 2003. He arrived at the Harrisburg nest in 2005.

Sadly, NG is no longer with us. On May 15, it was apparent that she was really suffering from a bad injury and/or an illness. NG was last seen on the ledge on May 16. Despite heroic attempts to locate and rescue her, she was never found.

To read our forum members' loving tributes in honor of NG, go to:

Nesting Season

First egg laid: 3/8 (total of 4)

First hatch: 4/17 (total of 2)

Chicks banded on 5/9:

    - Red Boy (black/green band, 42/AP)
    - Blue Boy (black/green band, 43/AP)

First fledge: 5/26 (Blue Boy)

    Note: Prior to Blue Boy's fledge on 5/26, Red Boy "accidentally" fledged on 5/24 when he was blown off the ledge by a gust of wind. Luckily, he was found uninjured on the ground and returned to the ledge, where he successfully fledged on 5/28.

Post-nesting Season

With the disappearance of NG, Lil' Dad became a single parent to the boys. Based on their strong flying skills, he did a great job teaching them to become independent: Blue Boy was last seen on the ledge June 11, and Red Boy was last seen on the ledge on June 13.

In the meantime, Niecey and Lil' Dad became the resident falcon pair on the Harrisburg ledge.


Summary of 2011 Events

In 2011, NG (New Girl) and Lil' Dad - the resident pair since September 2010 - successfully raised one chick.

Nesting Season

First egg laid: 3/11 (total of 4)

First hatch: 4/20 (total of 1)

Chick banded on 5/17:

    - Silver Boy (affectionately known as "Lil One" or LO for short)

First fledge: 5/27

    - Remarkably, LO never needed a rescue during Fledge Watch. He flew strong and confidently from the start!


Post-nesting Season

Lil' Dad was last seen in Harrisburg on November 30, which is normal as he usually takes a brief winter vacation to places unknown (we assume he goes south to a warmer climate). However there was much uncertainty in December about the resident falcons because a new, unbanded male (known as NB for No Band) was sighted on the ledge on December 9. While he spent some time on the ledge with NG, this only lasted until Lil' Dad reappeared on the ledge early in 2012.


Summary of 2010 Events

January - February 2010

The year started off well with lots of activity on the ledge between Mom and Lil' Dad, the resident falcon pair. Mom had been at the Harrisburg nest ever since she arrived in 1999.

March - Mid July 2010

Mom and Lil' Dad had been successfully raising chicks together since 2005, and the 2010 nesting season was no different. Together they raised three chicks.

First egg laid: 3/20 (total of 5)

First hatch: 4/29 (total of 3)

Chicks banded on 5/27:

    - Red Boy
    - White Boy
    - Blue Boy*

    * It was noticed during banding that Blue Boy had signs of the trichomoniasis (trich) infection, and he was treated for it at that time. Unfortunately, his condition worsened and on 6/1/10, he was retrieved from the nest and sent to a wildlife rehabilitator for treatment.

First fledge: 6/7 (White Boy)

Mid July - September 2010

This was a trying time for the Harrisburg falcon watchers.

    - July 21: We learned that Blue Boy lost his battle with Trichomoniasis and had to be euthanized. Despite the very best of care, it was determined that he would never fully recover.

    - August 31: When Mom appeared on the ledge on this last day of August, little did we know that this would be the last time we were to see her alive. Sadly, it was later reported that her body was found near the railroad tracks.

    - September 10: A new female falcon is seen in the nest box. While Lil' Dad accepted her almost immediately, it took us much longer. But accept her we did, and now she's affectionately known as NG for "New Girl."


    Remembering Mom (1998-2010)

    Image
    Photo of Mom on the ledge courtesy of Reenie.

    Mom was a beautiful falcon beloved by many of us here. She was a devoted mate to Lil' Dad and a devoted mother to all her chicks, and she will live on in our memories.

      - On October 2, a memorial to Mom was held in Harrisburg across from the Rachel Carson Building. Those who attended (and those who couldn't) remembered Mom in a memorial tribute. To read our forum members' fond memories of Mom, go to:

      - On October 8, a beautiful memorial banner commemorating Mom was presented (by Reenie and others) to the Education Center at the Rachel Carson Building. Conceived, designed, and financed by the BCAW forum members, this banner was a fitting tribute to Mom's memory.

    Mom's memory also lives on in her daughter, Red Girl, and the many other falcons she and Lil' Dad raised together. In March 2010, we were overjoyed to learn that Red Girl from the 2008 Harrisburg nest was the new female falcon in residence at the Wilmington, DE, nest. We have been privileged to be able to watch Red Girl there as she exhibits many of the same characteristics that endeared us to Mom.


    Summary of 2009 Events

    In 2009, Mom and Lil' Dad - the resident pair since 2005 - raised five chicks.

    Parents:

      - Mom (silver leg band). Mom fledged from the Girard Point Bridge in Philadelphia in 1998. She arrived at the Harrisburg nest in 1999.

      - Lil' Dad (black/red leg band). Lil' Dad fledged from the Walt Whitman Bridge in Philadelphia in 2003. He arrived at the Harrisburg nest in 2005.

    2009 Nesting Summary

    Note: Detailed nesting information for 2009 is included at the end of this post.

    First egg laid: 3/21 (total of 5)

    First hatch: 4/30 (total of 5)

    Chicks banded on 5/27:

      - Blue Girl
      - Green Girl
      - Red Girl
      - Yellow Girl
      - White Boy

    First fledge: 6/8 (Yellow Girl)

    Postscript:

      -Sadly, White Boy is no longer with us: He was found with severe injuries on 6/12 and euthanized.

      - Sadly too, it was noticed on 7/8 that Yellow Girl had suffered an injury to her a beak (she was able to eat, but much more slowly than her siblings). Attempts to capture Yellow Girl for treatment were unsuccessful...but to the best of our knowledge, she is still soaring in the sky with her sisters.


Detailed 2009 Nesting Information

The following chart, which provides more details on this year's nesting activities and chicks, is courtesy of Reenie.

Image

_________________
A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song. (Chinese proverb)


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