Bird Cams Around the World

Haven't seen any updates on this falcon either - and I have been checking. And no, I'm not AWOL - last posted over here yesterday . . .

Genoa

A new update on Jesse's release, from the Wildlife in Need Center:

A Real-Life Version of "It's a Wonderful Life"

On November 20th, WINC received an injured Peregrine Falcon that was found on the ground in Watertown. The bird had injuries caused by a probable gunshot wound. We had the bird x-rayed to check for fractured bones and gunshot pellets. Luckily, the gunshot did not break any bones, and there were no bullets or shotgun pellets remaining in her body. However, it did go completely through the wing and broke several critically-important primary flight feathers.

Peregrine Falcons are endangered in Wisconsin. Researchers band nearly all urban-nesting Peregrine Falcons. Since this bird was aleady banded, we were able to determine her identity. "Jesse," was hatched in 2008 in a nest box in Genoa, Wisconsin, near the Mississippi River. In 2010 she nested on the North Tower of Mayfair Mall and produced four chicks. The nest box is still on the roof top in hopes that the peregrines will return there to nest year after year.

We sutured Jesse's puncture and treated her with antibiotics and pain releivers. After the wounds healed, she needed one more procedure: she needed her broken feathers "imped." Imping is a falconry term that means splicing replacement feathers from a "donor" bird of the same species, into the broken feather shafts of the recipient. Without this procedure it would take Jesse an entire year to molt in replacements for her broken primary feathers, and without these feathers, she could barely fly and thus could not be released. Since we did not have any Peregrine Falcon feathers to use, we sent the bird to The Raptor Center in Minneapolis for the feather imping procedure. They implanted new feathers and returned the bird to us in a week.

On Thursday morning, December 22nd, I met WINC Wildlife Rehabilitator Chelsea Matson with "Jesse," Greg Septon, the Director of the Wisconsin Peregrine Falcon Recovery Project, and videographers from TV channels 6 and 12 at the North Tower of Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa.

When we arrived, we noticed Jesse's mate, "Polyo," on a ledge near the top of the building! Greg told us that Polyo continues to roost on the building and hunt nearby. When not nesting, female Peregrine Falcons tend to wander more than the males. With the assistance of Greg Septon, and permission from Mayfair Mall, we were able to take Jesse to the roof nest box for the release.

She flew beautifully and much to our delight, Polyo vocalized and joined Jesse in circling the building. They both landed on a ledge just below the roof. We'll keep our fingers crossed, and hope Jesse and Polyo return to nest on the roof of Mayfair's North Tower in the summer of 2011.



I am so glad that the release went beautifully, and that Jesse is now home again with Polyo. I wish I could have seen her being released! What a wonderful outcome to this story. I hope Jesse and Polyo will go on to have very long, successful lives together.

Many, many thanks to everyone who made this possible, from the unknown shopper who found Jesse, to the Wildlife in Need Center for giving her such good care, and The Raptor Center for their expertise in continuing her care and returning her home to be released.

Nice to see a happy-ending story. So glad that Jesse is back with Polyo. It's amazing what they can do now to help injured birds. Thanks Alison.

Escaped Peregrine in Santa Barbara Updates

She is still out there somewhere:

December 23

Since I posted the first message, we have re-located her three times.

Yesterday afternoon, shortly after her escape, we followed the crows (yes, they're good for something) and found her off Foothill Road, near La Colina School, sitting on a Chimney. When she flew off again 30 minutes later, we were able to re-locate her on a Telephone pole on La Cumbre Rd. and Harrold Ave., where she stayed sunning herself until almost dark. At 5PM she then headed back into the direction of La Colina School and it became too dark to look for her.
We went back out at 7:30 AM, and found her on La Colina Rd. near Hope School, again, on a telephone pole, sunning herself where she stayed until 9 AM, and then flew off in the direction of HWY 101.

She cannot sustain long periods of flight, as her injured wing only allows her to fly a few hundred yards before she gets tired and must rest. She prefers open areas like telephone poles or chimneys. She is trained to fly to the glove for food, and chances are good we can get her back as long as we can keep track of her location. Distractions like traffic and the lure of nature right now prevent her from coming down from a high place until hunger becomes more pressing, which could be two or more days from now.

She wears leather anklets and leather jesses, so she is easily identifiable. Although she can fly, her damaged wing will not allow her to survive in the wild. Please keep a lookout if you are in the area, and pass this message along to anyone you know that lives nearby.

I am heading back out to look for her. She is somewhere between La Colina and 101, slightly to the North.

If you see her, please call Gabriele Drozdowski: 805-636-3688 (cell), or 805-898-0347(home). Thanks much.

December 26

No verified sightings since Thursday, although one on Friday morning in the Foothills nearby most likely was her, but too far away to be sure. No phone calls yesterday, except for one from an elderly woman who thinks she saw a Peregrine downtown two days earlier, with crows attacking.

Was out this morning, starting at 7AM, looking for sunny spots where a potentially wet and cold Peregrine might want to spend some time warming up and drying out, but only saw a Red-tail. Lots of crows doing their morning scavenging thing, but no big mobs; and tons of doves and pigeons warming up on telephone wires. Beautiful morning.

I'm hopeful that I will get some more leads today, as it is such a sunny beautiful day and more people might want to choose to spend some time outdoors. If any of you have some time to go scouting, please do so. Anywhere at this point is fine, as it is possible that she's being chased around by different flocks of crows into different areas at this point.

The leather anklets are the best way to identify her, plus her right wing droops after she has flown for a while. Her jesses (the hanging leather straps) may or may not be there anymore, as they are designed for a bird to be able to pull them out as to prevent them getting caught in branches.

Many thanks to all of you who have her on your mind. My home phone is 898-0347, my cell 636-3688 (will be out looking for her). Have a great day.