MONTREAL, QUEBEC ~ MAY 9, 2010 - DEC 31, 2010

catwoman · **Posted:** Sun Jul 04, 2010 7:24 pm

Horus spent a couple of hours this afternoon in the box...

kittenface · **Posted:** Sat Jul 10, 2010 10:39 am

Wizzz · **Posted:** Wed Jul 14, 2010 1:28 pm

Hi everyone !
This is a touchy subject I guess, but personally, I am convinced that hormones is what is driving the reproductive behavior of peregrines, especially with what we saw with Polly this year. She clearly didn't have her reproductive hormones and therefore was totally confused. They are indeed very intelligent, have a good memory, and they can learn, but I can't say that I believe they have complex "feelings" of grieving and so.
I am monitoring other sites, and on one site this year the adult female died, sadly, the male did not feed the young. I tried to save them but by the time I could get the permissions to take them, it was too late - four babies died. I was there for several hours, looking at the male perched near the nest box, screaming to call the female it would seem. While some people could have seen this as grieving, I see it as instinct - he needs a new female as soon as possible to help him keep his territory. His tactic worked, a week later he was seen with a new partner.

Anyways, that's just my opinion, I guess no one can really know unless they could be a peregrine for a day :wink:

catwoman · **Posted:** Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:15 pm

Thanks for posting your opinion, Wizzz. I'm glad to hear that you tried to help those babies--its a shame there is so much red tape to go thru to do that. We saw a nest in the Netherlands where the same thing happened this year. There were 3 babies, but their mother was killed, & neither their father nor the new female gave them any attention. Although the people in charge of the nest were asked to remove those babies & give them to another nearby nest where the eggs didn't hatch, they wouldn't do it. All 3 of those babies died. :-(

They then removed the little bodies. My thinking is that if they could go to the nestbox to remove the bodies, they should have removed the live chicks & given them a chance.

Sure wish Polly would come back now!

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 64399

Wizzz wrote:

Hi everyone !
This is a touchy subject I guess, but personally, I am convinced that hormones is what is driving the reproductive behavior of peregrines, especially with what we saw with Polly this year. She clearly didn't have her reproductive hormones and therefore was totally confused. They are indeed very intelligent, have a good memory, and they can learn, but I can't say that I believe they have complex "feelings" of grieving and so.
I am monitoring other sites, and on one site this year the adult female died, sadly, the male did not feed the young. I tried to save them but by the time I could get the permissions to take them, it was too late - four babies died. I was there for several hours, looking at the male perched near the nest box, screaming to call the female it would seem. While some people could have seen this as grieving, I see it as instinct - he needs a new female as soon as possible to help him keep his territory. His tactic worked, a week later he was seen with a new partner.

Anyways, that's just my opinion, I guess no one can really know unless they could be a peregrine for a day :wink:

Thanks for that perspective, Eve...I did read about the tragedy of that other nest on your blog...just so very sad..I understand the need for policy, but in an emergency, such as rescuing those 4 chicks, I think red tape should be forgotten.

I fluctuate when I try and interpret that type of calling behavior (maybe that's my problem..I shouldn't try and place human emotions onto falcons). The only time I witnessed that type of "calling" behavior was in a bluebird..maybe I've shared this before on this forum...I cannot say he was grieving, but he definitely appeared to be stressed. He sat above the bird box for days and called for his mate. He could have done that elsewhere, but he chose to do it above the box, checking periodically to see if she was inside the box..which she wasn't..he eventually moved on..

I too wish that we would see Polly..but maybe it means she's "come into her own" and thus has left the area...maybe looking for a mate!!!

SusanE · **Posted:** Thu Jul 15, 2010 2:51 pm

I too am sorry to read about that nest where 4 precious ones were lost due to "red tape." So sad. :cryinggirl:

I big hug for you, Wizzz, for trying to save them!

Wizzz · **Posted:** Thu Jul 15, 2010 3:16 pm

Yes it was very sad indeed... I felt horrible when I saw the poor babies that looked so weak. Two of them died in the box, one died during transportation to the bird of prey clinic and the last one died at the clinic despite receiving treatment and food.
It's hard to get things moving. We saw that they were quite small at banding, but they did not seem in distress and were not dehydrated. To figure out what was going on I had to watch for several hours and make sure they were not fed. Then I had to wait for every instance (government, experts, etc.) to agree that we should take the babies and try to save them, and then we had to wait for the bridge people to go get them - it's pretty complicated as they have to stop traffic on one of the busiest bridge around Montreal to do that. The banding was on Thursday, I watched on Friday, then nothing moved on the week-end, so the earliest I could rescue them was on Monday morning. I did everything that I could... :cry:

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 64399

I have no doubt you did everything humanly possible to save those chicks...why is it that it always seems these things happen close to a weekend or on a holiday..when time is so important..

I just appreciate so much that you tried...and that's all that you can do...but its still very sad..

SusanE · **Posted:** Thu Jul 15, 2010 3:30 pm

Wizzz wrote:

. . . I did everything that I could... :cry:

I know you did, Wizzz. Big hug for you

kittenface · **Posted:** Thu Jul 15, 2010 4:04 pm

SusanE wrote:

Wizzz wrote:

. . . I did everything that I could... :cry:

I know you did, Wizzz. Big hug for you

Big hugs from me too Wizzz

catwoman · **Posted:** Thu Jul 15, 2010 7:50 pm

kittenface wrote:

SusanE wrote:

Wizzz wrote:

. . . I did everything that I could... :cry:

I know you did, Wizzz. Big hug for you

Big hugs from me too Wizzz

Big hugs from me as well, Wizzz! We need more people like you who are doing their best to help these birds!

bev. · **Posted:** Fri Jul 16, 2010 12:56 am

catwoman wrote:

kittenface wrote:

SusanE wrote:

Wizzz wrote:

. . . I did everything that I could... :cry:

I know you did, Wizzz. Big hug for you

Big hugs from me too Wizzz

Big hugs from me as well, Wizzz! We need more people like you who are doing their best to help these birds!

big hugs from me as well. :loveshow:

all this red tape really confuses me. People like you , should have more authority as you are right there and kn ow what is going on.

Alison · **Joined:** Wed Jan 20, 2010 9:31 pm **Posts:** 2776

catwoman wrote:

kittenface wrote:

SusanE wrote:

Wizzz wrote:

. . . I did everything that I could... :cry:

I know you did, Wizzz. Big hug for you

Big hugs from me too Wizzz

Big hugs from me as well, Wizzz! We need more people like you who are doing their best to help these birds!

And big hugs from me too, Wizzz! I know you did everything you possibly could to help these little chicks.

What would it take to get a webcam at this site for next year? If there were a webcam, problems would hopefully become visible sooner.

kittenface · **Posted:** Sun Jul 18, 2010 10:46 am

Now who is this?

SusanE · **Posted:** Sun Jul 18, 2010 11:13 am

KF, I'm pretty sure that is the mom, Spirit. Nice catch.

kittenface · **Posted:** Sun Jul 18, 2010 11:14 am

She sure is a beauty :dancinggirls:

Beth · **Posted:** Sun Jul 18, 2010 11:20 am

For Eve...thanks for all you do!

kittenface · **Posted:** Wed Jul 21, 2010 2:02 pm

They are both there and bonding and talking so sweet

kittenface · **Posted:** Wed Jul 21, 2010 2:08 pm

Oh what a cutie pie

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MONTREAL, QUEBEC ~ MAY 9, 2010 - DEC 31, 2010

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