Bird Cams Around the World

7am

And a feed going on here

The eyes on the small one look better in several pics.

They have been working very hard on their prey, just not sure how much progress has been made.

I think they could use some help

Clinical Sciences Building, U of A: Bev, Jean and I met Gordon Court and a flock of other people on the roof of the Clinical Sciences Building at 12 noon today for the banding of the chicks. I had never been to a banding before, so I was looking forward to it. I cannot tell you what a shock it was to find that two of the chicks were so sickly they would have been dead in a week, and the third, although in somewhat better condition, was still not healthy, Gordon said. Two of them were very malnourished, undersized, and completely infested with bugs. When Gordon lifted their wings, you could see the bugs crawling all over them. They were being eaten alive, and it was awful to see these poor chicks suffering so much. Also, Gordon felt that there were other problems, possibly Trichimonas, as their chests did not look right. The third, healthier chick, did not have mites, but he still was not in really good shape. He was pretty feisty, though, which is a good sign, while the two smaller ones barely registered our presence, and one of them had trouble standing.

The parents showed their displeasure with our presence by kaaking and flying around, but they did not attack. Eventually, Radisson moved to the roof of the heart institute, where she watched us, kaaking the whole time, while Chase flew up and down and around, I don't think he knew what to do, or what to think of all these people on the roof.

Gordon took the smaller two away to start them on antibiotics and bug dusting for what we hope will be a full recovery, but he said that he felt they were in such bad shape he did not know if they will make it. If they do, it is unlikely he will return them to the nestbox. He returned the third chick to the nest, and has asked all who are watching this site over the next week to keep track of this chick's condition. If it seems to be fading, he will come in and get it. I wish I had better news to report. At least on the positive side, we got to them in time.

The chicks are all male. The band number of the chick that was returned to the nestbox is D/08.

Bev went off to the banding at the Weber, and I expect she will report on this later.

Yes, Skygirlblue, Gordon did say he was dusting the box. There was so much activity there and so many people, I missed a few things he said, but I believe that he plans to take the box away and replace it as it is no longer a safe environment. Therefore, if I understood him correctly, he will do this in the next two weeks, when the chick will be ready to move out of the box, anyway, assuming it is healthy. I may have got some details wrong here, and Bev will be able to report more later. And yes, we did say that the chicks were eating lots, but as you say, Gordon suspects that something else is going on, possibly the Tricihmonas.

Yes, Susan, Bev and I both feel bad about the situation here, and Bev is so devoted to this site and Radisson. We felt that because the chicks were eating lots, they were o.k. Now we know better, that eating does not necessarily mean good health. There is still so much to learn about falcons.

I sure hope that things go better for the banding down at the Weber Centre. We need a bright spot before the weekend.

Well their little eyes haven't looked right in quite a while but I sure couldn't tell that they were starving to death. I am so sorry the poor babies have suffered so. I pray they will survive.

ljames, you were one of the first to notice that they were squinting, and we did mention this to Gordon today; he seemed to think it was significant. He also said that even though they were eating enough, it was being sucked right out of them by the bugs; and I am not taking little mites here, these were big bugs. I was shocked. Gordon said that they cannot possibly build up their size and energy when they are attacked, no matter how much they eat. Of course, this makes sense. In hindsight, everything seems obvious.

I am in for just a minute and will update here in about an hour or so.

I just talked to gord on phone

bu the 2 chicks had frounce, as i suspected last weekend. they feel they have caught them in time and wil treat them.

I have more about what they will do tomorrow. but i have an emergency I am dealing with .

will be bACK SOON

WEll I am back and Peter will download the few pictures i got shortly. I was so upset to see them that I forgot to take a lot of pictures

I must tell you that I am still in shock. I should have stayed with my instinct and had them pulled last weekend.

I did not like the way their fluff look. It was not fluffy. Gord said this is because , they usually poop out of the box but if their energy is low they poop inside and thus on each other. this was evident. I have tears as I write this. But we thought that since one chick was so much bigger it was female. But it was the size the other 2 should have been . the other 2 were half the weight , they should be. the food coming in was great but they were pooping it out.

We could see all their stashes from the roof. Chase di dnot know quite what to do. he went over to College Plaza and stayed there but then came back cacking at us. Radisson does not trust us and sat at Maz. She was still cacking long after we left .

So this is the scoop. I talked to Gord on the phone a bit ago. The 2 chicks removed were emaciated and covered with blood sucking mites and flat flies. Both had Frounce, Trichomonas gallinae. It grows as a canker in the throat and eventually kills the birds. in the past this was almost fatal but with the newer antiflalgelllate drugs , it can be cured. Our wonderful falcon breeder , is treating the birds now. Gord checked the healthy chick and he did not have any throat cankers but we will have to watch him.

Now , although Gord starts a week of holidays today, he is going up to the box tomorrow and cleaning it out and dusting it and putting in new gravel . He will also give the chick a dose of the medicine, in case, and dust him . so RAdissson will be upset again but it will be for the good of the chick
so needless to say , I will stay with my gut from now on.

Weber

the chick there is as healthy as these were sick. The both sites will be fledging at the same time so I will be busy.

I am going to try and get some donations to help Phil with feeding these chicks of ours as Gord has now put 4 with him. Phil will have a few of the female peregrines feed them. thank God for Phil.

Peter will download the few pictures I got of Clinical and I will post in a bit

has anyone seen r in???

Oh No! Frounce! Our worst nightmare. I feel horrible, because if I had not posted all those feeding reports . . . well, . . things would be so different here. I am so sorry, bev. and can feel your pain. I'll be praying that the medication will do the job.

am posting a slideshow. have a few more of chick, but I want to get permission to post Jeans picture with it

here is link

when I get permission i will post Jean with our fairly good chick, I hope

http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x135 ... 9fed04.pbw