Bird Cams Around the World

Sorry no "live" reports this morning! There probably won't be any tomorrow either but I'm not sure yet.

I went through the archives and found these images though...the first from 12:12 and the second from 12:57. Not sure if the bird is RG or CJ in either image but the bird is in front of the scrape they've been working on in both images.

Sounds like they're anxious to begin another nesting season!

I agree Nancy! The Scrape looks as if they have been working on it for a few days.
Thought of you Kim this morning when the thunder storm rolled through. No pictures!

I just read the 2010 report from the hack site. I'm confused about some things.

Didn't someone say that the young falcons would be learning how to be falcons from adult falcons in the area? After reading this in the report, I would hope that there wouldn't be any adults in the area:

"Twenty one Peregrines were released into the New River Gorge between May 31, 2010 and July 10, 2010 in 6 staggered releases. Of these 18 (86 %), remained in the postfledging area for a minimum of 14 days, the criterion for a successful release as determined by Varner. The 3 birds which disappeared from the postfledging area did so within 24 hours of release. The observation of an adult Peregrine in the area may be associated with these disappearances in some way."

"On May 31st, the release of Group #1 (5 Peregrines) at 10:28 AM proceeded normally. At 11:05 AM an adult Peregrine1 suddenly appeared in full speed flight from the woods behind the cliff edge near Hack Box #1 flying out into the air space near Hack Box # 2. [...] Continuing for the next 10 days, the behavior of the adult male Peregrine had a significant impact on operations. On June 1st and 2nd none of the fledgling Peregrines returned to the hack box to feed. Calling from nearby trees, they appeared to be blocked from flying as the adult made repeated flights through the area and perched in nearby trees.

On June 3rd 1 fledgling from the first release arrived to feed at Hack Box #2. Because of this and the continuous vocalizations from the trees in the area, a foot search for the remaining 4 fledglings was undertaken. The difficulty of the terrain and canopy cover made a count or identification of the young impossible. Calling from the trees continued for the rest of the day. Between June 4th and June 5th, the adult was absent and 3 of the fledglings came in to feed. The adult returned on the 6th and while it did not interfere with the feeding birds, it drove one of the fledglings back into the trees the moment it took to the air."

So my guess is the birds calling from the trees all starved to death...because there was an adult in the area??? So how are they learning to be falcons?

Another thing I'm confused about is the goal of the hack site which is this:

"Our ultimate goal is for the released birds to become imprinted on the New River Gorge and, once they are sexually mature, to return here to nest. The returning falcons may also attract other migrating falcons, allowing the gorge to become a center of peregrine falcon nesting activity and a source of falcons to re-colonize other portions of their historic range in the central-Appalachian region,” said Wallace."

Between 2006 and 2010 they've released 99 birds to that area. Am I correct that so far they've only located one pair of nesting falcons in 2009 and that nest failed?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

Am I missing something?

Good questions, Kim, & I would like to hear the answer to these. When there was a discussion of the kids from the James River Bridge nest being removed last year (or possibly the year before), I understood that they (the experts) thought the juvies would instinctively know what to do & would help each other learn. It would be nice to hear from someone involved in this process & see how they explained all of this.

I agree that it would be nice to hear from someone involved because it sure didn't sound like the juvies who were calling for food from the trees knew instinctively what to do! :(

I'm not sure that the New River Gorge project is well-conceived or not, or whether it will be successful. It certainly has been a sink for lots of young falcons, although some of these dispersed elsewhere, and many would have been doomed on their bridge nest sites anyway.

The fact that adult falcons returned in 2009 and 2010 is evidence that the project might be working, but it might also be evidence that it's nearing time to stop releases in the area, as I'm sure the people involved are considering. I have not heard that adult falcons are well disposed to strange juveniles in their territories.

What's bad about this from my perspective is not the New River Gorge project, whatever its chances, but that the Wilmington girls have been deprived of the superb example and teaching of their parents, which, as Kim's pictures have documented, the young males are getting. I hope and think that the decision to send the girls was an aberration.

Tri-State has acknowledged that its usual policy is to reunite young birds with their parents. Hopefully that policy is reestablished going forward with this nest site. I hope that a bigger percentage of future fledglings will manage to stay high, like most did 2002-2008. All four of the birds that are still alive now were rescued at least once by Kim and associates. With those kind of statistics we (the falcons) are going to need Tri-State again, like it or not. Year in and year out, I'm glad that they're there.

Agreed with all your comments, Greg. It's my understanding that in Pennsylvania Peregrines will be removed from the state endangered species list when they've repopulated former cliff sites in this state. As far as I know, there are three such sites in this state. The only one I have any clue about its location is somewhere up around Williamsport on the West Branch of the Susquehanna. Am wondering how anyone actually knows where former nesting sites would have been ANYWHERE, since the Eastern population of Peregrines was virtually wiped out from DDT back in the 80s.

Jane -- Sounds like Pennsylvania has a wise policy. Falconers and birders knew of some historic sites. I think someone said that the New River Gorge wasn't one of them, but I'm not sure all sites were known. Most Appalachian sites are wooded, except for rivers and the cliffs themselves, so prey is usually not obvious even at places where we know falcons made a go of it once.

Greg, once again Your insight and Kim's is so valuable. In years past the young were never hacked to anyplace, but returned. Harrisburg has had so much success doing what they do with putting fledglings back on the roof, etc. Jane just posted how Reading put a foster Falcon from a bridge into a nest in Reading. ( See Pg.4)
July 4th. Wilmington's Falcon's are doing wonderfully with a City environment. The food supply surly is plentiful as we have seen over these last three months. I do have the highest regard for Tri-State and the work they do, but Red Girl and CJ were robbed. Sorry! I'm still upset.

The first picture is from 1:12 this afternoon and the second is from 1:17 so I'd say someone was in the box working on that scrape sometime between those times! :)

I wonder how "the boys" are doing? I've missed seeing them the past couple days! I'll definitely be stopped before work tomorrow.

perhaps up in the north east corner around the delaware water gap? I know there are eagles and other raptors in residence there

Don't see anyone in the nest box. There is a dark spot in the scrape. Funny, it is almost the size of an egg! I know it's not so, but the light is just right at this time, I guess. Hope all is well, after all the Booming in the air!!