TOPEKA 2012 (nemaha~b/r 97/H-Boreas~b/g R/03)

TPC · **Posted:** Fri Jun 01, 2012 5:28 pm

Going back to the spraying the chicks (sorry folks). I'll be very interested in what pefgirl says because at banding age 21-25 days (or at least for us) chicks don't even venture to the edge of their nestbox like they do when they are a couple of weeks older. Wet or not. Actually, have you seen pre-fledge age birds dancing in the rain? It's classic and I'm always sure someone is going to get too "happy" and make "the jump" accidentally.

As for birds not flying in the rain, they have to be drenched to not be able to fly - we've all watched wet birds fly in and out of nestboxes with nary a problem. As for it detering chicks from flying, these are birds that at 40-45 days of age are going to stick out the "the big flappy things" and jump off a 20+/- storey building. This is a cliff-ledge-dwelling (and some nest ledges barely qualify as ledges) species and if they their hardwiring didn't prevent them for considering flight before time, the species wouldn't have survived as long as they have.

Just my two cents and based on my experience. I will be very interested to hear the what and the why!! Thanks for looking into this Kittenface.

MISue · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2010 7:38 am **Posts:** 405

In Windsor, Canada, they spritz water into the mouths of the chicks as they are being banded ... it stops them from screaming and calms them down, and the hydration doesn't hurt. You should see the look on their faces when they taste water for the first time!

So that may have been what they were doing here ... just calming them down.

Carolyn · **Posted:** Sat Jun 02, 2012 4:45 pm

I'm very sad to hear about the death of the chick. :tissue:

I was watching yesterday when they were getting fed and could see the one chick right on the edge of the box. I could see how easily they could get bumped by sibling or parent. Very sad! :egg10:

kittenface · **Posted:** Sat Jun 02, 2012 4:58 pm

I got this just now in my email
Falcon Watchers -

We?re sorry to report that this morning one of our falcon chicks took a fatal fall from the nestbox.

Even though the Peregrine Project has approved our current nestbox design, we?re convinced that changes can be made to hopefully lessen the chance of this happening in the future. We?ll make the changes after this falcon season. We?ll continue to get the best advice we can and make adjustments to give our birds their best chance for survival.

Falcon chicks are commonly lost to falls in nature. Statistically, the mortality rate the first year is higher than 50%. We understand this is a sad time and there is a level of human emotion attached with the falcons. We would also like to remind everyone that these are wild creatures.
They said about the same words last yr. and still didn't do anything it is very sad that it takes 2 yrs. in a row and lose chicks for them to do something and that is if they do

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 64351

You know. .they lost a chick right after banding last year as well. . fell out of the box. They said they were going to increase the front lip of the box to try and keep this from happening again. .I do remember seeing them up there working on the box before the falcons returned.. but, I never saw them fix the front. Granted, we watch a lot of nests where ledges have nothing and some boxes have similar front lips as this one. I don't know what it is about this box that chicks keep falling out .. is it too narrow? This nest has had its share of tragedy for the past several years. .

I hope they really do something about it this time. .

kittenface · **Posted:** Sat Jun 02, 2012 8:54 pm

skygirlblue wrote:

You know. .they lost a chick right after banding last year as well. . fell out of the box. They said they were going to increase the front lip of the box to try and keep this from happening again. .I do remember seeing them up there working on the box before the falcons returned.. but, I never saw them fix the front. Granted, we watch a lot of nests where ledges have nothing and some boxes have similar front lips as this one. I don't know what it is about this box that chicks keep falling out .. is it too narrow? This nest has had its share of tragedy for the past several years. .

I hope they really do something about it this time. .

I'm with you SGB I really hope they do fix it or I don't think I'll be able to watch it next yr. now is the time to start worring about the chick that is left

kittenface · **Posted:** Sat Jun 02, 2012 9:06 pm

I just found part of the article about last yr,
Westar reports falcon chick died
KTKA.com
One of three peregrine falcon chicks, nesting atop Westar's downtown headquarters, has died. Westar officials say sometime last night one of the two male chicks apparently jumped from the nesting box and didn't survive the 10 story fall

kittenface · **Posted:** Mon Jun 04, 2012 2:39 am

Dutch Eagle Fan · **Posted:** Mon Jun 04, 2012 4:15 am

Too bad that again a chick fell out. Maybe a grid like many of the Dutch nests have could be attached? That surely would help a lot and would give the eyases a nice branching spot too.

kittenface · **Posted:** Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:49 pm

I think they really nee to look into some of the other nests and see how they are constructed specially like yours DEF I really can't remember hearing anything at all about your chicks falling. Maybe someone should send them some pictures :egg11:

I'll tell you Bremer has a great set up the nest is deeper than most (so can't get out to soon) and the platform in front is wider than most

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 64351

well, personally, I think there should be nets under the boxes. . Southbend has a huge jump up ledge, but it didn't save the little male when he got blown off of it.

This cam sits on a huge roof surface. .I don't know why they can't move the box back and either put it flat on the roof or on stilts. . a kid could fall out and only drop to that roof. . not to mention it would give them plenty of room to run around before fledge. .of course, we'd never see them again. . but, I'd rather them be safe. .

kittenface · **Posted:** Mon Jun 04, 2012 5:27 pm

So right SGB

kittenface · **Posted:** Tue Jun 05, 2012 3:14 am

By Ann Marie Bush
One of Westar's falcons falls to its death

Posted: June 4, 2012 - 5:44pm

One of the two peregrine falcon chicks atop the Westar Energy building in downtown Topeka fell to its death Saturday morning.

“It is sad,” said Nicholas Bundy, with Westar.
:egg16:

“It is frustrating. We are going to make changes to the nest box to lessen the chance of this happening again.”

The Peregrine Project has approved Westar’s current nest box design, Bundy said. However, the company has decided to make changes after this falcon season.

“We’ll continue to get the best advice we can and make adjustments to give our birds their best chance for survival,” Westar wrote in an email. “Falcon chicks are commonly lost to falls in nature. Statistically, the mortality rate the first years is higher than 50 percent.”

The two male chicks hatched in May. Their father, Boreas, stopped one of the falcons from falling to its death May 31, Bundy said.

“The dad dove and caught it in the air,” he said.

The parents, Boreas and Nemaha, are residents of Topeka for the second year this spring. The two had two chicks last year.

The previous peregrine falcons, Hope and Doorly, had two chicks in 2010, one in 2009 and one in 2008, Bundy said.

Westar employees will determine a final list of possible names for the surviving chick based on nominations. Then it will be up to the public to vote online.

For more information or to view the falcon cams, visit
http://www.westarenergy.com/wcm.nsf/content/falcons

kittenface · **Posted:** Tue Jun 05, 2012 9:48 pm

Sweet lonely little one misses his brother :egg15:

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 64351

OH WOW. .I had no idea that Boreas caught him the first time. . that is just amazing. .

kittenface · **Posted:** Thu Jun 07, 2012 5:56 pm

2012 Falcon Naming Contest

Thank you to everyone who submitted a potential name. There were over 100 submitted!

The names have been narrowed to:

•
•Edison - Inventor of the light bulb

•Topeka - In honor of the city of Topeka

•Lindbergh - After Charles Lindbergh, famous American aviator

Vote here

kittenface · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2012 12:36 pm

kittenface · **Posted:** Sun Jun 17, 2012 12:59 am

kittenface · **Posted:** Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:13 pm

Falcon Watchers -

About 10:45 a.m. Saturday, June 16, our male falcon chick left the nest box. He spent the morning running around the Westar building ledge. We had no sightings shortly after his departure, but are confident that he spent some time testing his wings in downtown Topeka.

Mom and dad will continue to help feed the chick and show him around until he is able to fend for himself.

The winning falcon name of Edison was submitted by several watchers and was voted on the most times (40% of the vote).

Thank you to everyone that took the time to submit falcon names and for taking the time to vote for your favorite. We'll continue to send out updates as long as our young falcons stick around downtown Topeka.

Carolyn · **Posted:** Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:23 pm

Thanks kittenface, I hope Edison does well. :egg 19:

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