Bird Cams Around the World

Not sure where we are reporting updates on "SFO"



Yikes.

SFO: Film at 11


Here is a rough, 1 minute video of SFO in flight along the creance. It is a pretty windy day along the coast and you can see that he handles it easily for the forty or fifty foot flight. (Sorry, WordPress is not accepting my video–you will have to take my word for it) The fact that he can make this flight does not mean that he is ready for release. It just means that he can fly fifty feet. He can probably fly a good deal farther but we need to see him do that AND catch a pigeon.

He has been with me for just a few days more than three weeks and is now ready for free flight, though I may not try that until the end of the week. I am trying to take it easy with him given the fact that he is recuperating. He had a bullet dug out of his shoulder a month ago so that injury will take some time to heal.

Speaking of bullets, NBC stopped by to film him today–they have done some good reporting on this issue. NBC learned that airport safety officers are using shotguns and pellet guns to shoot birds at the airport–but they deny shooting this bird. Hmmm. What I said on camera was that it surprised me that we were now shooting at birds that were close to extinction just 35 years ago.I also expressed surprise that state and federal wildlife authorities have signed off on this method of bird abatement. (Post Script: Peregrine falcons eat birds they catch in the air. The other birds know that. Prey birds leave the area when a peregrine is present. In that way, a peregrine falcon is an asset at an airport and anyone who shoots one there–or anywhere–is a real knucklehead).

Make no mistake, it is important to protect human lives on jet airplanes by preventing bird strikes, but I am aware of other methods that have been used successfully to keep birds off runways besides shooting them. I guess the problem is that the other ways are more expensive than a bullet.

The TV news reporters need to interview people at the airport and at state and federal wildlife agencies before the story airs. Here is a snapshot of the NBC videographer shooting the peregrine.

Thanks for the info mwplay. Hard to imagine that peregrine falcons are pretty much being hunted at the dang airports.

Some shots from today.

FC waiting for Clara to finish her meal so that they can canoodle. I remember last year he wouldn't even wait for her to finish. I thought to myself, how rude!

He's come a long way. Training, training, training.



FC waiting to bond



Clara arrives.


I can get my head lower than yours.



FC on the wall


Clara after the afternoon meal, full and sleepy.



FC's current location

great pictures ljames

(in some places they use peregrines to keep other birds off runways.)

Clara is a gorgeous falcon!

Good shot. I have seen at least 3 and I think 4 canoodles in San Jose this morning, and bonding, food delivery too, of course. Will try to post pictures later. No signs of an egg yet, so my prediction of the 20th is still possible.

All those canoodles are because you are watching Ljames!!!


Paula on the Yahoo forum counted 4 this morning! Boy, FC wants some eggs.. probably Clara too!



On a side note, Lori reported on the SJ Yahoo forum that U61 - Horacio was spotted over the weekend, with a "HUGE crop and looked quite healthy". He was a 2012 hatch.

Glenn posted this response:
Thanks Lori. That is five encounters with banded birds for the year and we are only halfway through February! A few known birds yet to log in (like Hiko--anybody seen that band yet?). We had an even dozen encounters last year. Thanks, --glenn@scpbrg

I sure hope Hiko is okay. Maybe no one has been to his nest site, but that would be suprising since we've got Haya back in general population and Tremaine (Hiko's new mate) did have a battle with her after she was released. Hoping all is okay with Hiko... Don't want to panic.

Yeah , I was wondering why no mention of Hiko with all those reports. Sweet little Horacio. It's so wonderful to hear somebody has seen one of our babies and they are well. The life of a falcon is so fragile.

Good grief, Clara's in the box, in position.
Maybe.




She's super poofy .

Egg.

Yeah!!

just saw your post on yahoo group

Boy, she looks puffy now but I thought it went pretty quickly compared to other times. Well these will be FC's babies.

Yep, After posting and pictures here , I run to that forum to make sure everybody knows.

Some of them saw too.

I had it on full screen and got so excited, I forgot how to exit out at first. Now I do this 100 times a day.

It didn't take long for FC to get there.

Woo Hoo!!



Was getting dinner ready, so glad you guys caught it!

And FC, of course he's going to come see his egg. I just love him. He's so cute to me!

Boy, she must really trust him.

she taught him well

I will wait for you to post on breaking newsljames , since you caught it

Having a big conversation. I think he wanted to stay with the egg. I hope he's not going to be a problem.

I love him too, he's a natural for this job.

Oh ok, I don't usually ever do that, just don't think of it, but I will.

well, we have seen this also , bless their souls, where the male ants to incubate more but the female wants it all.

I say, Clara, go to the spa