San Jose Falcons: April, 2013

mwplay · **Joined:** Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:15 am **Posts:** 10250

Mark Your Calendars: BANDING 4/23 @ 7AM PT

Now that we have some hatched chicks we can look forward three weeks from now to banding them. I have coordinated with the good folks at City Hall to do so on Tuesday, April 23rd beginning at 7 a.m. Now, 7 a.m. means that is the time I meet City Hall facilities staff at the building. From there, we make our way to the roof to access the ledge. To answer some of the questions that are sure to follow, the bands are worn permanently and do not harm the birds in any way. Chicks are about 85% grown at three weeks of age so it is possible to determine the correct band size for each bird. We have been banding birds for over 100 years--some good history about bird banding may be found by googling "bird banding laboratory." The activities of all banders are authorized by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

I put a band on each leg--one is a standard USFWS band carrying a unique number, a web site address, and an 800 telephone number. A finder may call the number or go to the web site to report and learn more about a found bird's history. A second band is black in color with large silver numbers and/or letters. In addition, I have special permission from USFWS to apply colored tape to the silver band temporarily and make identification by our fledge watch volunteers even easier.

Bay Area falcon observers know the black bands are mine and report sightings to me. So far this year I have received reports of eight previously banded falcons.

The banding process takes a few minutes per bird. The adults defend their nest in the same way they would if an eagle, coyote, or mountain goat came to near. When I leave, they feel a great sense of satisfaction having scared me away--it is an intrusion of about 20 minutes and the one time per year that we disturb them. I band nestlings at 10 or 12 nests per year to learn more about our Bay Area peregrine falcon population. --glenn@scpbrg

catwoman · **Posted:** Wed Apr 03, 2013 7:51 pm

Thanks for the banding info, mwplay! :eggthumbup:

I will add it to the nesting info. Tough as the banding is on the birds & on us, we have seen how important (or sometimes just interesting) banding is. :clap:

ljames · **Posted:** Wed Apr 03, 2013 8:50 pm

You're right about the orderly feedings Lil always conducted and Clara running for her life part of the time and tugging the prey away from one juvie or other. I had forgotten that.

Here's Clara relaxing on the ledge again.

ljames · **Posted:** Wed Apr 03, 2013 10:36 pm

Just watched another feeding but no time to post a picture. They were so cute.

ljames · **Posted:** Thu Apr 04, 2013 1:04 pm

Food.

ljames · **Posted:** Thu Apr 04, 2013 1:09 pm

Taking the prey away

3 in a pile.

ljames · **Posted:** Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:49 pm

another feeding.

These two are sitting on that on.

He finally makes it up

Seemed like he was choking a couple of times and she took back several bites back from him. Good grief it's hard to watch these feedings sometimes. :girlyes:

ljames · **Posted:** Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:56 pm

Another meal about 30 minutes ago I guess.

ljames · **Posted:** Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:14 pm

Babies are being fed again and they are already down. :zzzzz

ljames · **Posted:** Fri Apr 05, 2013 9:17 pm

Managed to get a shot before they focused in on the prey. :imbored:

catwoman · **Posted:** Fri Apr 05, 2013 9:28 pm

Thanks so much for keeping us up with pictures of the babies, ljames! So glad everything looks good here this year & apparently food is plentiful. :loveshow:

ljames · **Posted:** Sat Apr 06, 2013 11:17 am

Saw a feeding before daybreak but they didn't zoom so no pictures.

also, they were feed several times yesterday, so it looks good.

I hope that little speck on that egg is nothing. I'm sure it would be way too late for another hatch, right?

catwoman · **Posted:** Sat Apr 06, 2013 11:19 am

I hope its too late for another hatch, ljames, but we have seen big gaps between hatches at other nests, so I guess we can't be sure yet.

ljames · **Posted:** Sat Apr 06, 2013 3:38 pm

FC comes in and gets everybody stirred up.

Clara has to come down from the wall and calm everybody and tucks them for a nap.

ljames · **Posted:** Sat Apr 06, 2013 7:48 pm

Good grief, I haven't seen a feeding since early this morning, but I have seen a parent in the nest several times and the chicks appearing to be begging for something to eat. Hope I just missed seeing it. Nobody there right now so maybe they are preparing a meal.

mwplay · **Joined:** Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:15 am **Posts:** 10250

Wow. Also weird only 1 post on Yahoo Forum today...

Someone is sitting on top of nest box. Temps are mild here today. Some areas had scattered drizzle/showers. Tail end of storm.

mwplay · **Joined:** Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:15 am **Posts:** 10250

Here comes late lunch/early dinner.

Feeding now. Looks like duck or grebe - longer aquatic feet, I think.

ljames · **Posted:** Sat Apr 06, 2013 8:15 pm

Oh my, what big prey. I guess Clara had to go and get that herself. Poor little darlings, so hungry.

mwplay · **Joined:** Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:15 am **Posts:** 10250

ljames · **Posted:** Sat Apr 06, 2013 8:18 pm

So good to see them eating. cute picture mwplay. Aren't they so sweet? :loveheart2:

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San Jose Falcons: April, 2013

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