FALCON FLASH
Dateline: Cleveland, Ohio
May 14, 2013
Click here to read what happened earlier
Be sure to watch the young falcons carefully for changes in behavior and development. Soon they will be flapping their wings and they will venture out of the nestbox. Watch them at: http://www.falconcam-cmnh.org/news.php
Our thanks to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for sponsoring the FalconCams.
Photos of the human in the box and the chicks back in the nest are courtesy Mr. and Mrs. Saladin. All other photos are courtesy of Mr. Scott Wright. They can be used in any non-commercial publication, electronic or print, but please give photo credit.
Introducing 2 girls!!!!!
SW and Boomer’s eyasses were banded today by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, and the biologists determined they are both female. Because peregrine falcons were on the List of Endangered Species for 30 years and because they are still rare, the birds are banded so that they may be tracked and studied in the future.
Here’s how it went - it started out as a normal day with breakfast…..
The Ohio Division of Wildlife biologists determined that both eyasses are females and they are developing well. An eyewitness described the eyasses as “two screaming and kicking girls”. In the following 2 videos you can see and hear that the youngsters were very upset:
Bands were attached to their legs using a special tool.
She was joined in attack by Boomer.
The three-week-old eyasses were brought inside the skyscraper where a crowd of their fans could watch the banding.
SW and Boomer have been through the banding process before, and even before the “chicknapping” began, you can see they were both divebombing the window behind the nest in the following video: http://s286.photobucket.com/user/bobbytimewarp/media/MVI_2106_zps81e2fc8f.mp4.html
A human stepped into the nestbox and SW attacked ferociously ………………….
But then SW noticed activity behind the window inside the skyscraper. She has seen humans come through that window after her eyasses before…………..
Don’t look down, human! This is a view from the window ledge.
This year, the Ohio Division of Wildlife has decided not to formally name the eyasses in the official database. Pennsylvania, where SW is from, has never named their banded falcons, and the name SW is actually her band number. However, during banding the Ohio Division of Wildlife informally called the girls by the following names:
Ginger – band number 27/Y
and Tess (28/Y)
Our thanks to the Ohio Division of Wildlife for their care of the peregrines during the time that the species recovered from near extinction. And thanks to all the Raptors in the City falcon fans who submitted name suggestions.
Before long the girls were returned out the 12th floor window to their worried parents.
Click here to read what happened next
