Peregrine Falcon Chicks

A female Peregrine Falcon returns from a successful hunt…exhausted! She caught a Killdeer. She may have carried this Killdeer a long way to get here because she seemed very, very tired.  She stashed her prize on an I-beam of the Port Washington Generating Station and rested.

Her name is 'Brinn'.  She comes to us from Minnesota.  She was hatched in 2012 on Gold Hoist cliff, Split Rock Lighthouse State Park on the north shore of Lake Superior.

This is NOT Indy Froona, a female known to nest at this site for the past three years. Two-year-old Brinn may have battled five-year-old Indy Froona for ownership of this site and won…driving Indy off. Indy Froona was born in Indiana in 2009, but now her whereabouts is unknown.

Before dismembering the Killdeer into bite size pieces to feed her chicks, Brinn plucks the misfortunate bird clean…tossing feathers to the wind. 

'Ives' was Indy Froona’s mate the last several year and is still the resident male in Port Washington. Ives was born in 2004 in Sheboygan, at Edgewater Power Plant.  He is believed to be the father of Brinn's chicks, but that is still to be determine.

This nesting site is one of several in Wisconsin managed by WE Energies Peregrine Falcon Recovery Program.

Early in the courting ritual the male Peregrine Falcon offers several nesting sites to the female and she picks one. 

(See previous stories of Indy & Ives at links below)

The nest box sits at 120 feet on the very edge of the WE Energies, Port Washington Generating Station.  It mimics a cliff that Peregrine Falcons would naturally choose.  

It overlooks Lake Michigan.

(LOCATOR: The nest box is at the top of the building, bottom of the nearest chimney.)

A ledge in the box keeps the chicks from falling out, but also keeps them from seeing anything but sky.  They  essentially have been isolated for twenty-three days except for parental feedings and a webcam. 

So, if something unfamiliar, like a human presents, it's bound to be scary.

(Click any picture to enlarge)

Peregrine Manager Greg Septon is in charge of banding, sexing and blood sampling the new chicks. 

Twenty-three days is an important point in the peregrine chicks' lives.  Greg must retrieve them before they feather or they could mistakenly believe they can fly, which they cannot.  

If frightened into running away at the sight of him, they could fall to their deaths.

Blood samples are drawn.

Bands are secured to their legs.

                                                             A general check of their physical health is made.

They are returned to the nest. 

Steve Jagow assists with a 'falcon swatter’ (broom) to repel attacks from angry falcons.

Peregrine Falcons have been delisted from the Endangered Species list, but are still protected. They were nearly wiped out last mid-century due to the residual effects of DDT in the environment.

The first pair of captive peregrines was reintroduced in 1987. 

Since then ‘Juneau’ (female chick, left) and ‘Noel’ (male) have brought the Port Washington nest box numbers up to 49 & 50, generated by the efforts of WE Energies Peregrine Falcon Recovery Program.

Allan

Links:

http://weenergiesraptors.blogspot.com/

http://www.we-energies.com/environmental/protect_wildlife.htm

http://feathertailedstories.blogspot.com/2013/10/peregrine-falcon-indy-ives.html 

http://feathertailedstories.blogspot.com/2013/09/peregrine-falcon-seagull.html

Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are fascinating and frustrating at the same time.  Everything they do is quick. Finding a resting hummingbird to photograph is difficult. Darting and dodging they seem uncatchable, but they don’t all get away. 

(Click on any picture to enlarge)

Surprisingly, hummingbirds have more enemies than you might think.  Hawks and falcons have been documented killing hummingbirds. 

It is doubtful a 0.15-ounce hummingbird would do much to satisfy the hunger of a hawk or Peregrine Falcon, but it happens. 

Jays and Crows will nest rob, too, if the opportunity presents.

Strangely, bees and wasps pose a hazard to hummingbirds.

The same bee venom that causes so much discomfort in us is toxic to a tiny hummingbird.

I’ve observed a hummingbird holding off a wasp as they both tried to sip nectar from a feeder.  When another wasp arrived a standoff developed, when more wasps arrived the hummingbird left.

Hummingbirds can get trapped in spider webs, too.  Hummingbirds use spider silk to secure their nest to branches.  A spider’s silk has a tensile strength comparable to steel on a weight basis.  Procuring that web material presents some risk to the hummingbird and she may not always get away with her life. This is a female Anna's Hummingbird.

The common garden variety praying mantis has been documented as a capable predator on hummingbirds, also. (see link below).

But, the number one predator to hummingbirds is the house cat.  Left to roam outside, a house cat’s natural instinct is to hunt and all too often the cat wins. People love cats, so we can’t blame the cat for these fatalities. 

The hummingbirds that remain continue to entertain us with their brilliance and beauty.  This male Anna’s Hummingbird is presently claiming our back yard feeder in Arizona. It is a constant vigil for him...watching and intercepting intruders. 

He’s on the branch…he’s off the branch…he’s a blur. 

Between protecting his territory and impressing a female (it’s courting time in Arizona), he only has time for a quick sip of sugar water and it's back to showing-off again.

Allan

Credits:

The Sibley Guide to Birds,

   David Allen Sibley

Birds of Southern Arizona,

   Richard Cachor Taylor

Wikipedia

Hummingbird and Mantis:

http://www.hummingbirdsociety.org/~hummingb/cmsAdmin/uploads/Slater-mantis.jpg

Map: 

https://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&oe=UTF-8&q=google+maps+tucson+az&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x86d665410b2ced2b:0x73c32d384d16c715,Tucson,+AZ&gl=us&ei=rDa4UuKIFtPeyQHUmoHIDA&ved=0CCsQ8gEwAA

Peregrine Falcon (Indy & Ives?)

When I arrived, Indy and her friend were chilling out and warming up in an orange October sunrise. 

Click on any picture to enlarge.

October in Wisconsin means cool nights, warm days and brightly colored leaves.

Enjoying these conditions, while relaxing 200’ high…if  a Peregrine Falcon…you got it made! 

I was fairly sure this was Indy Foorna and her mate, Ives.  She is the resident falcon at the Port Washington Generating Station, Port Washington, WI.  At this distance though, I’m wasn't sure which bird was which. I couldn’t see their leg bands.

 According to the We Energies Peregrine Falcon 2013 Nesting Season Report, the male in Indy’s life is named Ives and wears black and green bands on his right leg.

Ives has been Indy’s mate for a couple of years and is probably the father of the chicks hatched this April 29-30. The four youngsters have been named Gasco, Bucky, Griff and Lightning.  You can see pictures of them and read the We Energies report at the link below. 

Indy Froona was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2009 and has been making the Port Washington Generating Station her home for the last three years.  She seems to have quite a fan base still following her in Indiana.  According to Gigi Caito, who responded to a previous Feather Tailed Stories post on Indy Froona in September, they were glad to hear she was doing well.  You can read Gigi’s reply on Indy at the link below. 

When one of the pair suddenly departed from their sunny perch, it seemed to have a goal in mind.  There could have been a tasty target out there somewhere worth investigating, but it was only visible from the 200’ foot balcony.  The mate quickly followed on the same course.  My chances of getting the hunt on camera were near zero, considering I never saw what they saw in the first place and both were out of sight over Lake Michigan in seconds.

If these few pictures were all I was going to get this day…so be it…there is always tomorrow, but I wasn’t ready to quit quite yet.  I lingered and it wasn’t long before I saw one of the pair return with prey-on-board.  That made both of us happy.

NOTE: Depictions of predation follow.

I didn’t know which bird got lucky, Indy or Ives. Typically the female Peregrine Falcon is larger (2-3lb vs. 1.6lb for the biggest male). That’s common in raptors, but sexing them is difficult when you can’t see the birds in a side-by-side comparison.  They look alike.  Nor could I read their leg bands.

 The feather plucking began quickly after the streetlight landing…interrupted only to keep one eye on me.  Now I could see the prey was a Northern Flicker, a medium sized bird slightly larger than the American Robin (thrush).

Peregrine Falcons take a huge variety of birds as prey from hummingbirds to Sandhill Cranes and even small mammals.  But they prefer medium sized birds…pigeon, doves, and gulls…meaty birds like the Northern Flicker. 

What happened to the other Peregrine Falcon?   It hadn’t returned while I was there…little concern…there wasn’t going to be any flicker sharing anyway.  

I discovered this is Indy Froona when I downloaded the pictures later and enlarged her leg bands on the computer.

She looks fit and healthy.

Now I’m wondering about Gasco, Bucky, Griff and Lightning, her four offspring.  I couldn’t find a status report on them, just that they were banded before fledging.  

It would be good to know they survived and are doing well. Are they enjoying the warm October sunshine and blue skies of Wisconsin or did they fly to Indiana?

Allan

Credit: We Energies Peregrine Falcon 2013 Nesting Season Report by Greg Septon

Credit: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds

Credit: Wikipedia

http://www.we-energies.com/environmental/2013PEFA_finalrpt.pdf

http://feathertailedstories.blogspot.com/2013/09/peregrine-falcon-seagull.html#gpluscomments

Peregrine Falcon / seagull

Roughly calculated, your chance of finding a Peregrine Falcon in the wild 30-40 years ago was fairly close to zero.  They were being wiped out by the widespread use of the pesticide, DDT.  Fortunately, after DDT was banned in 1970, Peregrine Falcons recovered significantly enough to prompt their removal from the Endangered Species List in 1999. 

Now you only need to search out a falcon friendly electric utility, a bird-friendly skyscraper or a cliff nearby to find one. You’ll need patience, some degree of luck and, of course, binoculars.

WE ENERGIES is one of the many sites offering protection, nest boxes and a stage for the Peregrine Falcons' resurgence.  The tall exhaust stacks of a power generating stations is this Peregrine Falcon's stage.

I stopped at the Port Washington Generating Station, Port Washington, Wisconsin to check on the resident pair of Peregrine Falcons.  With information from  WE ENERGIES Peregrine Falcon 2012 Nesting Season Report and the leg band information, this should be an adult female, Indy Foorna.  Peregrines mate for life and  could live for 15 years. She and a male raised four young chicks successfully.

I found Indy Froona resting on the south side of the north stack balancing on one foot while inspecting the other.

It was breezy along Lake Michigan's shoreline, so when a wind came up and ruffled her feathers, she left.

I watched her circle the stack and disappear.

NOTE: Depictions of predation follow.

Figuring I had all the pictures of her I would get today, I started to walk back to my car. Surprisingly, she returned carrying a heavy load.  Coming in low and slow she struggled to make a landing onto an electrical box...landing with a plop and with very little margin for error.

Wings drooping and appearing exhausted, she rested for a long time before she was ready to inspect her catch.  

NOTE: Click any picture to enlarge.

The prey appeared to be a young seagull.  Peregrine Falcons attack from above in steep dives (stoops). Some dives have been recorded at well over 200 miles per hour.  With legs and talons extended, the impact kills or stuns a bird. The prey is clutched in long sharp talons or retrieved as it falls to earth.

A strong breeze off Lake Michigan made the tedious and distasteful process of feather plucking tolerable.  With every mouthful gathered, she rose up to let the wind disperse the feathers behind her.  

Remaining upright for seconds longer than necessary to clear the feathers from her mouth, she made quick scans of her surrounds, as Peregrine Falcons are not without enemies themselves. Even on this high and isolated perch...a hundred feet up…she, too, was vulnerable to an attack from larger birds. 

  

A Bald Eagle or Great Horned Owl would take advantage of both the inattentive peregrine and the dead seagull if given the opportunity...she remained alert.

In bite-sized pieces or parts swallowed whole, she took an hour to eat. 

Wiping her face clean wherever she pleased, she finished dining for today.  Tomorrow it may be another gull, a songbird, thrush, waxwing or even a bat.  She would even steal a fish or rodent from another raptor if the opportunity presented…everything’s fair.

The Peregrine Falcon was saved in North American by the actions of inspired people who recognized what we were about to lose, acted responsibly and saved this beautiful bird for us today. 

Allan

credit: Cornell Lab of Ornithology 
credit: We Energies Peregrine Falcon 2012 Nesting Season Report

Peregrine Falcon (revisited)

I was happy to find a Peregrine Falcon at home when I visited the Port Washington Generating Station recently. I believe this is Ives, an adult male living part time at the generating station and also at the University of Wisconsin Campus in Milwaukee.

He is wearing a violet or purple band on his right leg, so I believe it should be Ives. I gleaned that information from the WE Energies website: http://weenergiesraptors.blogspot.com/

I watched him for a half an hour as he stretched, scratched and sunned himself on the railing. Then he flew to a nest box. 

I’m positive I heard excited calls coming from the box when he entered, but I never saw another bird or nestling.  The nest box was off to my left, so I might have missed a quick altercation or a greeting.  I saw a Peregrine Falcon’s head showing over the nest box, but I couldn’t be sure if it was Ives’ head once again.

WE Energies has nest cameras recording the activities of Peregrine Falcons at several of their generating stations around the upper Midwest.  The Port Washington Generating Station’s camera is showing little activity to date, according to the website: http://www.we-energies.com/environmental/protect_wildlife.htm, but it’s worth monitoring if you care to see what might happen.

Allan 

Peregrine Falcon

A hundred feet high and trying to hide, this Peregrine Falcon was having a hard time fitting onto the narrow ledge he calls home.  

The Port Washington Power Plant’s cream-colored smoke stacks didn’t camouflage him or suit him well as he struggled to stay balanced.   He even looked uncomfortable.  He quickly departed. 

He flew a short distance to a corner nest box built by the power company to help in the recovery of Peregrine Falcons.

This could be a male or a female.  Peregrine Falcons look alike and I don’t know the code used on their leg bands to determine the sex.   I’m not sure if he/she raised a family in this nest box either, but it is not a juvenile.   

It was sunny and very windy on this Sunday in Port Washington. Two weather systems were colliding. Hurricane Sandy and a Canadian high-pressure system were disturbing Lake Michigan. He was looking for a spot with less wind and more sunshine.  

He found a blue electrical box and it seemed just right.  He stretched out…

                    …preened…

…scratched and sniffed for an hour in the sunshine.  

Then something stirred him to leave…

...and he was gone.  

It could have been hunger, boredom, or both…

...but I’m glad he shared some time with me.

Allan