The Local Peregrines

What a morning.

The plan was to visit the local PEREGRINE FALCON nest box, band a few chicks and then go have some coffee and donuts. Good plan, right? Not so fast.

We get to the bridge, special thanks to the SHA for stopping traffic and letting us climb over and under the span. Scary, you ask? Not so much. It's nice to know the birds are inaccessible and safe from humans. Here she is now... in all of her blurry glory!It was tight climbing down, so I didn't bring my big lens or a flash. BUT, I did manage to have my HD video, so in the near future, I'll be posting some movies. I digress.Here is the quick story: she is a NEW bird from Virginia. I'll get more details about her from Craig Koppie from USFWS. He was our fearless leader on the trip. Where was our old girl, the New Yorker, from last year? We may never find out.Check this one out. Our girl, who Craig dubbed 'Godzilla', is perched on the right watching us. At the same time, the male is flying around screaming. Notice his shadow? Craig might call many of the Peregrines that he meets 'Godzilla', but I thought she did a fine job of earning that name this morning.She had eggs on (at least) three piers of the span. One on one, which she was attempting to sit on and incubate. There were two other eggs on a nearby pier, which failed and one more egg on yet another pier towards the center of the channel.She, and the previous lady of the Severn, never even touched the Taj Mahal of nestboxes that we installed in the Spring of 2008! Instead, the eggs were laid on hard metal with just a bit of dirt that has fallen down from the roadway. She obviously would sit on the eggs and eventually, they would chip or crack on the hard surface.Craig grabbed some gravel from the nestbox and nestled the one good egg onto a 'better' surface in the hopes that this egg would be a success. It doesn't look too promising, but I will keep watch and of course, keep you updated.And the male... he's the same guy.Enjoy your weekend,

Dan

State of the Birds

...is HERE.
Please take some time to view the short film, download and read the PDF and tell some friends about it. Finally, see what it is you might be able to do to help better the state of the birds, and the world where we live.

There are enormous challenges that we must face in the coming years, but like the canary in the coal mine, this avian harbinger should not be ignored.

-Dan

Stop Bird Kills at Communications Towers

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has estimated that approximately 50 million birds are killed every year simply because of lighted communications towers. Scientists have shown that migrating birds become disoriented and trapped by the halo of light surrounding towers that use steady-burning illumination, especially during fowl weather. Migrating birds will circle endlessly until they either collide with the structure, each other, or simply fall dead from sheer exhaustion. In just one instance, more than 10,000 dead birds were found under a single communication tower in ONE night! Spring bird migration is nearly underway. The new Obama administration in the White House has voiced its commitment to science-based decision-making. And with new leadership at the FCC, NOW is the time to urge the Commission to safeguard our neotropical migratory songbirds.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

Read more about this serious issue HERE.

Please DO IT for your children's children. Declan says, "Thank You!"And when you're done saving the birds, sit back and read THIS article. As a musician and a lover of lush, orchestral sounds, I can completely relate to the thought that the natural world around us is not merely a bird singing over there, or an insect buzzing over there... it's a symphony. It's a beautiful theory, and it illuminates yet one more way we humans impact the natural world around us.

-Dan

Feb 22nd: More Of The Same

I arrived on Sunday afternoon to my favorite PEFA viewing spot just as the clouds were thinning after the morning's uneventful snow. On my way down to the beach with my scope, camera and binoculars, I had hopes of again seeing the falcons perform their Blue Angel-like aerial show.At first, my quick scan offered no sightings of the Peregrines. But just as I was about to pack up and head home, I heard the female scream. She was directly above me. She, the larger of the two Peregrines, must have snuck on to her perch in the tree top while I was scanning the river. How very stealthy of her.The male Peregrine, known as a TIERCEL, flew in to prove to her that he is her one and only. The two falcons copulated for the second (witnessed) time this weekend, and then he went to grab a beer with his buddies and watch the game. Lucky bird. I'm kidding of course. He did fly off and I was unable to relocate him. Truth be told, I really can't prove that he wasn't watching the game and drinking some beers... you know those tiercels.

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH: Just after she let out her scream, I pointed my camera straight up and started shooting with my camera.It would appear from this photo (above) that she is trying to bite her partner, no?I was able to get a few more photos before she flew off to join her man for an early dinner. I think Grackle may have been on the menu. On the way home in my car, I saw one of them slicing through the skies, diving exceptionally fast into a large flock of those recently-arrived blackbirds.Craig Koppie, a USFWS Peregrine Falcon expert explained to me in an email today that it seems a bit early for nesting. More than likely, the male might just be heating up the courtship-romance, perhaps in relation to last week's warmer weather. Craig also mentioned that he has seen similar behavior in AMERICAN KESTRELS, America's smallest falcon.

Finally, here she fixing up her flight feathers just right. She is preening, but the date already appeared to be over. Women are smart... it's always important to look your very best. Plus, it helps her to go fast in the sky... very fast.I will happily keep you posted. More soon.

-Dan

Peregrine Falcon Tracking

The Peregrine Falcon. Truly, this bird is the classic example of how much we humans impact other species, both good and bad. From the brink of extinction due to the over-use of the egg-shell-thinning chemical DDT, these raptors have made a remarkable comeback. With loads of assistance from conservation organizations, environmental groups and the US Fish & Wildlife Service, the Peregrine's survival has been assured and maintained.In particular, the USFWS has monitored, protected, breed and released the US Peregrine population back to healthy numbers. And though they are still very much protected, Peregrine Falcons can be found (if you're lucky and spend a lot of time looking at the sky) year-round here on the East Coast.These maps, courtesy of FALCONTRAK, show the incredible distances that these birds travel. As you can easily see, these falcons like to roam. Peregrine, from it's Latin origin, means a "traveler, wanderer."Enjoy this video of Craig Koppie banding and giving a health assessment to some Peregrine Falcons in our region. CLICK HERE.

Maryland's neighbor to the South, the Commonwealth of Virginia, has an interesting program called FALCONTRAK. FalconTrak is a cooperative project designed to answer a collection of questions about the movements and survival of Virginia peregrines. It is all a part of the much larger organization, The Center for Conservation Biology, a research and education organization within the Department of Biology at the College of William & Mary.If you're so inclined, you can even SPONSOR a falcon. Why, you ask? Well, the process of utilizing satellite telemetry to track young falcons throughout their annual cycle with the use of solar-powered satellite transmitters that are fitted to the backs of peregrines before fledging... I'll be it can get a bit expensive. And since these birds are going to be tracked for a period of 3 years to determine survivorship, movement patterns, and eventual breeding locations, your financial assistance would probably be more than welcome by the folks performing the research.Still not convinced? Check this out: you can go online and track these birds yourself HERE.There is a lot more information available on the VA FALCON'S MAIN WEBSITE.As for me, I'm just looking forward to observing our local Peregrine's as they attempt to increase the population. I often wonder what ever became of the little Peregrine chick that I swam with that summer day back in 2007?She was an adorable, albeit a slightly loud, falcon. I can still feel her talons in squeezing my pinky finger and hear that scream she let out while driving in my Volvo. It was only after I went into great detail about the numerous safety features of the Volvo did she finally quiet down. What a bird.-Dan

Annapolis Has A Housing Boom (at least for TWO FALCONS)

The Severn River PEREGRINE FALCON pair have a new, rather luxurious box to call home tonight. Thanks to Craig Koppie of the US Fish & WIldlife Service, Allison Buckalew of the Severn River Keeper, Tim Fletcher, Steve Sparks, Paul Marley and all of the great folks at the MD State Highway Administration (SHA), our local PEREGRINES will not have to brave the harsh elements under the bridge any longer.Especially tonight, as local forecasters warn of ample amounts of winter precipitation, the falcons will have a safe spot where they may weather the coming snowstorm. Yes, to say it was cold under the bridge this afternoon would be a huge understatement. Windy? Eh, You bet. 'Chilling to the bone' just about describes our installation project this afternoon. Was it worth the numb extremities, time and effort? Without a doubt!Allison and I met at Tim and a few others (who's names are forthcoming) at the SHA offices in order to carpool over to the bridge. Once we arrived, we met up with Craig, off-loaded the supplies for the falcon's new home. Craig spent the last few weeks building, painting and drilling the bottom, top and sides. We hauled all of that, plus many of the extras that are needed for building a scrape (nest box). Bundled up, or so we thought, we headed for the catwalk under the freshly-painted underbelly of the US Route 50 Severn River Bridge.They call this bridge's latest shade 'Williamsburg Blue'. I think the falcons will enjoy the new look. What's more, this next box (possibly the best box ever designed, built and assembled by Craig) will prove to be a most inviting dwelling for our two falcons to raise their chicks. Facing the Southeast, in order to get the most warmth from the morning sun, we filled the box with buckets and bags loose stone and gravel. The female (MADRIGAL?) will scrape around in the next box and find the best possible spot to lay her clutch of eggs. While she renovates the home, the male (MAESTRO?) will be her delivery boy, bringing her meal after meal in the coming weeks.Thats Craig there on the left. Allison and Tim are, of course, working hard on the nest box as well.Everyone involved got to pour some of the fine gravel into the bottom of the scrape. My 'section' was the back left corner. With any luck, that corner is where she will chose to lay her clutch. Oh, and my money is on the female laying THREE eggs. Craig, for the record, predicts FOUR. I will certainly keep you posted on just how many eggs she lays once spring has arrived and she's completed her reproductive tasks.As l mentioned earlier, the male will be devoting his time and energy to hunting and delivering meal after meal for his female companion. Craig informed us that the female will spend her days gorging on these fresh birds (almost to the point of a lethargic food-induced coma-like state) in preparation for the chicks. She and her chicks will need the extra fat provided by those many, many meals Dad will be in charge of delivering.Unfortunately while we were there this afternoon, the falcons were no where to be found. I thoroughly scanned the horizon, examining every bare tree top and open perch where one of the two PEREGRINES might be watching us. No luck. Some of the workers mentioned that they had seen one of the falcons earlier in the morning perched on a nearby pier. They informed me that long before you see the falcons approach, you HEAR them! For fun, one of the workers has imitated the call of a NORTHERN BOBWHITE. This unmistakable whistle impression successfully managed to get both falcons very interested. Why the falcons would believe for even a moment that a Bobwhite would be hanging out with them under their bridge, well... I just can't say.After the box was assembled and fastened to the bridge, gravel was carefully poured into the scrape. Finally, the roof portion was attached to the walls and anchored to the bridge. As an added treat, Craig left the PEREGRINES a fresh meal of COMMON GRACKLE (found nearby, just moments before our work began) placed on the platform at the entrance of their new home.And to think, all I got from my realtor when I bought my home was a gardening book and a bottle of Pinot Noir that my wife Emery drank with her girlfriends while I was out at a GIG!I'll keep you updated throughout the spring and summer with any falcon-related news. I will be watching the pair regularly from Uncle Frank's beach on the Arnold side, as well as from this little speck of shoreline behind my friends Brian and Sarah's home here on the Annapolis side.This has been a very exciting day for BOTH our resident PEREGRINE FALCONS and for all those involved with the installation. SPECIAL THANKS to Craig, Tim, Steve, Allison, the USFWS, MD SHA and everyone of those incredibly durable bridge workers, the housing market in Annapolis is booming again. I just hope these birds can afford the property taxes. ;^)

Good nesting,

Dan