Sunday, August 16, 2015

Peregrine falcon nest in Chicago


Diary of an urban peregrine falcon nest in Chicago – in pictures 
| Environment | The Guardian:



13/05/2015 Chicago is situated on major migrant flyway, so a steady stream of prey is present for the peregrines.

Wild peregrines’ nests are usually inaccessible or the birds not human tolerant. These rare images show the nesting cycle of wild peregrine falcons, with the Chicago skyline as a stunning backdrop
Photograph: Luke Massey/www.lmasseyimages.com


Wild peregrines’ nests are usually inaccessible or the birds not human tolerant. These images are the first of their kind to show the nesting cycle of wild peregrine falcons, with the Chicago skyline as a stunning backdrop


13/05/2015: Peregrines are adapting to breeding in cities around the world. The tall office blocks and apartments are seen by them as pseudo cliffs



20/05/2015: Peregrines are the fastest birds on Earth, and have been recorded diving at speeds of over 200mph. They prey upon birds, from small ducks and pigeons to blackbirds and swifts
Photograph: Luke Massey/www.lmasseyimages.com




11/06/2015 A peregrine falcon nest diary in Chicago: from brooding to hatching and now fledging.
11/06/2015 A peregrine falcon nest diary in Chicago: from brooding to hatching and now fledging.


14/06/2015 A peregrine falcon nest diary in Chicago: from brooding to hatching and now fledging.
14/06/2015: This chick has been banded, so that volunteers and scientists can monitor population recovery and location


09/06/2015 They hatched in the flower pot but eventually had to jump out on to the balcony as they were too large.
11/06/2015: The Chicago peregrine programme began in 1985 as a cooperative effort to help re-establish peregrines in the Midwest. An estimated 400-500 pairs of peregrines once nested in the Midwest and eastern United States, but by the 1960s, the species had been wiped out regionally
Photograph: Luke Massey/www.lmasseyimages.com



08/06/2015 The Chicago peregrine project monitors the cities 20 breeding pairs of peregrine. They liase with building management and ring the chicks so they can be identified and tracked after leaving the nest.
08/06/2015: The Chicago peregrine programme monitors the city’s 20 breeding pairs of peregrine. They liase with building management and ring the chicks so they can be identified and tracked after leaving the nest
Photograph: Luke Massey/www.lmasseyimages.com



10/06/2015 They hatched in the flower pot but eventually had to jump out on to the balcony as they were too large.

09/06/2015: One chick (from another nest) was once recovered in Ecuador after fledging in Chicago!
Photograph: Luke Massey/www.lmasseyimages.com






See More:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2015/aug/10/diary-of-urban-peregrine-falcon-nest-chicago-in-pictures

Diary of an urban peregrine falcon nest in Chicago – in pictures | Environment | The Guardian:
Source:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2015/aug/10/diary-of-urban-peregrine-falcon-nest-chicago-in-pictures

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Sparrowhawks



BBC Blogs - Springwatch



Sparrowhawks: Friend or foe?







Sparrowhawks are one of our native species of birds celebrated for their majesty, speed and agility. They’re nature’s Top Gun, with awe-inspiring skills and, maybe, an avian predator that we don’t need to vilify for taking our garden birds.

Sparrowhawks can be identified by their short wings and long, blunt tail.


Sparrowhawks have made a dramatic comeback over the past 30 years.


Studies have shown that sparrowhawk presence has no impact on blue tit populations








This research is from the UK but we have a version of this bird in B.C. A woman described to me how she has one that takes a single sparrow daily from her bird feeder.  She uses it to teach her grandchildren about wildlife survival.  She feels guilty about putting out food for the birds because it sets the ambush BUT that's life...

Denial of Death by Ernst Becker says, 


The American kestrel (Falco sparverius), sometimes colloquially known as the sparrow hawk, is a small falcon, and the only kestrelfound in the Americas. It is the most common falcon in North America, and is found in a wide variety of habitats. At 19–21 cm (7–8 in) long, it is also the smallest falcon in North America. It exhibits sexual dimorphism in size and plumage, although both sexes have a rufous back with noticeable barring. Juveniles are similar in plumage to adults.
The American kestrel hunts by hovering in the air with rapid wing beats or perching and scanning the ground for prey. Its diet typically consists of grasshopperslizards, mice, and small birds (e.g. sparrows). It nests in cavities in trees, cliffs, buildings, and other structures. The female lays three to seven eggs, which both sexes help to incubate. It is a common bird to be used in falconry, especially by beginners. Though not as aggressive a hunter as many other larger falcons, proper training and weight control by the falconer allows many kestrels to become effective hunters of birds in the size range of sparrows and starlings, with occasional success against birds up to approximately twice their own weight.[2]
Its breeding range extends from central and western Alaska across northern Canada to Nova Scotia, and south throughout North America, into central Mexico and the Caribbean. It is a local breeder in Central America and is widely distributed throughout South America. Most birds breeding in Canada and the northern United States migrate south in the winter. It is an occasional vagrant to western Europe.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_kestrel







Link: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2015/aug/10/diary-of-urban-peregrine-falcon-nest-chicago-in-pictures









BBC Blogs - Springwatch - Sparrowhawks: Friend or foe?:



Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/natureuk/entries/43860fa9-d866-4e51-9795-74370a03e169?utm_content=buffer1e633&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer



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