New Photos From Terryann

Maybe the "mystery" is being solved. Terryann submitted these photos of the same bird blogged below. This second set of photos is more descriptive. This is not a Peregrine, but rather probably a Cooper's Hawk. Look at the legs and the face.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Terryann sent me this email about these photos and the bird:

Hi Bob,

Ok...I think my visiting friend may be a Coopers Hawk. It made 2 kills this morning. One was a smaller bird and the other was a Dove. It stayed, ate, and even took a little snooze after all it's hard work. It stayed for well over an hour before finally taking flight with the remainder of the Dove it was eating.
While talking with Kay this morning and describing what I was looking at, she stated she found a picture that looked like it may be a Coopers Hawk, so I looked it up on the site she sent me, and looked it up on the computer, it sure looks like a match to me.
What a beautiful creature to start the day off with! It seems it knows this is a good spot for eating as I feed many birds in my yard. There are at times over 57 Dove in my yard at one time, not to mention the Finches and others that partake of all the bird food I have out for them.
Let me know what you think...is it a Coopers Hawk, or...???

Terryann/Birdlady

We need your opinion(s). Cheers!

Peregrines Spotted In Meridian

On 14 November I received an email from Terryann Simioni (Birdlady) from Meridian. In that email she also sent some photos. Here are her photos (they do belong to her) and the correspondence that we had. Enjoy and it is always fun to keep track of the peregrines in the Boise, Idaho area.

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Subject: This was on my fence this morning...

Hello Bob and Robin,

Ok...so I know these are not great pics...but I took them through the window and I couldn't get the flash off. If I had opened the door...it would have been gone...can you tell "what" it is??? It was pretty good sized...did not look like the Peregrine that normally visits my fence. It was having a nice snack...feathers where flying! It did an "eat and run" right there on my fence at about 7:45 this morning. It was pretty puffed up at the time...tried looking on the computer to find something that matched...but couldn't. Let me know what you think! Hope all is well with you and yours.
Terryann

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From: Bob
To: Terryann Simoni
Cc: Jack Cafferty (PFund) ; Haak,Bruce
Sent: Saturday, November 14, 2009 12:06 PM
Subject: Re: This was on my fence this morning...
Hi Terryann,
Yes indeed, it does look like a peregrine. Looks like female, but hard to tell. Send this to Bruce Haak at Fish and Game and let him try to ID. (I have CC'd this to Bruce and Jack Cafferty) Let him know your precise location because they keep track of such things. Do you know what it was eating? That is good info, too.
Thanks for the photos,
Bob and Robin

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Thanks Bob!
I didn't want to say what I "thought" it was until I had someone verify it! This would make a second one then...the one that visits normally does not have that much white on it's chest. I have seen a pair circling above our house a couple of times, and watched them dive as well. Looked like they were in "teaching" mode the last time I saw them diving. All I know is it was a bird that it was eating...it was just tearing feathers like crazy...then watched as it ate...I believe it was somewhat small...maybe one of our little finches...yes, I still have some here! Also could have been what my grandma used to call a "chick-a-dee". I have a lot of those as well and they love to be in my forsythia bush. What a wonderful surprise it was this morning!
Thanks again for your input!
Terryann

Thanks to Terryann for sending these photos and for the discussion. I do hope that Jack Cafferty and Bruce Haak (they are both extremely busy) can comment on this sighting. Cheers to everyone and please do submit your sightings of the Boise peregrines whenever you see them.

Boise Downtown Falcons

On 05 November 2009, I received word that there was a falcon on the hack box in downtown Boise on the Capital One Building at 10th and Main Streets. The report said that it was the mother of this years falcons. I find that somewhat doubtful, as this particular falcon has both juvenile and adult colors. Plus, it looks like a male to me. Here are the photos. You be the judge. (Left click on the photo to go Full Screen)











Cheers! And do leave a comment with your opinion. Thanks.

October 2009

It seems like forever since I've been here - maybe it has. All of the falcons are still in the Boise area. The tiercel adult tends to stay around the downtown area - there must be enough resource for him to survive. One of the juveniles stays with him, probably the male. The female adult is "around", but not as visible as the others. The female juvenile (pictured on the left this past summer) has been spotted in the outlying areas of Boise, usually to the west. It looks like they may stay in the area all winter. It is getting late for a migration, where they usually follow the resource. There has been some cold weather here, in the upper 20's degree F and some snow, but nothing very serious, which may explain why they stay around the hack box - for protection from the elements. All of the falcons appear to be healthy and well fed. Personally, I think we may see them next year in the downtown area. Cheers and if you see them in Boise or the surrounding area, please let us know.

Boise Peregrines Still Around

After one has followed these falcons from infancy through fledging, it is always great to see them flying around the city. I have personally spotted them in the Northend of Boise, several times in the past four or five weeks. It is the juveniles that I spot, flying low and at times, fast. They do look good and healthy. Keep your eyes "peeled" for them and report any sighting that you may have. Cheers!

Buffelshoek Trust

Buffelshoek Trust

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Vulture Awareness Day

From the World Center of Birds of Prey - The Peregrine Fund, we received the following information.

Learn About One of Nature’s Amazing Recyclers at International Vulture Awareness Day, 5 September

Vultures may not be the prettiest of birds but they perform a crucial clean-up and recycling role in our environment by consuming dead animals that might otherwise spread disease and contamination. The Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey is celebrating these amazing but threatened species at International Vulture Awareness Day on Saturday, 5 September.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission: $7 adults, $6 seniors, $5 youth
Information: 362-8687
Location: World Center for Birds of Prey, 5668 W. Flying Hawk Lane

Lucy, a 10-year-old turkey vulture in the education program, will demonstrate her flying skills throughout the day. Lucy has been a vulture ambassador since coming to the World Center for Birds of Prey as a 5-month-old chick. She was rescued from people who had taken her illegally from the wild.

Two videos will be shown: “The Last Flight” describes the vulture crisis in India, where vultures are rapidly disappearing; “Curious as a Raven” is about the reintroduction of the California Condor, one of the world’s most endangered birds. The Peregrine Fund raises condors at the World Center for Birds of Prey and releases them to the wild in northern Arizona near the Grand Canyon.

The Peregrine Fund also helps monitor and study vultures in Africa and Asia, where many vulture populations are in severe decline. In 2004, The Peregrine Fund discovered that the veterinary drug Diclofenac, used to treat sick livestock that later die and are left to scavengers, was responsible for massive vulture die-offs in India, Pakistan and Nepal. The drug was banned by those nations in 2006 but is still in wide use. Populations of White-backed Vultures, for example, have dropped by 99.7% since 1990 in India and no breeding pairs have been found in recent years in Pakistan. There are now fewer than 11,000 of these birds, down from 40 million. Loss of such scavengers has far-reaching ecological, economic, cultural and public health effects. http://peregrinefund.org/conserve_category.asp?category=Asian%20Vulture%20Crisis

This is the first time that Vulture Awareness Day is being celebrated internationally. It was first organized by the Bird of Prey Working Group in South Africa, Hawk Conservancy Trust in England, and their partners. The aim of the day is to create awareness of the plight of all vulture species worldwide and highlight the work done by conservationists who monitor vulture populations and take steps to conserve the birds and their habitat. http://www.ivad09.org/

Memories From The Past

Well, the falcons are sorta kinda slow now. Yes, they are still around Boise and they have been spotted. Even had two fly North over State Street at 19th Street. Headed for Emmett? Who knows. But here is a photo that Helen (Kate) Sudmeier sent me. Bob, Robin and Louise at the "Bagel Place". Enjoy! But before I leave, look at www.wildearth.tv for some exciting, time consuming viewing. Be sure to join the chat - doesn't do a whole lot of good just to "lurk" - you can not add to the conversations or the knowledge base. Cheers!

The Peregrine Fund Celebrates 10 Years

On 20 August, the World Center For Birds of Prey - The Peregrine Fund, located in Boise, Idaho, held a party for "Back From The Brink", celebrating the return of the Peregrine Falcon, Falco perigrinus, from the brink of extinction. It was my distinct honor to help in some of the earliest releases of the falcons by the Peregrine Fund, starting in the mid-1980's. Here are some photos.

Cheers!

Djuma Wildlife Reserve, South Africa

On 17 August, we took a live web cam morning drive through the bush of the Djuma Wildlife Reserve, South Africa. The cam is brought to us by Wildearth.tv and is awesome - there is a link in the sidebar. The drives are live and interactive - they will answer your questions in "real time". Such is technology!! Enjoy and cheers! The photos are taken directly from the computer; They are screen shots.

Djuma Game Reserve, South Africa

So last night, I stayed up fro a while until it was sunrise at Djuma. First time I have seen a sunrise there. There is a direct link to Djuma in the sidebar. Anyway, we went on a drive through the bush - yes, a live web cam through the bush - and saw the animals in this short slide show. Do enjoy them.

And there were some other people from Idaho there, too. Mountain Home, Bonners Ferry and Boise. All of these photos were taken as screen shots. Cheers! Such fun!

Boise Falcons Update

Isn't Wall-E such a beautiful falcon? Here he soars over the city of Boise several weeks ago. This photo was taken right after his assumed "1st kill". He is such an awesome tiercel and pure poetry in motion. It's really nice to hear reports from folks "on the street" that they have seen and/or heard the Boise Falcons. For those who have time in releasing these delightful and beautiful creatures, we are happy that they have gained their independence and are seen less and less on their "usual" perches. They do, however, go back to the hack box, although it seems to be more of the mature tiercel than the juveniles. The juveniles still frequent the One Capital Center Building, but usually on the eastern side.
It's interesting to note that the ledge on the 14th floor, will probably not be sandblasted this year as was previously thought. I have not heard the reasoning for this. The hack box, however, will be cleaned out and the gravel replaced by the Idaho Fish and Game biologist.
The adult female has probably left the area. The adult tiercel and the juveniles are pretty much still in the downtown area. As long as the resource remains (food supply) there really is no reason for them to leave. Will they migrate this fall? Maybe, but it all depends on the available resource. And then, they have to have an adult around to show them how, when and where. (You know, the "Who, What, Why, When, and How" routine.) Is that why the adult tiercel is "hanging around"? Hard to say.
Keep your eyes open and your hearing sharpened. You may see or hear them flying around. They will probably "hang-out" in the downtown Boise area for a while, but they will range further and further. So watch for the falcons; you may see them anywhere. If you see or hear them, let us know. Cheers!