After banding the single Peregrine chick in the Syracuse nest, the DEC’s banding team came to Utica in order to band our 3 chicks. But after evaluating the situation on the ground, the 2 team members, Wildlife Biologist Steve Heerkens and the Utica Peregrine Falcon Project representatives were in full agreement that the banding should not go ahead as planned. It turned out that the box placement didn’t lend itself well to this type of procedure and since the safety of the young birds is of paramount importance, the banding was cancelled. Perhaps before the next breeding season a plan will developed specifically to deal how to safely extract nestlings from our nest box on the Adirondack Bank building, but as for this year – sorry there will be no bling for our babies. Better safe than sorry though!
Our apologies for the quality of the video feed lately. The view has become strangely compressed and the top banner with the date and time code has become extremely large. We are trying to fix this, but admittedly, it’s taking a while. We do appreciate everyone’s patience. Also, as everyone knows our primary camera has become liberally anointed with whitewash. We were hoping to take advantage of the banding operation to wash off camera 1 and remove the feather vale from camera 2, but alas none of that will happen now. This means that we have to put up with our obstructed view for the duration of the season. Meanwhile the chicks are growing like weeds! Wing and tail feathers are noticeably larger everyday and they are beginning to look and act more like little raptors. Well actually they still look pretty ridiculous – something like wads of wool haphazardly bound together. It’s hard to believe that someday they will look as sleek and beautiful as their parents.
so the issue is the date time banner?
when I first found the site it did not have the next black row above that (falcon cam/history …/ about Ares and Astrid/ 2014 breeding log) just a small part to the left “Utica Peregrine Falcon Watch”
sorry to hear that the banding was not feasible this year
would next year need a different style box or different location?
just curious
I think that is the main issue with the website cam view (realize that this is not the view that I normally look at. To see the view that I have you can look at the stills that I post on the blog.) It’s possible that the aspect ratio has been altered too. I really don’t know why it was done or if it was done by accident. Answers are slow in coming as apparently is the fix.
About the banding. We all really need to examine the box and see if there are any ways we can think of to adapt it to make the banding process safer. It might take moving the box, but so far no good alternate locations are obvious.
a thought about the box (which might better be discussed / brainstormed in private email) is to have access through the back panel somehow for banding only
another thought for the ‘will be’ fledglings > where will they be placed after attempts ? back in the nest box or to a roof of same or another building?
Annie, if you are willing to register with facebook you can then see lots and lots of updates on Utica Peregrine Falcons. At the bottom of the falcon webpage the is a list of “Social Media” with “f” below. If you are registered with facebook you can click on the “f” and go to the Utica Peregrine Falcons facebook page to view many, many photos and some videos as well. Very interesting updates and information!
Important thing here is we can still see the chicks! Secondly, this new nestbox has been successful on it’s first year unlike others that have waited years to be found, trusted by the birds, seen eggs and chicks hatched! This has been a learning year and with your devoted group there is no doubt in my mind that you WILL improve this nestbox arrangement for years to come. All of the manmade nestboxes around the country started in some way and then improved for the safety for the chicks. Bravo on what you have accomplished!
17:26:29 June 10th a flurry of wing flapping was performed in full view of the camera (and a bit of both dark wing feathers and cute little tail feathers were on display close to the camera).
the chicks are starting to display the black around the face that is typical of Peregrines
Thank you for doing what is best for the kids, there is all fall and winter to hatch a plan for the box.
Can you tell us anything about the banding at Syracuse, male/female band numbers parents. Thanks for anything, and thanks for thinking of the Falcons before trying to band. Love this nest
I know few details regarding the Syracuse banding. All I know is that the 2 person DEC team that was going to band our Utica birds first banded the single chick in the Syracuse nest. It was a female.
Thank you