FALCONS!
If you have been reading this blog you know by now that I am fascinated by Peregrine Falcons. I have been watching a pair of these gorgeous birds at a man made nest site at the Kodak Building in Rochester, New York, since l999. The resident pair, Mariah and Kaver, have now sucessfully fledged 31 offspring! Freedom, from the 2002 brood, has been spotted in Ontario, Canada and is thriving. Normally we don’t have too much information about the babes since they fly long distances away from the parents nestbox. But all the hatchlings are banded and we are fortunate in this case that someone was able to spot and identify Freedom’s leg band. Another offspring, Skye, has been fitted with a transmitter and we will be able to track her in her travels.
I have learned an incredible amount of information about these beautiful birds - incredible hunters and amazing flyers. Thought you might enjoy a photo of one of the Juveniles from this year’s brood. Right now his feathers are brown but next year he will sport the adult peregrine plumage of dark blue/black and white. I highly recommend you visit www.kodak.com (type in “falcons” in the search box and you will be directed to the Kodak Birdcam 2005) and check out the voluminous amount of information and incredible photos and videos of their resident falcons. In the meantime, here is Ihteram, one of this year’s brood. He looks incredibly cute in this picture (if I dare call such a manigifcant bird cute) but as as we speak he is learning to become a adult raptor (which means “to seize”) and will be capable of hunting in a “stoop” (dive) at 200 mph to seize his prey (birds). Enjoy! When he reaches adulthood he will seek a mate (for life) and hopefully raise more generations of these beatiful creatures. And don’t forget to visit the Kodak site.
