[cobirds] Falcon trifecta, Boulder, 4/18
Have now had one Peregrine, one Prairie Falcon, and one Am Kestrel within the last hour over my yard. The Kestrel is most likely a resident. Both of the larger falcons were heading directly north along the Dakota Ridge. Seeing another BW Hawk south along Mt Sanitas right now, but could be one of the original 3 from earlier. 18 White-throats swifts along with it. Exciting day social distancing in the yard! Thomas Heinrich Boulder, CO nyc...@aol.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/0E7BC97D-909B-4355-9214-DF26E8108150%40gmail.com.
[cobirds] Falcon ID Course: June 13 in Brighton (Adams Co.)
Dear COBIRDERS: REF is proud to present the premier Falcon ID course in Colorado. REF's live raptors will be featured, coupled with the combined skill and experience of Colorado Parks Wildlife Raptor Monitor Karen Metz and Anne Price, REF's Curator of Raptors. Karen has decades of experience observing wild raptors, and her exceptional knowledge is backed by carefully-selected slides provided by some of the best raptor photographers in the world. If you've ever been frustrated because the bird that just flew by you didn't even stop long enough for you to focus your binoculars, this is the class for you! With the focus on falcons, you'll learn how and why they differ from the other raptors. The course will be held at our facility in Brighton on Saturday, June 13 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon with a tour of our exterior mews (raptor housing) to conclude the class. Space is limited to 20 people, by advance reservation only. The fee per person is $50. If you would like our book, Raptors, (which has illustrations of all of North America's raptors) added to the course fee, select that option and the price for both is $60. You may pay at this link; look for Seminar Payment at the bottom: www.usaref.org/VisitorPayment.htm http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usaref.org%2FVisitorPayment. htmh=YAQFAOtcQenc=AZMPe9amsJK9XCpIMgqhLVEneMiJxnFHhAVxDqAvbvkP041i4d0hedxA yO1Vb1ikIS1EC4mY1UpxJOU4CLE4w_uYTrrd71H9T3kSkpAFjFIdbmZ0b1OxHe7jEn-xTNRCCly- 14HgQPU4KtHXLcMViSjndXQQyAoW2M9DhQO6xPMrz-GdL67SPvSlMgDb6RSnOdMh1gQfQxIGcp_4 F4psuOWbs=1 Morning refreshments will be provided. Thank you, Anne Price ~Jefferson County -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Colorado Birds group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/BAY182-DS77301F82951F4C09B4141CFC20%40phx.gbl. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
[cobirds] falcon
Hi all, A few minutes ago a Merlin flew through my yard and was quickly chased by magpies. However, the magpies were no match for the falcon. Scott Rashid Estes Park -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Colorado Birds group. To post to this group, send email to cobi...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
Re: [cobirds] Falcon Double Feature - Red Rocks - Jefferson Co.
Based on my experience watching large falcons in the Boulder Mountain Parks, I would say that the courtship and copulation period can easily last several weeks. The eggs are laid over a span of several days (no more than one egg per day) and copulation will continue throughout the laying period. The female may not start to incubate continuously until all the eggs are laid. Once incubation starts, there'll be a lot less activity around the nest area, probably just the occasional food drop or nest exchange. It will also be interesting to see how the peregrines and prairies at Red Rocks tolerate each other. In the Flatirons, the PEFAs seem to maintain air superiority over the PRFAs when they're both nesting in the same area. PEFAs will dive-bomb or otherwise harass the PRFAs to keep them well away from active (or even prospective) PEFA nests. Aren't raptors amazing to watch in all respects?! For those of you who aren't afraid to risk serious addiction, let me recommend Boulder OSMP's raptor monitoring volunteer program. It's very well-run, beginners get plenty of guidance, and it's an amazing opportunity to get to know these incredible birds (and spend time amidst stunning scenery.) Another recommendation: Falcons of North America by Kate Davis. Easy reading, lots of fascinating info, plus plenty of awesome pictures by Colorado's own Rob Palmer. -Peter Ruprecht Superior I was surprised to see the Peregrines copulating, since on Saturday, March 20, an Evergreen Audubon Field Trip saw copulation take place. I surmised the female might be sitting on eggs by now. How long does courtship last, and how soon after copulation takes egg laying take place? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Colorado Birds group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en To unsubscribe, reply using remove me as the subject.
[cobirds] Falcon Double Feature - Red Rocks - Jefferson Co.
The Prairie and Peregrine pairs put on a double feature this morning at Red Rocks with Canyon Wrens providing a harmonious acoustical background. Prairie Falcons - First Act When I arrived at Red Rocks around 9:00 a.m., the female Prairie Falcon was perched on a ledge on the northern half of the sheer cliff wall calling - constant but not as pleading or incessant as two days earlier. The male Prairie Falcon was perched on the top of the cliff on the south side. The male made several forays circling in front of the cliff wall, and several times landing on ledges and walking back into the cliff recesses (inspecting nest sites???just a guess on my part). The female then flew to the top of the rock near where the male was earlier (and near where copulation had taken in the past) and started calling. The male left and a short time later returned with a small rodent (mouse or small chipmunk size) and proceeded to fly into the ledge recess where I think the nest will be. He stayed a short time back in the recess where I couldn't see him, while the female was on top calling. Then, almost simultaneously, it seemed like the two falcons called, the female flew down onto the top of a flat rock, the male flew out of the nest ledge(?) and landed on the ledge with the female, where she took the prey from the male. The female stayed front and center on the ledge while the male moved away to the back and side of the ledge. The female stayed on the ledge and devoured the prey (held the prey down with her feet and talons and pulled upward with her beak stripping the pieces of flesh), while the male flew off and landed on another perch on the cliff wall. It took 20 -25 minutes for the female Prairie to eat the prey, and when she was finished one could see a huge bulge in her crop. After she finished with the meal, she wiped her beak several times on the rock surface, and then flew down to the ledge where I suspect the nest will be. I could hear her calling, but could not see her. After a while, the female came out and perched on the ledge where I could see her, and the male left his perch on a ledge and flew to the top of the cliff wall above her. This is where I left them as the song of the Canyon Wren cascaded down the scale and the curtain dropped(figuratively). Peregrine Falcon - Second Act As I pulled into the parking lot (Upper South Parking Lot), I could hear and see a Peregrine Falcon and watched as she landed on top of a round rock (way up high) and proceeded to eat something (I could not discern what the prey was). This is supposition on my part, but I think she was carrying the remains of a kill and wonder if the male didn't provide and give her the kill just before I arrived. Anyway, the female Peregrine devoured the prey displaying a huge crop when the meal was finished. Just after she finished gulping down the meal, I heard a Peregrine call (not sure whether the male or female, but I think it was the male). The male flying from the north end of the cliff face flew directly towards the female sitting on the southern end of the cliff. Just as he neared her perch, the male braced himself and opened his wings wide, landing on top of the female where copulation took place lasting 5-6 seconds. The male left (never touched or landed on the rock perch) and returned to a perch on the north end of the cliff wall while the female remained on the same ledge. In the meantime the female Raven had left her stick nest on the cliff wall, which is located below where the Peregrines seem to hang out, and the female Raven joined the male Raven in the dead juniper snag rendezvous point on the hillside to the west. As one of the ravens was flying towards the wall it landed on top of a huge rounded boulder and flattened out as the female falcon made a couple of passes just above the cowering and flattened out Raven. The female Peregrine then returned to the same perch where she had devoured the prey and remained there for a while before eventually flying to a perch with a rock overhang on the cliff face. After probably 20 -30 minutes I left the two Peregrines still perched on their respective ledges on the cliff wall with the ravens croaking now and then a Canyon Wren occasionally serenading. Down the road we may have Act III, as there is a pair of American Kestrels flying around the area between the cliffs occupied by the Peregrine and Prairie Falcons. I was surprised to see the Peregrines copulating, since on Saturday, March 20, an Evergreen Audubon Field Trip saw copulation take place. I surmised the female might be sitting on eggs by now. How long does courtship last, and how soon after copulation takes egg laying take place? Mike Henwood Red Rocks Park - Jefferson County Morrison -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
