The Parent Trap - Day 2

So how do you trap a parent? For those of you old enough to remember the original Disney movie, you do it with two adorable children. In Trey's and Princess' case, with two captive-bred peregrine falcon chicks. However, not the kind of thing one can pickup from Petland. Peregrines, because they are a species-at-risk are protected by pretty much every level of government - provincial, federal and international (they're not covered by municipal legislation, but if they could find a way to slap an entertainment tax on them, I think they would). So first one has to find a breeder and my choice was to talk to Phil and Helen at Upsandowns Birds in Alberta. Phil and Helen used to be part of the Canadian Wildlife Service's captive-breeding program until it was dismantled a few years ago and since then have continued on a much smaller scale. Because I have worked with them before, albeit to a much lesser degree than this year, and because I know that if I have a concern about a chick, they could walk me through it. So I spoke with Phil and Helen and they did have two chicks that were old enough to travel and close enough in age to one another that they could be fostered with Trey and Princess without problems. Next came arranging for the necessary permits. Remember all those levels of government? Well, to bring two chicks from Alberta to Winnipeg requires export permits, import permits, vet certifications, shipping documents and of course an airline ticket. Throw in some quail for food and you are all set. So with Phil and Helen's help in Alberta and the assistance of Ken G, Pat and Jim at Manitoba Conservation's Wildlife and Ecosystem Protection Branch, we had all the paperwork in place and the chicks had their boarding passes for their flight tomorrow.