One Month Later

Hard to believe that one month ago that many of us were glued to computer monitors, peering out office windows, or in my case, watching from the street below, as Kyle Schmidt rapelled down the side of the Hotel in an attempt to rescue the Radisson chicks. Black Friday. Since then, two more Manitoba-hatched peregrines have been found to be nesting outside the province, bringing our total to four Manitoba Ladies nesting elsewhere this year. While Alley and her mate 19/K decided not to renest after their nest in Lincoln, Nebraska was lost, T2 the Terminator and Bear in Grand Forks, North Dakota produced one chick, as did Radisson and her mate on the U of Alberta campus in Edmonton. Donna in Saskatoon was on six eggs (a record we think) but I haven't had any updates recently so I don't know how many have hatched. Back here in Manitoba, Holly and Zeus in Brandon managed to keep their three chicks safe from wind, rain, hail, snow and tornadoes and the whole family looked great when we banded them a couple of weeks ago. And while our attempt to entice Princess and Trey to foster two captive-bred chicks over the last week wasn't successful, having Manitoba's other peregrine pair raising three young and four Manitoba birds nesting elsewhere is exciting but also hugely important to the Project and the species. The biologic/reproductive success of a bird, or a pair, is a determined by whether or not, their offspring successfully raise offspring of their own. So Trey and Princess (and Holly/Zeus, T-Rex/Madame or Maud/Pop) are considered biologically successful only when they have grandkids. Watching Princess steadfastly remain on her dying chicks up until the moment Kyle arrived confirmed for many of the peregrines' fans of their worth as parents. It's nice in the face of this year's losses to have it recognized biologically as well.