Watching the fledgewatchers watching for fledges
Saturday May 22nd 2010, 10:19 pm
Filed under: Wildlife

Another falcon day: Kekoa was spotted first thing this morning by people who get up way earlier than I do, safe and sound. From the Rotunda to the Brise to the various ledges at City Hall, he was making his way short flight by short flight, bit by rest by bit towards home. It’s the going upwards that’s the hard part, but he was doing reasonably well at it.

His mother finally dropped some food to him and with that energy booster after a long day, he made it back home into the nestbox area while I was in the kitchen finishing up melting bittersweet into cream.

I went to where the fledgewatchers were having a party, coming at the last minute when hopefully the sun was okay, a chocolate torte (recipe there) in hand–two, actually, since I didn’t know how many there were going to be–and met some more of the people who are as crazy about peregrines as I am. My excitement over Kekoa’s majestic, strong flight last night was sobered by one person’s telling me about another juvie from before I started following them who took off strongly as well but then who didn’t survive.  How worrisome this nighttime fledge had been.

Oh goodness. Well, then, all the more wonderful that he’s fine.  (And stay that way, you two up there, y’hear?)

The thought suddenly occurs to me that I tend to cheerfully assume that since I survived last year, everybody and everything will survive everything thrown at them, too.  Right?

When I got there, all four peregrines were at home and in sight, a juvie at either end of the upper ledge. As far as I could tell from my perch, they were watching us watching them.

Hey Mom! Those funny big prey down there–do they taste good?

They’re best with chocolate, honey.


6 Comments so far
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Glad to hear Kekoa made it home safely. Those first trips out are nerve-wracking for any parent, any species.

And I’ll bet the watchers loved the torte(s).

Comment by Margo Lynn 05.23.10 @ 3:30 am

I make that same assumption, too. My trials have been nowhere near as spectacular as yours (certainly not life-threatening, although The Gallbladder That Ate July was, ahem, memorable). I often think of myself in terms of that Timex watch from my childhood: takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’.

Comment by Lynn 05.23.10 @ 5:39 am

“best with chocolate” – so true, at least as far as my behavior goes!

As far as surviving all that is thrown at us, it probably results in best outcomes to think that way, so why not?

Comment by twinsetellen 05.23.10 @ 6:37 am

I had a moment of guilt too when you told me of his slow climb back “home” but now, I’m thinking that the world needs some of us to be optimists and (almost) always think the best, no matter how dire the circumstances…

Comment by Channon 05.23.10 @ 7:35 am

Well, certainly better optimistic than pessimistic.
I can’t speak for other bird species, but chocolate is toxic for members of the parrot family.

Fun –

It’s just like magic! When you live by yourself, all your annoying habits are gone.

***
Natural beauty takes at least two hours in front of a mirror.

Comment by Don Meyer 05.23.10 @ 11:11 am

Your comment about last year and your fascination with our feathered friends reminded me of a book I read at least 30 years ago and which Amazon tells me is still available: “A Fine and Private Place” by Peter S. Beagle. It’s about life, death, and love, with a very plain-spoken raven’s commentary. Remembering the raven still makes me grin! If you haven’t read it, maybe your library will have it.
Last year was a tough one for me too — thanks to chemo I’m still here. Mother Nature colluded by giving us the coldest, wet summer on record, so I didn’t mind missing it so much.
This Spring has been the warmest, so I am enjoying every bit I can. My cancer marker number is creeping up, and my last PET scan was iffy, so I’m gonna go dig this book out and read it again myself!
Hugs,
Carol in MA

Comment by Carol Telsey 05.24.10 @ 6:48 am



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