To show the answer under the question and keep it there even if you go to another question, CLICK on the QUESTION.
To HIDE the answer click on the question again.
To show the answer and keep it there just until you want to go to the next question, HOVER your cursor over the Question NUMBER. It will remain until you move the cursor off the number.
Keep in mind that both the HOVER and CLICK change the current status of the answer. If you have CLICKED a question so that the message shows, hovering over the number will now hide it, and moving the cursor off the number will show it again.
If you notice any problems or have questions, please email me (sneves44@gmail.com).
ALSO please note that if the "question" is a direct link to someplace, and there is nothing to expand (For Market Tower, please see Figure 1 for example), the NUMBER will NOT be underlined, and CLICKING on the link will take you directly to Figure 1 in this case.
SpecialK's:
The first egg was laid about 5:57AM March 20th.
The second egg was laid at 1:47PM March 22nd. (elapsed time ~ 56 hours)
The third egg was laid at 6:35AM March 25th. (elapsed time ~ 65 hours)
IPL:
The first egg was laid about 9:05AM March 21st.
The second egg was laid at 5:39PM March 23rd. (elapsed time ~ 56 hours)
The third egg was laid about 4:00 AM March 26th (elapsed time ~ 60 hours - 4AM is a 'we have no idea' hour)
IndyFroona was in Milwaukee again this year until the female who has been there migrated back. She is now back at the Port Washington, Wisconsin nest. The webcam is not live, but takes pictures every hour from 6AM through 8PM. Just to make it easier for you, the links to each time are now in the menu! Her 2 chicks last year were named Kilowatt (male) and Amara (female).
Tragically, Kinka was found dead earlier this year. Pinkie (originally misidentified as a female) who was hatched at IPL in 2003 is valiantly trying to incubate the eggs himself. They produced 4 chicks in 2011.
Eastern Kentucky University has a course in Ornithology. One of the segments is Avian Reproduction. Very interesting! (This link opens in a new window.)
A lot of people think a peregrine falcon is visiting their yard. This is possible but extremely unlikely. It is much more likely it is a Cooper's Hawk, a bird frequently mistaken for a peregrine. If you think you have a peregrine sitting in a tree in your yard, or anywhere else, check out this page to note the differences.
"It used to be that the Falcon blog link was on the front page. The blog got LOTS of comments and LOTS of activity.
WHERE is that blog link? It is not on the front page that I can easily, or even with effort, find. It is not listed in News, Communities, Sports, Business, Entertainment, Living or Opinion! I didn't look in Obituaries but that's probably where it should be because it is certainly going to die soon if nobody finds it. I'd bet my bottom dollar that hits are WAY, WAY down. Comments are practically non-existent! Last year every blog entry had upwards of 50, sometimes HUNDREDS of comments. This year..1,2..11 AT MOST! I know that while you theoretically don't get money for funding the cams, you had better believe you USED to get a lot of world-wide free publicity AND appreciation. Now you have frustration and people are, (I hear), going to another site to get information - BCAW - because they can FIND it.
PLEASE, PLEASE put the link somewhere it can be EASILY found!!"
Actually the correct technical word is eyas, but Chick is easier to say and easier to type for me (Laura). Before they fledge and are still in the nest box, I refer to the young ones as chicks and that’s why I point out this term.
Once they fledge, you’ll see I (Laura) use this term instead of chick. They are no longer babies but they aren’t adults yet. I’ll often shorten that term to juvies.
I’ll use this term when an adult bird “helps” a juvie in flight. It could be the first flight or a subsequent shaky flight. An adult will fly closely alongside or underneath the juvenile to guide it. I have never witnessed body contact but I would assume it is possible. The adult will often try to force the young bird to a safe landing as it guides it either up or down to that spot.
They do this in the nest box but the first few days of flight, we often are on the edge of our seats as we see them on building ledges flap-flap-flapping away. Are they going to go any minute like we think they might with all this flapping? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. They'll often settle down and think it about it some more.
We witness the adults do this in mid-air. It is usually Kinney bringing food to KathyQ so she can feed the youngsters. One of the adults will flip upside down – generally KathyQ so she can take the prey from Kinney - and exchange, talon to talon. It only takes seconds to do this and is quite amazing – now that is strength and precision flying! KathyQ will then fly with the prey, land and pluck it (if Kinney hasn’t already done that) and take it to the kids. Most of the time the head is missing and some of the wing feathers are too, so we can’t tell what’s for dinner.
Unlike the Indy cars, this action usually involves one juvie bumping a parent who brings in food and then taking it away from the adult. This action happens after they are flying well and are starting to hone those falcon survival and hunting skills. Another variation of the this term is bumper tag, when one juvenile is on a ledge and another one comes along and lands in same spot, as the first one takes off for a new location. Food isn't involved in this game. They even do it to Kinney and KathyQ.
When the juvies need to take a break, they sort of just squash down on a ledge or rooftop for a while. You’ll see their wing tips sticking up. Don’t be alarmed - they are just resting.
This action generates more reports of a young falcon injured than most anything else. As I’ve said before, falcons aren’t the most graceful of walkers because they have such big feet. They sort of lope along so folks think they are hurt because they are walking funny. Don’t ask me why I call it this, but as others have heard before, it popped into my head one day while watching them and has stuck with me.
I’ve never seen the Bolshoi, but this performance by the falcons is one graceful, mesmerizing endeavor on par with Swan Lake I think. It usually involves three or more performers but sometimes I’ve seen two in the air. These beautiful birds catch thermals and drift up and up in a spiral, barely flapping their wings. One good spot to see this is at the intersection of Ohio and Meridian streets. I think the Chase Tower allows for some good winds for this to happen.
Such fun stuff to watch. Once the juvies are flying with confidence they will take off after each other. They will zoom around the sky, one right behind the other. This most likely helps them develop the skill to chase prey.
I (Laura) use this term when I see Kinney or KathyQ stall out up in the sky. They can be flying like mad – witness the banding day when they were swooping and diving up by the nest box – and then just come to a complete standstill as they position themselves against the wind.
Mantling prey involves a very serious game. Once they have fledged and are flying comfortably, the parents still bring food to them. But eventually the juveniles will run and try to take the food from the adult when the adult lands with it nearby. Whoever wins the foot race to mom or dad, will take the prey and then mantle the food. They sort of hunch over it and spread their wings in a cloaking action, keeping any brother, sister or parent from it. Once the victor is done with eating, the others get their chance.
A crop is the name of the part of the falcon's anatomy that serves as a storage area for food until it is passed to the stomach - often seen as a bulge in the upper part of the bird's chest area when it is full.
I (Laura) don't know if it is unusual but if the water source is nearby, it probably isn't. In my observations over the years, I've only witnessed one time Kinney and his former mate Scout bathing on top of the old Block's building - I was inside a building on the 25th floor watching it all. He stood guard while she bathed and after she was done, he waded in while she went to a sunny spot and dried off. Perhaps we don't see it as much with the Indy birds because we don't have the vantage point from up high to witness it. Whether they go over to White River and take a dip or a drink, I've never been able to observe.
We usually see one or both go back into the nest box. Kinney is usually looking for scraps or uses it as an escape later when the juvies begin to bug him. It also might be a pair bonding behavior for the adults. But we really don't know what the behavior might be attributed to.
KathyQ and Kinney will generally stay around their territory in Indianapolis after the kids leave. Their food source is plentiful. You may not see them so much in the mile square area in downtown Indy as we do when the chicks fledge but you can occasionally see them.
The Pigeons around the Monument Circle area have wised up and know the Peregrines are there so they stay close to the ground and fly only short distances. If you watch, you will also see that Pigeons fly erratically, not in a straight line. Peregrines want to know where the prey will be upon contact and choose easier targets. The color of the prey has nothing to do with it other than the brighter they are the easier to see. I (Laura) have witnessed Kinney coming as close as 8 feet above sidewalk to take prey. If he does not catch it in the air before it hits the concrete, he will land and retrieve it. They normally don't hunt close to ground however, it is too dangerous with cars, wires, people and windows all around.
Peregrine falcons can, and will, migrate south. The Indianapolis pair does not because they probably wish to protect their territory, their food source is plentiful and our winters are generally not that harsh. We will generally get reports of sightings of them throughout the winter time. The peregrine falcon will migrate as far as South America so they can fly great distances.
This also varies widely. Our special K's begin egg laying in March. In 2006, the first egg was laid on March 11th, the fourth on March 18th. In 2007 the first was laid on March 17th, and the fourth on March 24th. The Harrisburg falcons laid their first egg in 2007 on March 26th.
According to the observations we have made over the years, the eggs are laid anywhere from 8 to 32 hours apart. This IS an average though, it could take longer and has in the past.
Because incubating doesn't start until the last egg is laid, all she and Kinney need do is to keep them warm enough and dry. According to John Castrale, the eggs can be left alone all day if the outside temperatures may be enough to keep the eggs sufficiently warm. Usually some incubation needs to happen at night when the temperatures drop. Once incubation starts, however, constant temperature IS required and KathyQ or Kinney will be on the eggs at all times.
It is because the adults don't start incubating until the last egg is laid. If they were to start when the first egg is laid, the chicks would hatch as much as 8 days apart. Close hatching will enable the chicks to fledge closely together and mature at the same rate.
A pip is a break in the shell, made by the egg tooth (a temporary horny cap on the chick's upper beak that serves for pipping (breaking through) the shell. It usually dries and falls off within 18 hours after the chick hatches). This is referred to as external pipping. To see a small pip, see Figure 5. To see an egg closer to hatching, see Figure 6.
Adult males are 14-16 inches tall and weigh 1 - 1½ pounds. Adult females are 16-20 inches tall and weigh about 2 pounds. Both of our sub-specie have a wing span of 33-35 inches.
If they are together, KathyQ is quite a bit bigger than Kinney. If not, the bands on the left leg of the bird is the best way. Kinney's band number is a 7 on a black background over a slight slim line of red and the rest of his band is worn down to the silver colored metal. KathyQ's is a "B" tilted on its side in the black and "C" tilted on its side in the red. When written down they are 7/*3 and *B/*C The * indicates a character on its side. If you can't see the bands, it is very difficult.
Eastern Kentucky University has a course in Ornithology. One of the segments is Avian Reproduction. Very interesting! (This link opens in a new window.)
Well, that is hard to predict. The first one to fly may sit for a good long time where it lands or it may decide to go again right away. Just like humans, they are all different and it will be what it will be! There have been years where the last one to fly has taken a couple of days after the others have started. When we had 3 males and 1 female down on S. Meridian, I (Laura) think the female took at least 2 days after they boys were out. The males definitely tend to fly first because they are smaller and lighter.
Usually, KathyQ feeds each chick while they are in the nestbox. As they get older and bigger, an adult may leave the prey food for them to feed themselves while they are still still in the box.
I (Laura) am so amazed that they seem to know when it's their turn and are not more aggressive about trying to get some food away from the sibling being fed. They just let the lucky diner eat in peace.
We can’t pinpoint exactly how long they stay in the downtown area because we stop monitoring them after the first couple of weeks. They become harder to locate once they begin flying well and could be anywhere in the downtown area which makes the task of finding them very time consuming and often fruitless. They will have to learn to hunt prey on their own before they begin their wandering.
They get their fluids from the prey they eat. Once they are out flying, I (Laura) have seen them take little drinks from puddles but not on a regular basis.
I (Laura) wish I could tell you what time of day it will happen. I really don't know - in the past it's been early in the morning, late in the morning, early afternoon or late afternoon - obviously, as you can tell, it could happen at any time!
I'm (Laura) sure there are several reasons why the mortality rate is high and probably a combination of things. What we have had reported for several of our Indy birds is building collisions. I think it is due to lack of experience with buildings being in the way when they are going after prey and the falcon's tremendous speed. As the skyscrapers have helped the return of this bird from the endangered list, they are a hazard for them also. Sometimes, they don't even migrate from their birthplace - as recently as 2000 one of the juveniles was found dead on the top of Conseco Fieldhouse. Believe it or not, people still shoot these birds too. One of the Indy young ones was found shot in 2005 and had to be euthanized.
In their natural habitat they would nest on cliffs or ledges so they still have the potential to fall and die. Also, the eggs can be eaten and destroyed by raccoons or other mammals and the eyases are much more susceptible to predation by Great Horned Owls (something they don't face in the heart of a city) so their mortality rate is not that much different.
Historically there are no pictures posted after they are flying. However, now that the FalconBlog has been set up on Google Groups, pictures are posted there by the people who come down with their wonderful cameras. (Thank you, to all of you who do that!)
Once they fledge, you’ll see I (Laura) use this term instead of chick. They are no longer babies but they aren’t adults yet. I’ll often shorten that term to juvies.
You more than likely won't see the chicks return to the nest box once they start flying. If you see a bird in the nest box via falconcam, it will probably be one of the adults, but occasionally a juvenile may show up for a brief moment or two.
What is really the soul-catching hook for me (Laura), and I think for Richard too, is observing the way the juveniles do interact with one another. Although they may start flying within a day or two of each other, they still seem to gravitate to one another once they are out and about. If one flies to what appears to be a more appealing ledge or rooftop somewhere for some unknown reason, you can almost guarantee within minutes the siblings will follow. If one is left behind, oh my, the pitiful wailing we hear down on the street.
I’ve been lucky enough to witness falcon rooftop games or puddle jumping. If they alight for a while, they will often find something to play with – a loose piece of rubber hosing or some old leathery prey carcass left behind that they will pick up in their talons and give it the old slap down. This usually involves one juvenile acting out while the others look on in seeming bewilderment or maybe it’s just impatience while waiting for their turn to play. Mantling prey is another story. It involves a very serious game. Once they have fledged and have flying comfortably under their belts, the parents still bring food to them. But eventually the juvies will run and try to take the food from the adult when the adult lands with it nearby. Whoever wins the foot race to mom or dad, will take the prey and then mantle the food. They sort of hunch over it and spread their wings in a cloaking action, keeping any brother or sister from it. Once the victor is done with eating, the others get their chance.
It only takes a small puddle for young falcons to frolic in, particularly on a hot, sunny day.
We think we have fun at the seashore! You should see these guys.
Then there are the spectacular, breathtaking tail-chasing games and aerial ballets, as they get more confident in flight.
Time out for a little rest or nap is a fun time to watch them, too. They will often settle right next to each other on a ledge somewhere. One year, we observed two sisters on a Columbia Club ledge facing the Circle, squashed down, face to face. They would turn their heads almost upside down just to look at each other and then immediately ignore each other right after that. They had us volunteers on the street doing that, too. Yes, we can be really silly falconheads.
I know this clannishness won’t last and they will eventually go their separate ways. And I suppose theoretically somewhere down the road, siblings could become competitors for the same territory and have a not so pleasant outcome. I don’t look that far ahead though, I just enjoy the moment.
I (Laura) have watched the chicks and juveniles in the past and they will sometimes set or stand motionless for hours. The duration from one camera click to the next is one minute. At times you have to catch them breathing or blinking an eye to tell they are still alive.
They will attempt to fly from there. The parents will feed them wherever they land also and it usually is only a couple of floors down from the nest box. Sometimes they do fall again when they are busy walking back and forth on the ledge.
If one of them tumbles from the nest, we don't rescue them. They will attempt to fly from there. Now if they fall to the street, we return them to the 31st floor ledge but we do not place them back in the nest box.
Fledging pertains to the first flight from the nest location and a successful return to the general next area. However, Miriam-Webster Dictionary defines "flege" as: intransitive verb, of a young bird: to acquire the feathers necessary for flight or independent activity; also: to leave the nest after acquiring such feathers transitive verb 1: to rear until ready for flight or independent activity 2: to cover with or as if with feathers or down 3: to furnish (as an arrow) with feathers
Does either the photographer or John (Castrale) ever actually get hit by the adults when they are retrieving or returning the chicks on banding day?
Also, you may have already answered this question, but did the photographer on the ledge on banding day actually get 'hit' by one of the adults? I watched the video over and over to try to figure out if he got hit or was just startled by a near miss. One thing's for sure, that bird came WAY close to the building and made an unbelievable maneuver at an incredible speed! It looks like she was going to hit one of the building supports! Scary to watch.
In the 2006 banding video, the Indianapolis Star photographer was telling us after his incident on the ledge that he could feel the brush of feathers on his face and it was so amazingly fast how KathyQ approached him that day. John Castrale has been struck several times, usually by balled-up talons on his back. He and his assistants do wear helmets.
Per my contact at DNR, it would run from $2000-$4000 per bird to attach a tracking device. John Castrale said that there would have to be a well-defined research goal in order to do something like that. Additionally, with such a high first-year mortality rate for young falcons, it might be a waste of money and time to attach a device - no guarantee that the bird chosen for the device would survive long.
John Castrale decides, in conjunction with the Market Tower conference room schedule, when the banding will occur. It is usually 21-25 days after the chicks hatch.
Contact Richard Kinnett at m4502@sbcglobal.net. You will need to fill out a volunteer form and send one to John Castrale, then take 2 copies to Richard when you go downtown the first time. (Or mail them).
About the Nest, Market Tower and the Downtown area :Back to Top
The nest box is about 32 inches square. The roof slopes to the rear. It has about 2 inches of smooth gravel on bottom and drain holes in bottom.
Also, I don't know if the rulers help you give a perspective of the birds' size but that's why they were installed. Of course, you've got to catch a busy chick standing perfectly still right by the ruler marks to see!
The perch is part of the nest box you see from inside. It is about 16 inches high by about 6 inches from front to back. The top of the perch sits level with the building ledge which is about 12 inches away. (See Figure 2)
The ledge is outside the nest box. It goes all round the building with a few obstacles at the bottom of the 31st floor.
There are other ledges on 29, 27, 25 and 23rd floors we will be referring to in other answers and in comments on the blog (See Figure 1).
The front edge of perch you see that looks like it is part of the perch is actually the top narrow edge of the ledge, about 5 inches away from perch. Very tricky for a chick to walk on and more so if it is wing flapping. From there it drops down at a 45? angle to the ledge which is about 4 inches wide. (See Figure 2)
The stanchions are the upright pillars that end at the base of a lightning rod on the roof of Market Tower (Red Key) building. (See Figure 1). Everything is counted from the left regardless of which side of building you are facing.
The lower ledges (on 29, 27, 25, 23) are about 30 inches wide. They consist of a gutter about 2 feet wide containing gravel to catch rain and a raised ledge about 6 inches wide. The top of the raised ledge is 4-6 inches above the gravel ledge.
The gutter area on the 31st floor is where the people walk to go out to the next box. The entrance to the ledge is on the right side of the support structure for the Red Key sign. It is about 24 inches square.
Kinney was raised from incubated eggs by a breeder in Montana and sent to Lexington, KY in 1993,
KathyQ was hatched in Milwaukee, WI in 1998, given the name Chantal but when she showed up here we were not able to identify her for about one year so we started calling her KathyQ in memory of Kathy Quimbach who was a well liked DNR employee that died the year before.
Unless someone can identify the bands on the birds, we may never know what the fate of any year’s offspring is. They will have to claim their own territory somewhere. The mortality rate is very high for the first year of their lives. The only ones we know for sure are the ones which have been positively identified and reported:
2008: Magee was just released back to the wild. (April 24th, 2009). Edna died July 4th, 2008 when she was hit by a car on I65. Magee was injured in this accident and was rehabbed over the winter. (See Blog for April 24th.) 2007: Lieber and Hokie died in fledging season. 2006: Alexa died in July after fledging. 2005: We don't know where the 2005 offspring are located.
To check on the status of peregrine falcons in the Midwest, check out the website http://www.midwestperegrine.org/ then click on Searchable Database. This site is maintained by the University of Minnesota Raptor Center and reports are updated by each state’s overseer of the Midwest Peregrine Falcon restoration project – in Indiana’s case this is the Department of Natural Resources.
To see what was current in the database as of June 23rd, 2007, click here.
Kinney’s band on the left leg should be black over red 7/*3 but his band is so faded it can no longer be read.
KathyQ’s (known officially in the Midwest Peregrine database as Chantal) band on the left leg is black over red *B/*C
We aren’t sure what happened to Scout. KathyQ arrived on the scene in 2002, about the time eggs were already laid in the nest box. We theorize that Scout laid the eggs, endured a territorial dispute with KathyQ and lost, perhaps ending in her death. Her body was never found. KathyQ’s bands could not be read for a long time so the volunteers began calling her KathyQ in honor of a deceased DNR employee who had been deeply involved in the Indiana Peregrine Falcon restoration project. Eventually, the bird’s bands were read and the database has her name officially as Chantal.
The list is too extensive to include. Please check the searchable database at http://www.midwestperegrine.org/.
However, if you want to see the names from 1995 to April 23, 2007, click here
Kinka has set up house in Ohio at the Dayton Power and Light Stuart station with Pinkie who was hatched at IPL in 2003! They produced 4 chicks this year (2011)
SpecialK's:
The first egg was laid about 5:57AM March 20th.
The second egg was laid at 1:47PM March 22nd. (elapsed time ~ 56 hours)
The third egg was laid at 6:35AM March 25th. (elapsed time ~ 65 hours)
IPL:
The first egg was laid about 9:05AM March 21st.
The second egg was laid at 5:39PM March 23rd. (elapsed time ~ 56 hours)
The third egg was laid about 4:00 AM March 26th (elapsed time ~ 60 hours - 4AM is a 'we have no idea' hour)
SpecialK's:
The first egg was laid about 11:39PM March 19th.
The second egg was laid about 5:50AM March 22nd. (elapsed time 54 +hours)
The third egg was laid 12:10PM March 24th. (elapsed time 54 +hours)
The fourth egg was laid sometime over nite March 27th. I am saying 3AM until I hear differently. (elapsed time about 63 hours)
IPL:
The first egg was laid at 8:11AM April 1st.
The second egg was laid about 3:45PM April 3rd. (elapsed time 55 +hours)
The third egg was laid about 3AM April 6th. (elapsed time 59 +hours)
The fourth egg was laid about 5AM April 8th. (elapsed time 50 +hours)
The fifth egg was laid 2:05PM April 10th. (elapsed time 57 +hours)
SpecialK's:
The first egg hatched at 7:40AM April 28th.
The second egg hatched at 8:39AM April 28th. (elapsed time 59 minutes)
The third and fourth eggs did not hatch.
In addition, one of the hatched chicks expired on May 1st. The other is still looking sad, lacking a lot of his feathers, but is hanging in there.
IPL:
The first egg hatched around 7:30PM on May 11th.
The second egg hatched overnight (May 11th)
The third egg hatched overnight (May 12th)
The fourth egg hatched about 7PM (May 14th)
The first egg was laid 5:14PM March 13th.
The second egg was laid about 5:45AM March 16th. (Elasped time 60+ hours)
The third egg was laid 11:28AM March 18th. (Elapsed time 55- hours)
The fourth egg was laid about 07:36PM March 20th. (Elapsed time 56+ hours)
The first egg hatched about 12:49PM April 21st.
The second egg hatched about 10:30PM April 21st.
The third egg hatched 11:30AM April 22nd.
The fourth egg hatched about 07:30AM April 23rd.
The first egg was laid about 6:20PM March 14th.
The second was laid about 11:45AM March 17th. (Elapsed time 65+ hours)
The third was laid between 10:31AM and 11:11AM March 20th. (Elasped time about 70+ hours)
The fourth was laid about 9:15PM March 22nd. (elapsed time about 57+ hours)
The first egg hatched about 8:43AM April 22nd.
The second hatched about 6:30AM April 23rd.
The third hatched about 2:45PM April 23rd.
The fourth was hatched during the night and noticed about 6:45AM April 25th.
Sully flew May 29th
KB took off on June 4th and we never found her
Kinka and Indy Froona flew on June 5th
All 3 were spotted in the downtown area as late as July
The first egg was laid about 6:25PM March 16th.
The second was laid between 3:45AM and 6:05AM March 19th when KathyQ gave us a view of the scrape. (Elapsed time 56+ hours)
The third was laid about 3:10PM March 21st. (Elasped time about 58+ hours)
The fourth was laid about 8:31PM March 23rd. (elapsed time about 53+ hours)
2
Changing of the guard - a video clip created with 44 images captured between 1:53 and 2:37 (Yes, that was AM) by Mike B, an obviously very dedicated member of the IndyFalconheads Google Group. Thanks Mike B!!
The Indianapolis Star has provided all that for the Market Tower setup. The DNR doesn't have the money for the cameras, networking and maintenance to do something like that.
I went to the IndyFalconHeads to look a picture and got the following message:
“We're sorry but your query looks similar to automated requests from a computer virus or spyware application. To protect our users, we can't process your request right now. We'll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon. In the meantime, if you suspect that your computer or network has been infected, you might want to run a virus checker or spyware remover to make sure that your systems are free of viruses and other spurious software. We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope we'll see you again on Google.” What does that mean?
Feels scary doesn’t it? Actually, it is rare that you actually have a virus. Google servers are programmed to respond with that message if they get a sudden influx of heavy activity. If you have virus software, don’t worry. But you will have to wait as much as several hours to be able to go back and successfully look at the picture/whatever.
The Google Groups Server is in California which is on Pacific Time. So, whereever you are, you add or subtract to get either your actual time or Indiana time. Don't forget that Indiana is now on EASTERN time ALL year. And they DO go on Daylight Saving Time.
As an example:
If you live in California, the posting time is correct. If you want to know what time it is now in Indy, add 3 hours.
If you live in the UK, you will subtract 5 hours to get the time in Indiana, and 8 to get the California time.
This is a handy little link to get the time (and weather) anywhere in the world: World Clock
The Twitter link is at www.twitter.com. If you do not already have an account, you will need to create one.
Once you have the account, enter "falconblog" in the search box. (without the quotes).
It will find falconblog / Laura James-Reim. Click the Follow
button.
If you want to attach your phone to the account so that you get Laura's twitters on your phone, you will need to activate your phone. There will be a link in the "Welcome to Twitter" email you get, or go to "Settings" then "Devices" in your Twitter account. I do not recommend adding your cell phone unless you have unlimited texting.
It is never too late to donate and get the 50% match - the match is always in effect as long you make it out to the Indiana Nongame Fund. If you have any questions about it, please go the DNR website that gives a full explanation: http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/endangered/fund.htm Also, for anyone filing an Indiana state income tax return, you can donate your refund (if you are receiving one) by checking the box next to the eagle’s head on the form.
Many of you falconheads who have followed the blog in years past are familiar with the drum I am about to bang – it is my annual stump for donations. Once again I will stand on my soapbox and I will put out my call and beat the drum to those new and old to the blog...
As we look forward to welcoming a new crop of little falcons this spring, it is also that time of year many dread – tax time. But I wonder how many of you out there who are fortunate to get the GOOD news about your Indiana state tax returns (i.e., you are getting a refund!) know that you can really feel good about that little dividend the state is going to return to you.
If you hadn’t noticed on the bottom of the return, there is a big head of an eagle – in fact it looks just like that eagle’s head that looks back at you in the nest box. By checking the box next to the eagle’s head on your Indiana tax return, you are donating it to the Indiana Nongame Fund.
Big deal some of you might say. Well, it IS a big deal. Why in the world would I want to do that with my hard-earned money, some of you may ask. Well, I’ll try to shed a little insight as to why.
Through donations in years past by many wonderful Hoosiers, peregrine falcons were re-introduced to the landscape of Indiana. It took thousands of dollars to purchase juvenile falcons from private falconers in the early 1990s to be released from cities around Indiana in the hopes some would return and make their homes on skyscrapers or other urban sites. Nest boxes also had to constructed and installed. It took money to do all of this.
Although Kinney and KathyQ were not part of the Indiana release process, they were part of a chain of reintroduction efforts in Kentucky and Wisconsin, which led to their presence here in Indiana. Thank goodness.
Know how those dollars made such a dramatic difference? Peregrine falcons were taken off the federal endangered species list in 1999 – but they are still strictly protected by other laws. The return of the peregrine falcon from near extinction across the country has been a tremendously uplifting success story. I know that the very recent effort to reintroduce osprey (another marvelous raptor) to Indiana was made possible through donations to the Nongame Fund. The fruits of that reintroduction are starting to be seen as twelve active osprey nests were documented in Indiana in 2006.
Thanks to all of you who donated in the far and recent past, we had a record thirteen active peregrine pairs in 2006 in Indiana – but there are many other critters waiting for human help to make such a remarkable recovery. They may not be as glamorous as our special K’s and you may never have the opportunity to see them in their native habitat, but they are all part of our marvelous planet and an intricate part of the web of life. Here’s how the Indiana Department of Natural Resources website puts it so succinctly:
"The Indiana Wildlife Diversity Section invites you to play an active role in conserving Indiana's nongame and endangered wildlife. This program is funded through public donations to Indiana’s Nongame Fund.
The money you donate goes directly to the protection and management of more than 750 wildlife species in Indiana -- from songbirds and river otters to state-endangered barn owls and spotted turtles. You can help Indiana’s wildlife by looking for the eagle logo and the line provided on your Indiana state tax form to donate all or part of your refund."
Now, I know all of you wonderful falconheads aren't lucky enough to be Hoosiers and pay taxes here – ahem – but you can still donate to the Indiana Nongame Fund if you are so inclined and I would say that makes you A Hoosier-at-Heart (that would make you an AHAH!) and I thank you from the bottom of my falconheaded heart.
Or you may even be a Hoosier who isn’t fortunate enough to get a refund or you may have already sent your return not realizing what you might be able to do – do not despair, you can make a difference too.
To donate directly, please send your check to (credit cards aren’t accepted at this time):
Indiana Nongame Fund
402 W. Washington St. Rm. W273
Indianapolis, IN 46204
You can even note on your check it is in honor of Kinney and KathyQ. I’m sure the Indiana DNR staff would love to know how much you all appreciate that royal couple.
And it matters not if your donation is big or small. I believe in the ability of one person to make a difference for the good in this world – multiply you by many and look at the resulting power.
And on that note I will get down off my soapbox.
Thanks.
Figure 1. Market Tower, labeled Green arrows point to ledges
Red arrows point to Stanchions
Blue arrows point to lightening rods
Yellow arrow points to the nest box
