Greetings,
This is a very exciting picture of Lookout! Lookout is doing exactly what we wish all new releases would do. When a
Peregrine Falcon first leaves the release box for the wild, we like to feed it while it is learning how to hunt. This is called hacking, it helps the bird to keep up it's strength while learning the tricks of the trade so to speak. Some falcons will return to eat and some leave the area within a few days. Lookout is the falcon with the Satellite Telemetry device, all the readings we have been getting have placed him right around Rock City!!! He has been spotted perched on the Chapins Chimney and soaring over their house! It is truly wonderful that Lookout is doing so well. Thanks to Jeff Raabe who so kindly put up a camera to see who was taking the quail . We wanted to make sure it was the falcons, and sure enough it is!!! See if you can spot the telemetry device on Lookout's back, it is definitely there. If you happen to make it to Rock City within the next few days look around, you might just see Lookout flying through Rock City.(If you click on this photo it will enlarge). By the way, we left two quail on the hack station roof at 4:30 p.m. and by 5:15, one of the quail was gone. Perhaps Lookout came back for his afternoon snack.
A fairly thorough search was made for Chatty. Both sides of Lookout Mountain within a ten mile radius were searched with the radio receiver. No signal was located. This doesn't necessary mean that he is completely out of the area. He may have been on a cliff that was blocking his signal.
Bruce continues to be a bright spot in this year's release. He was not fed today, but I (John) checked on him at about 7:30 this evening. David from AB Security took me to the roof of building #3, where at first, we didn't see him. However, he was perched right below his favorite security camera and launched into a very soar able breeze. He flew many circles overhead and did some shallow dives and partially inverted turns. As a hang glider pilot of 36 years, I was awestruck by his grace and command of the air. It is truly remarkable how well he flies now compared to even a few days ago. I guess he was expecting food, but I had to disappoint him since we are gradually trying to wean him (to encourage him to hunt). He will be given a quail tomorrow morning, but this evenings flights will not soon be forgotten by me! Thanks for checking in and hopefully we will have more good news tomorrow.
Dale and John
http://www.soarsouth.org/
s.o.a.r.south@hotmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment