8:19 AM Sat, Jul 18, 2009 | Permalink
Bob Sallinger
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Hi All,
No updates at this time as to the fate of the juvenile male. At this point in their development, they are starting to wander far from the nest site and spend much more time on their own. By the fourth week after fledging, many birds red-taisl are nearly entirely self sufficient. People are reporting seeing red-tailed hawks downtown near the nest site, but I am unable to tell from their descriptions whether it is the young male from this nest site. Young red-tails are dispersing alll over the city so even if people do identify a hatch year bird, their is no guarantee that it is the bird that we have been watching. There is not reason to assume bad things have befallen him...this is just the way it is with birds.
It has been a very big week however in the bird world:
In Wyoming, PacificCorp (an Oregon based company) was fined more than $10 million for electrocuting birds of prey on their power lines. This is an unprecedented fine and reflects both the number of birds killed on these lines and the fact that utilities have known for decades that they needed to upgrade their lines to protect birds. More than 232 eagles have dies on their lines in Wyoming since January 2007.
The Obama Administration vacated (eliminated) two Bush Administration decision that would have dramatically rolled back protections for Spotted Owls and our ancient forests.Secretary of the Interior Salazar described the Bush Administration decisions as "legally indefensible."
For the fourth time in the last month or so, somebody drove up and down our beaches running over flocks of birds. Seems like this had become a new sport in Oregon and Washington. I will be traveling to Washington DC this week to continue to work on Audubon's legislation that would upgrade this type of activity from a Class B Misdemeanor to a Felony. DC in August...yuck...but it is worth the trip.
Hope you all are enjoying the summer!
Bob
Thanks so much Bob for your updates. I am hoping the male fledgling is flying free and doing well. I will forever enjoy the videos and pics of them together. Thank you for all you do, and for presenting this nest which has caused many of us to fall in love with these redtails! Good luck in Washington.
Thanks so much Bob for your updates. I am hoping the male fledgling is flying free and doing well. I will forever enjoy the videos and pics of them together. Thank you for all you do, and for presenting this nest which has caused many of us to fall in love with these redtails! Good luck in Washington.
Thank you Bob for keeping us up-to-date with all the bird news. I've become an avid bird-watcher this year after being able to watch our red tails hatch and fledge...it was a wonderful experience even though it didn't end as we all had hoped. I will be rooting for you in Washington as what is happening on the coast is just wrong. The drivers need to pay for their foolishness and killing of the birds. If anyone does, I know you will bring the seriousness of the problem to the public's awareness.
Thank you for everything you have done so far!
Thanks for the update, Bob. It is just sickening what these people are doing to our birds. I hope and pray something is done and am glad you are their advocate. We appreciate the time you take to post these updats and know how busy you are. It's funny how I notice and admire birds so much more since my raptor watching experience - just like Wendy! Cheers to you and KGW.
It is hard to understand why even one person would want to drive up and down the beach and run over a flock of bird - let alone four groups of them. What the heck!? Scary.
Bob, perhaps it is time to push the state legislature to remove the status of our beaches as highways, allowing only those vehicles to access the beach that have legitimate reasons for being there, such as emergency vehicles, those unloading boats, SOLVE trucks on beach cleanup day and so forth. By the way, where have all the sanderlings gone?
Barbara, I thought the same thing on my two trips to the coast this year. It was sadly empty without the little shorebirds racing along in perfect sync in front of the waves.
Bob,
Good luck in DC these people sound like they are sick and need help. Even in Atlanta I see things like this happening. Intentionally running over 30 pound turtles that are easily 25 years old or more. They also run over our protected vultures.
I wish you lots of luck.
I believe that the people in those vehicles should receive more than a misdemeanor. They need to be punished enough financially so that it gives them reason to stop. All proceeds should go to the birds and the maintenance of the coast.
Best of luck, and I hope our male red tail is doing well!!
Lori
Thanks ever so much!!!
Last week I saw a hawk flying outside the US Bank building. Shouldn't he/she be flying south about now?