Banding Goes Great!

This morning's banding event went very well, and we thank everyone who tuned in.  Thanks also to our video team for filming and to Susie Vance for narrating the event.  Hopefully, the play-by-play helped the web audience follow along a little better.  As soon as we have video highlights ready I will post a link.  In the meantime, here's a video posted to YouTube by one of our top fans who was watching online.  Local media covered the event as well.

The Division's statewide peregrine biologist determined that Zoom is a female.  She was equipped with a silver USGS band on the right leg and a color band (black over red) band on the left leg.  The code for the color band is:  51/Z.

Zoom appeared very healthy and had good weight - obviously eating well being an only chick!  The nestling will probably spend a good portion of the day resting from her brief time away from the familiarity of the nestbox/ledge.  Zoom's job now is to continue to grow and explore the ledge - she will be ready to fly in under 3 weeks!

The unhatched eggs were not removed from the box because the Division of Wildlife does not have permission from the US Fish & Wildlife Service to do so.  When I retrieved the chick from the ledge I did take a moment to move the eggs off to the side in hopes they would be out of the way and forgotten.  So much for that effort - in no time at all after Zoom was back in the nest, Durand had moved the eggs back to the front.  If the eggs are still present later this fall when the box gets its annual cleaning they will be removed at that time.

Thanks again SO much for every one's interest in the Division of Wildlife's Peregrine Falcon Program!