Monday, May 17, 2010

4:15 - Arrived boat launch. I was out for a monitoring session late Monday just as it was starting to rain and the nearby thunderheads were booming away. Sure enough that kept the non-nesting parent - probably the male from the size which is smaller - down on a high perch above Jensens Ridge as can be seen in the photo below. I was there about an hour and the Peregrine remained perched the entire session.

5:15 - Departed boat launch

April - Early May, 2010

I haven't posted up, but I've been out monitoring four times prior to today without seeing the Peregrines. Odd as it sounds, that's really the outcome you want in April and early May.

Why? Beacuse it means they're being successful in reproducing; you don't see them because one is down on the nest with eggs or chicks while the other is out hunting. They trade off only once or twice a day and if you're not there when it happens you basically don't see them. If you actually saw them both out and about like normal it would probably indicate they had failed on their first clutch or nesting attempt.

But from my observations to-date I'm thinking they are nesting with newly hatched chicks at this point or they will be hatching any day. I've no way to verify that, but that's the sense I'm getting based on the number of weeks they've been down on the nest and quiet.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

12:30 - Dave: Begin monitoring at boat launch.

13:15 - Dave: Departed, no Raptors seen.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

17:25 - Dave: Begin monitoring at boat launch.

18:00 - Dave: Departed, no Raptors seen.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

17:50 - Dave: Begin monitoring at boat launch, visibility was so so.

19:00 - Dave: Departed, No raptors seen.

Friday, March 12, 2010

16:00 - Dave: Upon arriving at the boat launch picnic table area, I saw a LARGE bald eagle flying north, just above tree-top level, over the picnic table area. It was headed toward the west end of Beacon.

16:30 - Dave: No other raptors spotted.

16:35 - Dave: Peregrine pair circling near the summit of Beacon, on the West side. Justin, who was climbing on the north side of Beacon, told me they had been circling there for a while.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

16:45 - Joseph: Arrives at boat launch. Peregrine up on the usual perch on the top of the NW corner (right of where Dastardly Crack tops out). No other sign of Peregrines or much of any other birds for that matter.

17:05 - Joseph: Heads for upper picnic area to survey the East Face. No sign of Peregrines.

17:15 - Dave: Arrives at boat launch and thought he saw a Peregrine flying near Big Ledge, but could not confirm with binocs.

17:20 - Joseph: Lots of Raven activity on and around East Face, they are definitely back and nesting there.

17:25 - Dave: Peregrine circling/hanging out just west of Beacon Summit, causally drifting south over dock area, continued south across river at the West end of the island.

17:35 - Dave: Lost sight of Peregrine over west end of island.

17:30 - Joseph: Heads back to boat launch to join Dave.

17:40 - Joseph: Takes off for home.

17:55 - Dave: Peregrine returns from the south across the river, lost sight moments later.

18:02 - Dave: Moved down to the dock and noticed Peregrine directly over dock campsites/parking lot, very low, just slightly above treetop level. Continued to hover/drift south-west over parking lot.

18:05 - Dave: Lost sight of Peregrine as it headed towards the river south-west of boat-launch bathrooms.

18:10 - Dave: Just about dark, headed home.