FLASH! SECOND EGG AT THE FRANKLIN! PLUS AN AUDUBON ACTION ALERT-THE GUNNISON SAGE-GROUSE!!!

 The second egg at the Franklin Institute was laid shortly after 12 noon! 

While the hawks are doing well, other birds are not.  National Audubon has sent out an advocacy alert for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse.  
 The Gunnison Sage-Grouse has been identified by Audubon as one of the ten most endangered birds in the country. With fewer than 5,000 individuals left, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service recently proposed to list the species as "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act. Unfortunately—even with dramatically shrinking populations—growing political opposition is threatening the science-based plan to ensure the survival of the Gunnison Sage-Grouse.

It is vitally important for as many people as possible to submit comments in support of protecting the Gunnison Sage-Grouse. The deadline to comment is Tuesday, April 2. Send your comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services TODAY.

FOR THE FULL ALERT MESSAGE GO TO-

https://secure3.convio.net/nasaud/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=1391&autologin=true

 MORE HAWK NEWS LATER TODAY!

DB

FLASH! FIRST EGG AT THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE IN PHILLIE!

 Courtesy of the Franklin HawkCam, http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-franklin-institute-haw-cam

Franklin Mom sits on her first egg of the season, with a piece of prey, previously brought by T2.

As most of you will remember,  Franklin Dad, was killed by a car last year, leaving Franklin Mom with young eyasses on the nest,  As was done when Intrepid, the Riverside Mom lost her mate to poison, humans pitched in and left food for the Moms in both cases.  But wonder of wonders at the Franklin Institute nest, suddenly a tiercel, now named T2, appeared and began to bring food to Franklin Mom, then to the nest, and THEN began to feed the eyasses himself.

There was no question that he was the man, or should we say hawk of the hour, and was bonded to the Franklin female.  And now after pitching in, Franklin Mom has just laid the first egg fathered by T2 on the Franklin nest.  Jubilation!

Just in from Linda Maslin of Blue Bell, PA

Hi Donna,

Just wanted to  let you know the big news – First egg laid at Franklin Institute hawk nest!!  And John Blakeman was on the chat when it happened and called it!!

 

Regards

Linda

Evidentally T2 decided that his mate wasn't interested in the tasty treat he'd left, because he just flew in, picked up, and left with it. :)

Congratulations all!!

Chris Lyons Continues the Search for Rose of Fordham

 
 The nest at Fordham with eyasses of a previous season. 

 Chris Lyons, who has watched Rose, first with her mate Hawkeye, and after Hawkeye's death by secondary rat poison, has watched she and her now mate, Vince, continues his search for the missing Rose.   

Chris wrote:
One of the people I contacted yesterday was Bobby Horvath, and he said he hadn't been notified about a female he banded having been found dead or ailing.   There's no guarantee that she'd be found if she died, or that the one who found her would know who to contact--but she is banded, and that may eventually yield information.  

 I'm hoping somebody will have seen her alive, but from what you say, that is sounding less likely.   Rich Fleisher hasn't seen her lately, but he hasn't had much chance to look.  He did see one hawk near the nest some days back, but that could have been Vince.  Over at the Botanical Garden, a sick hawk was found recently, but no mention of it being banded--I'm trying to get more info.  It will take some time. 
I would hate to think it was poison.   Call me a romantic, but I'd rather she died in fierce battle with a a rival female, or a Great Horned Owl, or got hit by lightning, or anything else, anything.   I hate it that we do this to them.  It's a bad way for them to die.  I don't even put out poison for the mice in our apartment anymore.   

 Chris, I completely and utterly concur.  According to STOP THE POISON activists  in NYC, there are numerous towns in California that have seen the light and outlawed rodenticides.  We all need to work to educate the public that sanitation is the only weapon that actually works to stop infestations of rodents.

And poisons are just not an option!  Particularly non-species specific poisons which injure or kill wildlife, pets, and even children every year.  That's too large a price to pay for being slovenly when a little care would nip burgeoning  rodent populations in the bud. 

Also, I received several emails from readers who are unfamiliar with the Fordham site.  Therefore, a few words about the Fordham Nest ... 

The Fordham site is likely the most fledgling friendly building nest in the city.  The overhang protects the hawks from a good bit of weather and trees as you can see, are within feet of the building.

Those handy trees at nest height, make the fledge of these eyasses far more similar to the fledgling environment of hawks in a non-urban nest while having  the shelter of a building to protect the family earlier in life.  


With a short flight hop, the youngsters can "branch" within the trees.  They rarely if ever get grounded and fly back and forth so frequently from the nest that it is difficult to tell whether the eyasses have already fledged or not as they so easily return to the nest.

More as it happens!

And don't forget the NYU HawkCam and chat are up...
 http://www.livestream.com/nyu_hawkcam
Donegal Browne