Naming the Babies!

[Beverlybaynes]

AEP, the electric utility that owns the building where the peregrine falcon nestbox is, here in Fort Wayne, conducts a contest each year to name the falcon babies. And we have four babies needing names.

This year, they have chosen one local elementary school to submit a list of possible names, and then they asked the board members of Soarin' Hawk (a local raptor rehab organization) to be the judges. Yay! That means I get to participate!!

The students submitted a list of about a dozen possible names -- with several really excellent ones (and one or two that had already been used in past years) -- showing some thoughtfulness and imagination on the students' part.

The ones I chose were: Swoop (isn't that a GREAT name?!), Swifty, Spirit, and Sky-Glider.

I haven't seen what the other board members have chosen yet, so don't know what the final names will be yet. But I'll be sure to let you know.

When the time comes to band/ring the babies, the students who submitted the winning names will be able to go up on top of the building (26th floor) with the DNR biologist and my friend John, the nestbox monitor, to watch the banding. I'm trying to figure out a reason to be invited myself -- LOL!!

The babies are ever-growing balls of fluff -- they look a lot like fuzzy chickens right now, actually. You can see them for yourself!!

Go to AEP.com

Click on Environmental

Click on Stewardship

Click on falconcam.

o:)

[Colin]

Beverly,
This sounds fun. It seems to me that there are about 3 main ways of naming such things as this.

1. Being absolutely calculating, scientific and cold and name them Bird 1 2 etc or even Bird A B etc but that wont win prizes.

2. Name them after some trait that they have but that requires the namer to have observed them

3. Go for fun and here would be my entry if I was allowed

Perry, Percy, Pirrie and Titch cos there is always a small one.


Colin

[Beverlybaynes]

I like your names, Colin -- but I'm still stuck on Swoop!

[alan_rymer]

Hmm
Shreik, Sqwark,Kek and Squit?

Kek? Couldn't think of another suitable S-word, other than your swoop ( Swift, Swallow? )

[Beverlybaynes]

Well, I don't know what 'our' babies have been named in the past, but some of our parents in the past have been Freedom, Bandit, Liberty, and Roosevelt.

On June 14, we're having a falcon watch morning. The building where the nestbox is located is easily seen from atop the civic parking garage, about 3 blocks away. Soarin' Hawk will take over a portion of the garage's roof that morning to watch and scope the falcons.

And as I have never yet seen a peregrine in the wild (!), this will be my next best chance. The babies should be flying well by then, too, so I'm really looking forward to it.

[cuddy]

Well Beverly not sure its such a good idea to give them names Last year a pair or European Beeaters bred at a local quarry. A very rare occurrance in the Uk and the offspring were duly given names,. The sad part was when said offsping started departing this world, it was liking loosing a member of your family eg kevin has died (text message) at least one managed to fully fledge possibly two .

Cuddy :(

[pauco]

beverly
if you have not seen a peregrine in the wild you must make the most of this chance, i was lucky enough last year to watch a
female teach her 2 young to hunt, what a sight to behold both have reached adulthood. good luck bert.

[Beverlybaynes]

Well, Cuddy, it's such a well-established tradition here in town (the peregrines were reintroduced here in 1992) that named they shall be!

It's very windy here today -- steady winds with gusts ranging (at a guess) up to 40 mph. I just looked at the falconcam, and Momma is doing such a good job protecting her babies -- she's mantled over them, to protect them from the wind.

[Nina P]

I can't believe you hav'nt seen a wild peregrine, I thought your country would have them by the thousand!!! I think I have been well blessed this year as I have seen two!! one locally and the other in the west country:- Devon, whereas I live in Dorset. The one I saw locally I believe was just passing through, but was around for about a month, so I thought I was a lucky old bird, Nina.

[Beverlybaynes]

Peregrines were nearly wiped out by the use of DDT, Nina, and back in the 60s (or so -- my memory is hazy), there were only a few hundred successfully nesting pairs in the whole country.

Fortunately, we've learned how horrific the impact of DDT is, and it's generally banned in this country now, thank goodness. Falcons were completely extirepated from Indiana, and the reintroduction here in town was only part of a state-wide project.

There's lots more now, thank goodness, but I still haven't seen one in the wild yet!!

But I did get an up-close-and-personal meeting with a beautiful tundrius male a couple of months ago. He had been badly injured in a mishap -- flying through a window as a youngster -- and we nearly lost him. But thanks to the efforts of Soarin' Hawk's rehabber and some very dedicated vets, he's recovered, although he lost most of his left wing.

So he's now an education bird, and has attained his first full adult plumage. He's very small, very blue, and breathtakingly gorgeous!! I 'met' him at the rehabber's home and fell completely in love with him.