!!! Too Hot and Humid is an understatement!! Courtney is trying to cool herself down, and she is laying down flat on the ledge. This is normal. Don’t panic!
July 21, 2011 - Brampton - Courthouse
Mark Nash Reports:
Thursday July 21st - 2011 - AM Fledge watch update:
Early this morning, Toivo reports that baby Courtney was doing allot more flapping and getting the wing exercise and muscle building that she needs to prepare her for her first flights, but sadly, this is not the day to do this with the heat alerts and debilitating humidity and heat.
We have already received many telephone calls and e-mail reports of Baby Courtney laying down flat on her belly with her wings stretched out looking very much like she is in serious distress.
While this is in part correct, she is not injured and this behaviour is quite normal. During the extreme heat and humidity, one of the only few ways for a non-flighted juvenile peregrine to cool itself down, is to lie flat down on it belly and scratch there wings out. The gravel and dirt substrate on the ledge actually helps cool down their body temperature, and with their wings spread out, this increases the cooling processes to help them bring down their core temperature.
While the adults have the option of flying off into a shady spot, and/or fly off to find pools of water on the various surrounding roof tops, the un-flighted juveniles don’t have this option, so they do the next best thing in an effort to cool themselves down.
On yet another note, we are asking that all occupants of the office suites that are directly behind Courtney’s position to close their blinds so that this human activity doesn’t further stress her out and further raise her body temperature. While she is an urban produced peregrine and will soon learn that people behind windows looking at her presents no threat or danger and she will eventually become at ease with this activity, she is still learning. Her stress is compounded with this extreme heat and humidity and the last thing that we would want to happen is to scare her off the ledge again given that she is not able to fly yet.
We are on site, and will be monitoring the situation closely.
It appears that we will all get a break from these temps later this evening and tomorrow.
Stay tuned………..
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