Waterloo Banding Report and Photos are Here!!
May 30, 2013 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Tracy Simpson Reports:
This past few weeks has been nothing short of a whirlwind banding tour with nest sites all coinciding with one another and so bandings followed suit. We have been all over the southern province ensuring that our juveniles produced in Ontario are identified and protected as they learn to fly and leave in the fall to head south. Now that we are through the bulk of the bandings, its time for a little catch up.
On May 30th, the CPF attended the Waterloo CTV tower to band the offspring that were produced by Statler and Caster in the communications drum on their tower. It all began with many phone calls and meetings with the engineering staff, human resources staff and management at CTV as well as the team from Bell Mobility that manages antenna on the tower to first determine whether the chicks could be safely accessed for banding. We were joined by John Miller, seasoned extractionist and certified high angle rescue instructor, and the plan for decent to the drum was put in place. We then worked with Anne Yagi, bander and biologist for the OMNR VIneland / Guelph district, to arrange a date based on the safe age window for banding and the schedules of not only herself but the Species at Risk biologist as well. Once that piece of the puzzle fell into place, we then worked with CTV to work out the time and media coverage of the banding event and all was set to go. If this looks like a ton of work, it is!! Thanks go out to Marion Nash who made incredible efforts behind the scenes to arrange everything. The invitations went out and it was on!!
The banding took place in one of the studios of CTV where we were joined by Bell Mobility staff, CTV personalities and local watchers from last year’s successful nesting season. John Miller and his back up climber from Bell Mobility ascended the tower and brought down three healthy hatchlings to the studio for the live noon broadcast. Your three hatchlings are:
Arnie 643 gram male 21 days old R/50 White tape
Big Al 647 gram male 24 days old R/51 Green tape
Miss Fran 866 gram female 23 days old S/29 Yellow tape
The three newest members of the Waterloo community were then returned to their nest and parents Statler and Caster could now relax. At first, during the extraction, it was Statler who did all of the defending of the nest as Caster was off hunting out of the territory. When he arrived back on site he was furious to find his “wife and kids” all vocalizing and wondering where he’d been! He arrived just as the chicks were being returned to the nest drum and did some awesome flights around the tower as Statler took a break on a nearby antenna.
A great job done by Mark, Marion, John Miller, Anne Yagi and her OMNR assistants, CTV, B ell Mobility and a host of others. It was also great to see all of the watchers joining us for the event. It was great to see Rudy, Tony, Dale, Kellie and so many others it would another whole page to name. Thanks to all who joined us. The Fledge Watch is ready to begin on Wednesday June 12th when the oldest chick is 37 days of age so dust off your binoculars and come on down for the next phase of support for this family.
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