forward by Jim Williams, Wayzata > From: Sharon Watson <alan...@infionline.net> > Date: August 15, 2014 at 10:44:02 AM CDT > To: nd-bi...@listserv.nodak.edu > Subject: [ND-BIRDS] Fwd: [Manitobabirds] Mississippi Kite update > Reply-To: Sharon Watson <alan...@infionline.net> > > For those of you that are interested. > Sharon Watson > Buxton ND > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: [Manitobabirds] Mississippi Kite update > From: "christian artuso chart...@hotmail.com [Manitobabirds]" > <manitobabirds-nore...@yahoogroups.com> > To: manitobabi...@yahoogroups.com > CC: > > Many people have asked me for an update on Winnipeg’s now famous Mississippi > Kites. As I mentioned on the interview I did on breakfast television > (http://www.btwinnipeg.ca/videos/3725151058001/) this looks to be the first > nest in Canada (I checked as thoroughly as I could and found no other > breeding records despite the fact that there are two records in Saskatchewan > and approximately 67, in Ontario. As was posted earlier, a nest with one > downy young was located by several people (two different groups who found the > nest independently from two different vantage points). > > > On 8th August, I estimated the chick to be approximately 24 or 25 days old, > and it was observed flapping its wings and standing on the rim of the nest. > Both adults were moulting by that point and one has lost both p1 and p2 (in > the backlighting I couldn’t tell whether male or female). Unfortunately, > shortly before 5 pm that day, both adults landed on the nest simultaneously > resulting in the chick falling from the rim all the way to the ground. > Luckily Amanda Guercio and Kayla Putty, who are currently banding at Delta, > witnessed the chick fall and rescued it from immediate danger (chicks are > extremely vulnerable on the ground) and called me. Jake Gillis and I arrived > within 10 minutes and, after a rapid assessment of the chick (remarkably good > shape despite the fall), we used a long stick to place the chick as high on > the nest tree as possible. After telephone consultation between Jim Duncan, > Tracy Maconachie and myself, Tracy and I went to the site in the late evening > where we were joined by Amanda, Kayla, Pierre Richard, Bob Hodgson, Michael > Lloyd and Donna Martin. We assessed the situation and formulated a plan for > the following morning. Bob would supply ladders and tools and Pierre found a > contact in Dan Spiers, a Nature Manitoba member who operates a business > called “Affordable Tree and Stump Removal” (www.affordabletree.ca). It was 10 > pm when I called Dan and I soon learned that I was calling him on the eve of > his son’s birthday. Not only did he forgive my intrusion, he even agreed to > arrive on the scene at 6 am the following morning with his bucket truck, > proving once again the exceptional generosity of Nature Manitoba volunteers! > > > > At 6 am the following morning, Tracy and I checked the chick rapidly and were > very happy with its condition. Pierre and Bob precut and pre-mounted screws > into a wooden crate I had found in my garage and Dan quickly mounted it in > the nest tree below the nest before the chick was raised to him. Dan took a > video of this which he will put on his web site in due course. We were in and > out in 45 minutes and the parents were seen and heard nearby – all > indications were good! We then vacated the area because at that point in time > the most important thing was that the parents find the young and we were > worried that excess human activity around the nest could have delayed or > prevented that. > > > > Over the next few days careful monitoring occurred from as far away as > possible (extreme care necessary not to be visible near the nest). The > wonderfully generous home owners proved to be a huge asset in this aspect > (and in all other aspects!) as they gave us permission to do what we needed > and they observed the kite family from their home as best they could. > Fortunately pedestrian traffic in the area was minimal. Nonetheless, in the > days that followed, there was no evidence that the adults were feeding the > chick and their presence in the neighbourhood became increasingly sporadic. > The chick was alert, active and vocal. On the evening of the 11th August, the > chick lay down in the crate and stayed more or less in the corner, causing > concerns of malnourishment. On the following day, with no sign of either > adult near the nest and the chick still lying in the corner of the crate, we > enlisted the help, on very short notice, of Dennis Swayze to bring and climb > an extension ladder and lower the chick to me waiting below. Tracy and I both > concluded that the chick was in poor shape (keel felt sharp) and Tracy > brought the chick to the zoo head vet, Dr Chris Enright, for examination. > > > > The chick was found to be in surprisingly good shape, thin but not emaciated > and with a reasonably good hydration level given the circumstances. The zoo > veterinary clinic succeeded in getting the chick to feed and it continued to > feed and improve on the following day. The adults do not appear to be in the > area of the nest any more. Some of the sightings in other parts of the city > seem to suggest they had begun dispersing as early as last Saturday. > > > > We are currently researching and reviewing options for the chick’s > rehabilitation and ultimate release. Obviously this is complicated by the > fact that Mississippi Kite is a highly migratory species that winters in > South America and that hawk watches well south of us have already recorded > good numbers on passage. There are some aspects of kite biology though that > can work in our favour. We will do everything we possibly can to give this > chick a chance to return to the wild. I don’t yet know what the final > strategy will be as a few more days of consultation and research are > required. > > > > This may seem a sad end for the first nest in Canada but at least the chick > has survived and will be released into the wild with a fighting chance. It is > important to remember that Mississippi Kites have very low nesting success > overall (rural nests average 0.6 fledglings per nest and urban/suburban nests > average 1.1 or 1.2 depending on population). I suspect these birds were first > time parents. In short, this outcome is perhaps not particularly unusual for > this species under these circumstances. Despite this turn of events, it is > still possible that Mississippi Kites return to Manitoba next year as they > have done elsewhere. We can only hope… > > > > A huge thank you to all who donated their time so generously! > > > > Christian Artuso (Winnipeg) > > > __._,_.___ > Posted by: christian artuso <chart...@hotmail.com> > Reply via web post • Reply to sender > • Reply to group • Start > a New Topic • Messages in this topic (4) > > Did you know? > Learn all about Files in Groups > > > VISIT YOUR GROUP New Members 2 New Photos 9 > • Privacy • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use > . > > > __,_._,___
---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
