Netherlands

[AlisonL]

Alison, do you know the history of this pair?  She really has spent very minimal time on the eggs.  Is she a younger peregrine?  They are down from 4 eggs to 1 egg now. 

I don't know exactly how old Epke is, but she is not a younger peregrine. She and her mate Klaas have been there for a number of years. For the last three years (2008-2010) she has incubated four eggs, but none of the eggs hatched. One year she incubated for about 150 days before giving up.

Prior to that, this pair raised chicks successfully for some years. It can be hard to tell from the cam, but as far as I know, they are still the same pair. Epke likes to sleep in her nest box most nights, and frequently Klaas can be seen on the platform, but I haven't seen both of them together since the eggs were damaged. I hope they are both okay.

This is the only active Netherlands smokestack which has a nest box. This makes it difficult to access if there are any problems, or to remove eggs which turn out not to be viable.

I hope that perhaps Ekpe will lay a second clutch, but I do wonder if both falcons are all right, since it seems very strange for a jackdaw to have been able to go into the nest box if both birds were around.

[Diane]

150 days!  Wow.  I agree maybe something's wrong for jackdaws to get in twice and get to the eggs.

[Diane]

Back up to 2 at Eemsmond.

[AlisonL]

That is good news, Diane! Epke is incubating the eggs tonight. I am glad she is trying again, and I am hoping for the very best - she and Klaas are a great pair.

[Diane]

Egg shells! 

[Mick]

All 3 eggs hatched, including the one left from the first clutch.

[dt]

Yeah!
Finally, a break for them!

[AlisonL]

AEB

The chicks have fledged, but one of them spent time on the platform today:

[AlisonL]

Eemsmond

It has been wonderful to see chicks in this nest again, after three years with no hatches. I may be wrong, but I think there are only two chicks. It's hard to tell, because the cam isn't clear.

One of the chicks today:

[AlisonL]

Veldhoven

A new cam this year. The chicks have fledged, but have still been visiting the nest occasionally. For those who have followed the de Mortel nest, the male at Veldhoven is a son of Pa and S2, born in 2008. The female, born in 2009, is from Germany.

Same link as other Netherlands cams:

http://www.werkgroepslechtvalk.nl/ccms.104.Werkgroepslechtvalk.LIVEBEELDEN.html

[kittenface]

All 3 doing great at Eemsmond

[AlisonL]

Eemsmond

The three chicks have fledged; Epke and Klaas were both at the nest today.

[AlisonL]

Zwolle

Germa and Harco were both at the nest for a while.

[AlisonL]

de Mortel

Very bad news from de Mortel today. S2 was apparently shot last Wednesday and has two wing fractures. She will be having surgery today to attempt to repair the fractures. Please keep this beautiful falcon in your thoughts; I very much hope she will be able to recover.

The Female Peregrine which is called S2 from De Mortel in the Netherlands has been shot last wednesday. She was found in a small village not far from where the tower with the nest is. She was hit in a wing and had two fractures. She will be operated today and hopefully she will recover but if she does it will take a long time and this means the male might have found another partner in the meantime. If the operation fails it will mean the end of her which is very sad.

Here a link to an announcement about her (in Dutch) with a picture when she was taken into care and the x ray:

Link to the above post:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=207241

Link to the Dutch article:

http://www.vwggemertslechtvalk.nl/nieuws/26-nadere-info-over-s2.html

A Google translation of the article, modified somewhat:

Earlier today we announced that S2 was injured by being shot. On radiographs, the pellet and the damage it caused was obvious. The message has now led to a lot of reactions and has already drawn the attention of the media. The core of the reactions is the outrage that peregrine falcons are apparently shot, draws attention to prosecute the perpetrator, and it is asked whether financial assistance can be provided and what happens when complete recovery is not possible.

The responses are heartening for us and certainly an incentive to continue. We too are shocked and outraged by the cause of the injury. Questions about where the perpetrator may be found remain unanswered. It's probably not a class action but was an action of an individual group as a whole which we do not want to put in bad light. Moreover, it is not up to us but to the police to investigate this further. Of course tips from observations that can help most welcome. So is the important question of when the falcon was last seen healthy.

The radiograph shows that it is a complex fracture. Before the operation, apart from the birds to a veterinarian specializing in orthopedics specialist in-group. Although we have the cost of the operation, aftercare and rehabilitation can not yet see these nice run in the paper. Donations are welcome for this o.v.v. Peregrine S2 (see tab for account number VWG Gemert on this site).

We will do everything to return S2 back to the wild. If this is not possible, we will consider the future where we know that asylum policy is aimed at birds / animals that can not be put back into the wild to survive as an independent in principle be euthanized.

[AlisonL]

An update on S2's surgery, posted by Alphons on BCAW today:

Successful surgery female peregrine on gunshot wound

GEMERT - The female peregrine falcon who made De Mortel famous through the webcams of the “beleef de Lente”, was successfully operated on a gunshot wound to her wing. She was found injured Thursday in the municipality of Gemert.

Since 2007, millions of people follow the living of the falcon during the breeding season through the cameras of the “beleef de Lente”. This is the webcam project of Netherlands Society for the Protection of Birds (BVN).

"Complicated operation"

According to vet Caroline Hommers it was a rather complicated operation. The small ball was in the right wing of the animal and the bones in the same wing were also broken at several places. "We first removed the bullet and then the wound was closed. It was a steel sphere with a diameter of about two to three millimeters. Then we external y fixed the wing. This means it is fixed using two pens inside and the outside of the wing. These pins must stay four to six weeks. "

Difficult moment during the operation

According to Hommers there was a difficult moment during the operation. "When we got the falcon from the anesthesia, she just stopped breathing. Fortunately, we could recover easily from this. This is a signal of stress from the animal. Now we hope she shall eat and strengthens. After four to six weeks we make an x-ray to see if she can go back into the wild.

S2

The female peregrine falcon is called S2. which refers to the ring number on her leg. She first came into view in 2007. Who shot the female, it is still unclear. The Vogelwerkgroep Gemert has reported this to the police, which is investigating the case. The ball is transferred. The killing of birds of prey is strictly prohibited in the Netherlands.

http://www.peregrinefalcon-bcaw.net/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=715&start=300

Hoping for a complete recovery for this great falcon.