!!! Some sad news to report - AGAIN!!
May 24, 2012 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
May 24th-2012
Eyeball deep in bandings for the past week from Windsor to Burlington to Toronto and Mississauga it has been difficult to get caught up on all of the happenings, as our days start at 6am and we’re still going at 3am trying to collect all of the banding photos, observations notes, and answer the hundreds of e-mail and telephone calls that are coming in each day! We’re all living off our mobile phones and in our vehicles as we have all been on the road, (in the field as they say), we have not been able to get into the office now for days. But we are checking messages and doing outr best to answer them as soon as we can!
And now with overlapping fledge watches, four more bandings to attend, and several more to schedule and coordinate, its been and going to continue to be unbelievably busy!
MEC nest site update:
For the past three days now, we have also been trying to find out additional details on an unbanded adult peregrine that was injured and rescued by the City of Mississauga animal services very close to the MEC nest site on May 22nd. Had it not been for the great staff and a call from the City of Mississauga alerting us of this rescue, we would have never known about it.
We applaud the efforts and quick response of the Mississauga Animal Services and their staff for their support and cooperation with this matter. Their quick response time in the rescuing of this injured peregrine was outstanding.
Unable to make direct contact with CPF, and in an effort to seek further assistance for the injured peregrine, the Mississauga Animal services were able to reach a licenced rehabber, who eventually picked up the injured peregrine.
As the story unfolds, the injured unbanded adult female peregrine falcon was picked up from the Mississauga Animal services and taken to the Grimsby area in southern Ontario.
By the time we tracked down the bird (and identified the rehabber), the fledge watch team out in the streets at the MEC nest site had quickly realized that there was no attending female at the MEC nest site, and the adult male was obviously doing over-time and in warp drive trying to attend to his new young hatchlings in the nest box by himself.
With no support from his adult female mate, (noticeably absent from the scene), the resident adult male has been struggling to both feed himself and provide food for his young hatchlings, in addition to trying to defend both the territory, himself and his fledglings.
After our investigation of the situation, and having finally being able to make contact with the out of town rehabber, it would appear that the adult injured female peregrine in their possession has not been seriously injured, and the apparent diagnosis after examination of x-rays taken the day after she arrived at their facility, have concluded only minor non-life threatening bruising and some swelling and inflammation to her wrist - on her left wing).
We are being told that the adult peregrine is apparently eating well, and without any further problems or any complications other than those described above.
During our telephone conversation, answers to our questions regarding the birds condition were unusually guarded and then contradictory. In addition, the name of the bird’s veterinarian and their professional prognosis were left unanswered. We were left with far more questions than answers.
It was also explained to us that the bird was being given Metacam for its pain and wrist inflammation.
Meloxicam - (a.k.a. Medacame) is wildly used in the industry for all kinds of animals, (dogs, cats, and birds) and its use would be consistent with this type of described injury, a medication and treatment we know only too well.
The question remains, and begs to be answered: Why this Grimsby rehabber with knowledge that the bird was (at least at the time of pic-up from the Miss. Animal services) was clearly injured and in distress, proceeded to further risk this animals situation by neglecting or ignoring to make contact with far more local, readily available experienced medical personal in the same rehab business, (and one that is well known to them),, in an effort tto seek out triage or professional medical assistance to stabilize the patient prior to an anticipated long distance travel some distance away from its resident territory / district, and in this case, out of town?
There are many additional questions needed to be asked before this matter will be satisfactory closed.
In any case, we hope to provide you with a further update on the bird’s status, and very eager to see or have wildlife officials review or obtain a hard copy veterinarians report with proper diagnosis and prognosis in addition to proof of professional treatment,, and hope that she will not have to spend more time than is necessary in rehab, and able to be returned back to her native territory, her hatchlings and her mate.
Photos attached to this posting were taken by the City of Miss. Animal Services prior to the bird leaving their facility.
Stay tuned…….
