- International, National and Local News
Frank Butson Reports:
From Google News…Associated Press Story
Ex-soldier jailed for stealing rare falcon eggs
By RAPHAEL G. SATTER
LONDON — A former special forces soldier was jailed Thursday for attempting to sneak out of Britain with a stash of 14 rare peregrine falcon eggs hidden in socks strapped to his body.
Jeffrey Lendrum, 48, was trying to get to Dubai, where falconry is a national sport and such eggs can fetch 5,000 pounds ($11,000) each on the black market. He was caught when a cleaner spotted him behaving suspiciously in a business class lounge at Birmingham International Airport on May 3.
Lendrum originally told police he was carrying store-bought chicken eggs, which he said he used to treat a bad back, but he pleaded guilty Thursday at Warwick Crown Court, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of London.
He sat with his arms crossed and his head bowed for nearly the entire hearing.
Prized in falconry for their phenomenal speed — they are thought to reach up to 200 miles (320 kilometers) per hour when they dive — the birds are a protected species under British law.
Judge Christopher Hodson said Lendrum’s crime hurt not only the local area “but in some measure to the planet and its future” and sentenced him to 30 months in jail.
Lendrum, an Irish citizen, has previous convictions for stealing rare eggs in Canada and Zimbabwe. A former member of the special forces of Rhodesia, as Zimbabwe was known before its independence, he has apparently put his military training to use — at various points either rappelling down a cliff or lowering himself from a helicopter to reach particularly remote nests.
Guy Shorrock, with The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said he believed Lendrum had been stealing eggs for years.
“It’s clearly very lucrative,” he said. “He has a very good buyer in the Middle East for these birds and he probably receives tens of thousands of pounds (dollars) for his trouble.”
Retired police officer Andy McWilliam, who worked on the case for the National Wildlife Crime Unit, said he was hoping to meet Lendrum behind bars to learn more about his tactics.
As for the eggs themselves, quick-thinking police made sure they were kept warm. Eleven out of the 14 have hatched, and most of the falcon chicks have since been returned to wild.
___
Online:
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ site on peregrine falcons: http://bit.ly/cLOK5I
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Posted on August 20, 2010 4:33 pm
August 06, 2010 - International, National and Local News
Sue McCreadie Reports:
Since July 26 Bill and I have been following the goings on of a couple of adults peregrines who have been hanging out on the hydro towers at Brant and Ghent Streets in downtown Burlington, ON. Yesterday I was finally able to see a band number, black band 29 over Y. Mark Nash has advised that this is none other than McKenzie who was banded May 26, 2009 at the Etobicoke Sun Life Centre at Bloor and Islington. The female is unbanded.
I wonder if we are going to have a new nesting pair in Burlington, Ont???
Posted on August 6, 2010 3:22 pm
July 23, 2010 - International, National and Local News
Frank Butson Reports:
Today at William Osler Heath Centre,CPF,Ministry of Natural Resources and Osler management and staff took part in the first banding ceremony ever at the facility. The Ontario Stewardship Rangers were in attendance and assisted with the banding.
The extraction was a little tricky today,as one of the chicks,believed to be a male,eluded Mark Heaton of MNR,running around on the ledge out of range. As a result this chick will be banded at a later date if it should be rescued at fledge time. One chick,a beautiful healthy female was banded today. She will be named in the near future,stay tuned for a coming post. Those who took part will also be more thoroughly identified and thanked! The particulars of todays banding:
Female,25 days old,weighing in at a very healthy 890 grams,black over black band,23/X.
The chick was very vocal. Ashleigh from the Ontario Stewardship Rangers held the chick,while Mark Heaton from the Ministry of Natural Resources banded the bird.
The adults and proud parents on site were confirmed to be:
Female:named O’Connor,hatched 05/06/07 at the Landmark Building in Summit County Ohio. Banded on 05/24/07 .
Male: named Hurricane, who hatched in 2004 on the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Toronto.
Many thanks to William Osler Health Centre security,maintanence and management for their help today and fine care which they take of their birds on an ongoing basis. The Osler folks are very proud hosts of this nest.
Posted on July 24, 2010 4:11 am
July 18, 2010 - International, National and Local News
Kathy Reports:
Just a few minutes ago myself and several others from the BCAW Falcon board were finally able to clearly see the bands on the new female that has been making herself at home in Columbus, Ohio! She was spotted a few months back by Chad & Chris in Ohio so luckily I still had her information at hand.
“Black 32 over Black X banded Pefa was produced at the Hamilton Sheraton hotel nest site last year in 2009, banded on June 2nd as a female at approx. 26 days old, weighing 1014 grams (empty crop) and was named Durand.
Her parents were Madam X and Surge - (Surge was hatched and produced at the Etobicoke - Bloor and Islington (Sun Life Centre) nest site in 2002.”
Posted on July 18, 2010 9:10 am
July 08, 2010 - International, National and Local News
Matt MacGillivray Reports:
10TV reports that Scout, a nesting Peregrine Falcon on the Rhodes Tower in Ohio, was struck by a worker with a broom before falling 40 stories to it’s death. Read the full story here. (via @10tv on twitter).
Posted on July 8, 2010 8:36 am
June 23, 2010 - International, National and Local News
Mark Nash Reports:
We’re all very happy to report that “Cheyenne” has just flown in (sort of) from Alberta via West Jet this afternoon and wasted no time telling us what was on her mind. FEED ME NOW!!!
No worse for ware, little Cheyenne as she had been named will spend the next 30 days with her new CPF human foster parents and will of course be the centre of attention for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until she is flighted - (fledged).
Adorable is the only way to describe her. At 18 days old and barely able to stand upright, she still wasted no time voicing her opinion and demanding food from her new human foster parents.
I watched both Marion and Kathy scramble to prepare the food, as Cheyenne watched impatiently while her food was cut up. (I guess that the food on West Jet was simply just not enough, or not up to her standards)? Or, maybe there was no in-flight meal?
We hope that you all will welcome little Cheyenne to our educational team, and we all are looking forward to spending some time with her throughout the imprinted process.
Stay tuned for some really great baby photos to follow………..
Posted on June 23, 2010 8:22 pm
June 22, 2010 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
CPF Postmaster Reports:
While the “kids” maybe away from the house (or should I say the nest ledge) throughout the day, it may only for a short time depending on the nest site. Now that the juveniles are flighted, they are investigating their new world and they will be honing their new flight skills. While they will be difficult to see them for the most parts throughout the day, they are still very dependant on their parents for food and protection for many weeks to follow.
Remember that the resident adults still have the hardest part of their job still to come. Protection, feeding and training the “teenagers” to hunt and fend for themselves.
For the next 30 to 90 days - (depending on the advancement of each individual fledgling), the juveniles may still be utilizing the nest ledge and still sleeping there at nights, as this is still the only home that they have ever known. Also, remember that this still remains the occupied territory of the resident adults, and these territories (and the nest ledge itself) are still very much under the resident adults control. It is their territory and it will still be protected from all intruders!
Unlike the “non-urban” nesting falcons, most of the urban nesting adult pairs remain on territory all year long and continue to defend the nest ledge and territory throughout the entire year, even during non nesting times.
A far as the juveniles are concerned, their adult parents still have to teach them all of the life skills that the they will have to learn to survive to adulthood, (or should I say, just to survive another day)!!
By mid September, thousands of years of hard wired instincts will have the young juveniles head south on a migration and with upwards of an 80% mortality and many perils and risks ahead of them, the youngsters will need all of the help that they can just to survive their first year. The adult parents have their job cut out for them trying to teach the juveniles how, what and where to hunt food, and how to recognize and escape from all of the “bad guys” out there.
Stay tuned, and keep your eyes to the skies over the next few weeks in and around the nest sites as the best viewing is yet to come!
Posted on June 22, 2010 1:08 pm
June 11, 2010 - International, National and Local News
CPF Postmaster Reports:
We have just received some great news from Mary Beth down in New York state.
She has been closely monitoring the nesting activities of the Ogdensburg bridge peregrines and in addition to finding out that the pair have in fact produced four hatchlings this year, and nesting on the Canadian side,,, she has been able to identify the band number of the resident adult female!
I just checked the band number against our records and we have been able to positively identify the identity of the resident adult female as being named “ Zanar”,, produced at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ottawa Ontario on 2004, banded Black 69 over Black K, with a sliver USFW band # 168705686
Zanar was banded at 25 days old, 920 grams – (empty crop weight), June 11th 2004
Thanks You Mary Beth!
Posted on June 11, 2010 3:35 pm
June 08, 2010 - International, National and Local News
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Again with many thanks to our great friends form New York state, we have received a new photo of Duncan who is now set up house and occupying a territory in New York State USA.
Great photo!
Posted on June 11, 2010 11:54 am
May 31, 2010 - International, National and Local News
CPF Postmaster Reports:
We have received some great news from our good friends down in New York State from the N.Y.D.E.C. After banding a single hatchling that has was produced at the Grand Island Bridge nest- (on the south bridge), the resident male has been identified by his solid Black coloured marker band as being a Canadian produced bird from Hamilton Ontario.
We have been able to confirm after checking band records that the resident males identity is that of a male peregrine named Duncan. Duncan was produced at the Hamilton Sheraton Hotel nest site in 2008 and he was banded at 23 days old, weighing in at 666 grams (on an empty crop weight) on June 2nd / 2008.
Duncan has apparently hooked up with an unbanded female, so her identity and history is unknown.
We have asked Connie if they had any photos that they could send to us of Duncan and his new family.
Stay tuned……
Posted on June 1, 2010 2:27 pm
