Wordless Wednesday

Would you ever have guessed?

You are the fastest bird in the world!  You dive at over 200 miles per hour!  You are renown for your aerial dynamics!  Death on swift wings!   You capture and; kill your prey in mid air!  And how do you sleep? Like this!   Check out those orange legs sprawled out!  Flat on their bellies!  These are the eyases of the Red Deer Tower in Canada.  This is a nest box 312 feet up on a pole with a camera installed.  You can watch these guys on Ustream.  The third chick hatched on my birthday June 13th~!  Such a cool gift!

Here's dad w/the babies.

These are one of my favorite bird species.  The chicks grow so fast! 

Peregrine falcons mate for life and breed in the same territory each year. The male courts the female for about one month, using aerial displays. (This means the male must work at it every year even though they are mated!) They make a nest, or scrape, (which explains why the next box has rocks in it)  on ledges and in small caves located high on a cliff. Some peregrine falcons will use man-made structures such as bridges and skyscrapers to nest.  One of my favorite things was watching the  pair alternately sit the nest & each one would rearrange the tiny pebbles each time!  I always envisioned their inner voices like this 'Gal dang!  I just put this rock over here!  That male thinks he can just come in here and..."  And the Male:  "For pity's sake woman!  Leave me rocks alone!")

Did You Know?

Peregrine Falcon chicks, called eyases, eat an incredible amount of food - in six days, they double their weight, and at three weeks are ten times their size at birth!  ( I can vouch for this; feeding times are fast, brutal and facinating to watch!)

Reproduction
Mating season: Late March through May.
Gestation: 29-32 days for egg incubation.
Clutch size: 3-4 eggs.  (This pair have three)
Both the male and female incubate the eggs for about one month. The chicks start to fly in about 42 days, but are still dependent on their parents to learn how to hunt. Peregrine falcons are very territorial during breeding season and will vigorously defend their nests.

info courtesy of Defenders of Wildlife

Hi! My Name Is...

Luke Skywalker.  I didn't choose this name for myself but it was given to me by my previous people's little human.  I am staying at Ms. Stella O'Houligan's house until I get a new person.  I am 18 months old and am a Snow Bengal.  I am reaallllly skinny (especially compared to my other housemates here) That Woman who takes care of us has been soooo nice & everytime I meOOOWWW really loud she brings me foodz.  It's so cool!  And you'll never guess! There's treats here too!   I will do anything for a treat!  The Gurl say's I'm a 'Treat hor' but she laffs so it must be funny.  

I get to stay in The Gurl's room.  It's fun in here!  It's like being in a giant gifty box with all the pretty colors!  I sit in this window looking out at the front yard where That Woman has put bird seed in the grass so I have something exciting to watch during the day! 

I was really askeerdy cat when I first got here; there was so many new smells & I am not allowed outside.  At the other house where I used to live (on the beach)  they let me out  and I would leave for days at a time. 

They never knew where I went to hide.  My sister still lives with them.  She was not bothered by the move to that new house, the two small humans or the new goggie who was little and would scare me all the time.  I miss my sister. 

There is a cat here who looks just like her but she stays in That Woman's room even though I got to see her once and I meowed hello and chirped thinking it may have been my sister (only she was GIANT!) we weren't allowed to 'socialze' yet.  I hope I can see her again soon because I want another cat like me to play with. 

I have been a 'Good mancat' in training and don't 'go' anywhere but my litterbox.   My favorite time is when That Woman comes home and I let her pet me now and I purrsss till I drool.  She laffs.  I haven't let anyone pick me up 'cos I'm not ready.   It's really nice not to be grabbed at all the time.  I didn't used to let any buddie touch me I was so askeerd  they would pull my tail or squeeze me too much. 

I also like that she puts a orange ball in the bathtub and let's me go in there and play with it!  It bounces all over the place and I can jump reallllllly high!  One time I was let out in the room where the box with the moving pictures is.. I got to smell all kinda stuffs out there & look out the backyard where the other kitties were let on the patio to lay in the sun outside.  I wanted to go too but there was still sunbeams on the carpet so I took a catnap there.  

It's okay here and I can tell That Woman & The Gurl like me way lots, but I need my own person so if you are interested please visit The Bengal Rescue 

My pic's aren't up there yet but they will be soon and you can still fill out the adoption form & email it to Marilyn. 

xo