Mt Tom Peregrine Falcons 

Rachel Carson, nobody ever hear of her?

And a shout out to the Falconers, who led the charge in Captive breeding of Peregrines.

Thank you... I appreciate that!

Thanks, your comments are appreciated. I have to admit, I too was a bit concerned at first for the falcons the day they were being banded, not having seen that done before. But having observed them for the rest of the season following the banding, I must say they didn't appear to be any worse off for it, and parents and young ones seemed to be just fine. Plus, the same adult pair nested in the same exact nest this year, so they obviously weren't discouraged by the banding. I think wildlife is often much more tolerant of some disturbances than we give them credit for, although I certainly prefer that they be able to lead their lives unaffected by us (as much as that's possible). Peregrines are increasing in numbers in Mass, and overall, it's to their benefit that we can track them through their bands, and hopefully make appropriate decisions regarding them. You might enjoy the shorter 2016 follow-up video of this pair, on this channel.

Amazing video.. As I understand they need to be banded at this young age for everyone's safety. I thought they did a good job getting in and out quickly. Thanks for all you do..

Greg, any sightings there this year?

yes, a pair was present on February 26 2018

Well I’ll be darned. And here I thought they were peregrines.

@@NewEnglandForests you said hangglider.

I would be so terrified just like parents here. You can tell from their screaming that they don't like what's going on.

Imagine being a mouse and a falcon grabs you and proceeds to rip you apart alive.

I doubt that it caused any lasting problem for them. Like any wild animal, they deal with all kinds of challenges to their survival. After the banding, they were right back to their normal routine, seemingly none the worse for the experience. While waiting for parents to return with food several times a day, the chicks (prior to fledging) led what looked like a very boring life.

Hi Gabrielle, thanks for your comments. The filming was done from spring through summer (2015), from nesting time until the chicks were close to self-sufficient. The location really didn't allow for many vantage points within practical filming distances, but once the chicks could hop away from the nest (or fly), they sometimes came close enough to get decent footage. See the 2016 update video on this channel for more from this pair of adults.

State wildlife officials. I don't think falconers close off cliffs where falcons are nesting.

Mt Tom is part of a trap rock (basalt) ridge. The stone you saw is that trap rock, not limestone.

thanks .

@@victorpearson1418 The Holyoke range, where Mt Tom is, is really interesting geography wise. These hills go directly across the applachian mountains, not maintaining the north/ south line of the App, but rather an east/ west direction which is pretty neat if you like rocks lol.

Nate Vision I believe it was Skunk Cabbage

Jacob is correct, it's the flower structure of skunk cabbage {Symplocarpus foetidus), a wetland plant that appears in early spring, sometimes poking up through snow.

If you were to ask the biologists that question, I assume they would say it’s to be able to track their movements over time to learn more about the falcons and their needs. In other words, it helps us make better decisions about managing OUR actions, not those of the falcons. Banding is a widely used tool to help understand what’s happening with bird populations and migrations. Similar tracking techniques are used with many other species too.

John, others have questioned this too. I just happened to be there when they showed up to do the banding, and don't have strong feelings about it either way. I really doubt that it caused any harm to the birds. Like any wild animal, they deal with all kinds of challenges to their survival. After the banding, they were right back to their normal routine, seemingly none the worse for the experience. While waiting for parents to return with food several times a day, the chicks (prior to fledging) led what looked like a very boring life. Banding allows biologists to learn more about where animals go, how far they travel, etc, so in the long run, steps can be taken to protect them and their habitats.

I can't say for sure one way or the other whether the stress is worth it. But consider these points: efforts to rebuild the peregrine population have been successful so far. The male bird shown here continues to return to the same nest site each year (with the same mate, or a replacement if she dies), which doesn't seem likely if they couldn't tolerate the disturbance. Banding is not done at this site every year. A number of things stress birds, just as any other animal. Overall, I think they accept it as just another event in their lives, and are unharmed. The knowledge gained of their habits helps biologists protect the population overall. So, my guess is that it indeed may be worthwhile. Having said that, I do wish man could avoid feeling it's necessary to manage everything in nature.

Hey thanks for the reply. What you've said does make sense, and would appear to be positive outcomes from a few moments of intrusion. I guess it's difficult for us "normies" to discern what's outright bird-heart-stopping-panic, and what's a ruffling of a few feathers. If it's successful, then I of course agree the rufflings are worth the banding. That said, after I watched this video, I searched out more on these procedures, watching Eaglet banding live-stream (Sauces CA nest). The calmness those birds displayed while placed in the gymbags, hauled down and banned was remarkable. All of it really made me think over my assumption that us bossy humans were messing-up their little lives. Best of luck to you and all these wonderful birds.

Well we have to find out about these stuff but I do agree we should let things be!

We impose ourselves on other species every moment of every day. We almost wiped out the Peregrine Falcon, and many other birds, with our use of DDT. We need to constantly monitor the population so we can intervene if possible when there is a problem. This is not arrogance. It is arrogant to assume that humans can do whatever we want and not affect other species. This is attempting to clean up some of the messes we make.

Kevin Brady they are making sure they can track them as they grow to make sure they are alright, they are even know to track other animals in search to help survive. I've seen proof before.

And between 8:30-9:30 it explains.

They say, "Tom trys to tag the chicks and examine them."