Hi tweeters,
I just received this post from my friend in Victoria. It contains really
great info on Canadian Peregrine migration. They've been following several
transmitter-carrying birds to their winter hangouts. Its amazing how far and
fast they can travel.
Tracee Geernaert

> Greetings Peregrine Enthusiasts: Update 5
>
> STOP THE PRESS! Our Edmonton female peregrine is on the move, and not
> wasting any time, while the northern Alberta male continues to head
> further
> south. But our Edmonton male's transmitter is silent, an ominous sign.
> Read
> on for more details on this week's exciting news.
>
> > My thanks to Helen Trefry who has mapped the falcons' locations and to
> > Susan Eros who puts the material on the Web. The maps are posted a day
> or
> > two after I send these messages on our regional GREEN LANE home page at:
> > http://www.mb.ec.gc.ca/ENGLISH/LIFE/ENDSPECIES/pfalcon.html Check it
> out
> > !
> ---------------------------------
> Our friends at the Canadian Peregrine Foundation have been tracking four
> peregrines from southern Alberta. They have just updated their web page
> with
> tracking data. You can check it out at the Track-'em menu page:
http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/programs/trackem/track.html.

> ---------------------------------
> > 24424 female from northern Alberta
> >
> > The northern Alberta female has remained at the base of the Yucatan on
> the
> > valley flats of the Rio Usumacinta where she arrived on September 24.
> She
> > would appear to be at her winter home since she has been there for 2
> > weeks. The region is a large floodplain where the Rio meaders towards
> the
> > Gulf of Mexico after originating in the Peten region of Guatemala and
> > Belize? Since this falcon seems to have reached her winter home, I will
> > not mention her again in future updates, unless she changes location.
> >
> > 24868 male from northern Alberta.
> >
> > The northern Alberta male has continued his migration south. We last
> > reported him 140 km north of Tampico on September 27. On October 2, he
> was
> > in southern Mexico, 50 km south of Coatzacoalcos, which is just where
> the
> > Gulf coast turns east. On October 6 he was well into Central America at
> > Trujillo, on the north coast of Honduras. He has now travelled over 7000
> > km in 20 days since leaving northern Alberta on September 14.
> >
> However, on October 10, the satellite was not able to determine the
> location
> of the transmitter. Signals were received but no location established.
> Let's
> hope this is a temporary problem with the antennae, and we will get a
> location soon!
>
> > 24427 female from Edmonton.
> >
> > The big news of the week is the start of migration of our Edmonton pair.
> > On October 1, our first snowfall of the season swept into Edmonton and
> the
> > temperature plummeted to just below freezing. Normally in Edmonton in
> > October, we do not consider freezing cold but after a balmy September,
> > freezing seemed cold. The 3 cm of snow and -3C temperature seem to
> > convinced the Edmonton falcons to move.
> >
> > On October 3, the female was in south-eastern BC, 400 km south of
> > Edmonton. She was on the west side of the Rockies and east of the
> Columbia
> > River, halfway between Windermere and Fernie. Four days later she had
> > moved dramatically, 1800 km south to the northern suburbs of Sante Fe,
> New
> > Mexico. On October 11, she was another 1300 km south on the west coast
> of
> > Mexico, about 100 km north of Mazatlan.
> >
> So she has travelled 3500 km in less than 12 days. Nothing like a frost to
> get all Edmonton residents thinking of warmer places. But this falcon has
> the ability to get there and quickly, with no advanced ticket purchase or
> airport waiting line!. Little does she know that the weather has turned
> balmy again. However, she will have the last laugh when the weather turns
> cold for real.
>
> Stay tuned to see how much further she goes before reaching her winter
> home.
>
> > 24422 male from Edmonton
> >
> > The Edmonton male falcon start his migration south at the same time as
> his
> > mate, but not in the same direction. Like his mate, he was in Edmonton
> on
> > September 30. Then he headed southeast. On October 4 he was 180 km
> > southeast of Edmonton, about 30 km west of Wainwright.
> >
> But, ominously, his transmitter did not send signals on October 8. Let's
> hope it turns on again this week to tell us where he is.
>
> Cheers
>
> > Geoff Holroyd
> > Research Scientist
> > Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada
> > Room 200, 4999-98 Ave., Edmonton, AB, T6B 2X3
> > phone 780-951-8689; FAX 780-495-2615
> > Email: geoffrey.holroyd at ec.gc.ca
> >