After a long period of wandering about the arctic regions of Baffin Island, Island Girl appears to have finally settled in. So we are calling for an official end to this years migration.
It remains to be seen if she has found a mate or even if she will remain in one spot to nest but we will soon see.
The transmitters are now switching to the summer mode where we only receive signals every ten days.
With luck, and if the transmitters last, we will return to follow the fall migration of Sparrow King and Island Girl in September.
Thanks for your comments and your support during the spring migration north.
Have a great summer.
The FRG crew.
June 28, 2009
June 12, 2009
Island Girl Pausing Again
From Don...
"Island Girl roosted last night only 9 km (6 mi) from her previous night's location. This morning she flew 145 km (90 mi) farther northwest on Baffin Island and is currently at the northernmost extremity of Foxe Basin.
She is once again within about one-and-a-half kilometers of the 70th parallel."
We are all wondering what is going on with this bird. Is she just wandering, will she breed this summer, does she actually have an eyrie and a mate somewhere, has she been put off somehow by the lateness of access, do peregrines get put off by such things.
We simply do not know at this time. And all we can do is observe where she goes from here.
Also keep in mind that the transmitter duty cycle will be changing soon and the signals will only come in every ten days or so.
"Island Girl roosted last night only 9 km (6 mi) from her previous night's location. This morning she flew 145 km (90 mi) farther northwest on Baffin Island and is currently at the northernmost extremity of Foxe Basin.
She is once again within about one-and-a-half kilometers of the 70th parallel."
We are all wondering what is going on with this bird. Is she just wandering, will she breed this summer, does she actually have an eyrie and a mate somewhere, has she been put off somehow by the lateness of access, do peregrines get put off by such things.
We simply do not know at this time. And all we can do is observe where she goes from here.
Also keep in mind that the transmitter duty cycle will be changing soon and the signals will only come in every ten days or so.
Island Girl Continues to the Northwest
From Don,
"Island Girl continued her exploration of Baffin Island yesterday. She flew northwest for 263 km (163 mi) and spent the night about 10 km from Foxe Basin (which constitutes the western shoreline of Baffin Island's central section).
She certainly isn't acting like a bird with a particular destination in mind."
"Island Girl continued her exploration of Baffin Island yesterday. She flew northwest for 263 km (163 mi) and spent the night about 10 km from Foxe Basin (which constitutes the western shoreline of Baffin Island's central section).
She certainly isn't acting like a bird with a particular destination in mind."
June 10, 2009
Island Girl Baffles Science
We all know that our predictions regarding the individual SCPP peregrine movements are usually wrong.
Here is yet another expectation crushed.
Don writes...
"As Bud has already discovered, there's not much point in trying to guess what these birds are going to do. My guesses yesterday were, basically, north, south, or east. So of course she went west. 292 km (181 mi) to be exact, back to the middle of Baffin Island and even a little beyond (she's now closer to Foxe Basin on the west than she is to Baffin Sea on the east).
It has been suggested that this behavior is typical of non-territorial birds, so maybe she's just looking for a place to call "home".
"Non-territorial" apparently here meaning a non-breeder or one of the "floating population" that so readily steps in whenever there is a vacancy in the breeding population.
My thoughts are that she may also just be going through some sort of a "decision process" about not breeding due to the lateness of the season. That is also possible.
We have never tracked the route of a peregrine during such a late season so this is all new to us. In other words, anyone's guess at this point is a valid specultaion. Fire away!
Here is yet another expectation crushed.
Don writes...
"As Bud has already discovered, there's not much point in trying to guess what these birds are going to do. My guesses yesterday were, basically, north, south, or east. So of course she went west. 292 km (181 mi) to be exact, back to the middle of Baffin Island and even a little beyond (she's now closer to Foxe Basin on the west than she is to Baffin Sea on the east).
It has been suggested that this behavior is typical of non-territorial birds, so maybe she's just looking for a place to call "home".
"Non-territorial" apparently here meaning a non-breeder or one of the "floating population" that so readily steps in whenever there is a vacancy in the breeding population.
My thoughts are that she may also just be going through some sort of a "decision process" about not breeding due to the lateness of the season. That is also possible.
We have never tracked the route of a peregrine during such a late season so this is all new to us. In other words, anyone's guess at this point is a valid specultaion. Fire away!
June 9, 2009
Island Girl Still Moving...
From Don....
"Island Girl continued backtracking to the southeast along the coast of Baffin Island yesterday. As already noted, she had flown south for 80 km (50 mi) by 1300Z yesterday; her 2100Z signal is missing, but her overnight roost last night (0500Z 09Jun) was an additional 240 km (149 mi) to the southeast, apparently on the ice a few kilometers offshore.
She is now much closer to the shortest crossing point to Greenland, if that is her intention. Or perhaps her nest site really is farther north on the coast of Baffin Island but she was forced to temporarily retreat.
Or, perhaps she is now approaching a hypothetical nest site to the south on Baffin Island (but then why would she have gone so far out of her way to the north)? The next day or two should tell the story."
"Island Girl continued backtracking to the southeast along the coast of Baffin Island yesterday. As already noted, she had flown south for 80 km (50 mi) by 1300Z yesterday; her 2100Z signal is missing, but her overnight roost last night (0500Z 09Jun) was an additional 240 km (149 mi) to the southeast, apparently on the ice a few kilometers offshore.
She is now much closer to the shortest crossing point to Greenland, if that is her intention. Or perhaps her nest site really is farther north on the coast of Baffin Island but she was forced to temporarily retreat.
Or, perhaps she is now approaching a hypothetical nest site to the south on Baffin Island (but then why would she have gone so far out of her way to the north)? The next day or two should tell the story."
June 8, 2009
Sparrow King Returns to His Eyrie Once Again
Once again from Don...
"Sparrow King has flown 368 km (229 mi) in the past 2 days, and sometime yesterday evening he arrived at his nesting area on the southern tip of Baffin Island.
The website map shows a signal there at 0208Z (08 June), but there were (unplotted) lesser-quality signals from the same general location about 3 hours before that.
So, his northern migration this year was exactly 2 months long, from 08 April - 08 June (61 days)."
Welcome home!
"Sparrow King has flown 368 km (229 mi) in the past 2 days, and sometime yesterday evening he arrived at his nesting area on the southern tip of Baffin Island.
The website map shows a signal there at 0208Z (08 June), but there were (unplotted) lesser-quality signals from the same general location about 3 hours before that.
So, his northern migration this year was exactly 2 months long, from 08 April - 08 June (61 days)."
Welcome home!
Island Girl Near a Greenland Crossing Point
Don writes...
"Island Girl flew north on Baffin Island for another 549 km (341 mi) yesterday. This might be the greatest 1-day distance that we've observed so far north.
She returned to the coast, and arrived at the eastern shore of Baffin Island within about 5 km (3 mi) of the 70th parallel (1200 nautical miles from the North Pole), then backtracked this morning for 80 km (50 mi).
Perhaps coincidentally, her location on Baffin Island is one of the closer approach points to Greenland, which is about 455 km (283 mi) due east across the Baffin Sea. It is not, however, the closest approach point; farther south on Baffin Island, north of Cumberland Sound, the distance is only about 320 km (199 mi). The next couple of days will be interesting."
Is she a Greenland bird?
"Island Girl flew north on Baffin Island for another 549 km (341 mi) yesterday. This might be the greatest 1-day distance that we've observed so far north.
She returned to the coast, and arrived at the eastern shore of Baffin Island within about 5 km (3 mi) of the 70th parallel (1200 nautical miles from the North Pole), then backtracked this morning for 80 km (50 mi).
Perhaps coincidentally, her location on Baffin Island is one of the closer approach points to Greenland, which is about 455 km (283 mi) due east across the Baffin Sea. It is not, however, the closest approach point; farther south on Baffin Island, north of Cumberland Sound, the distance is only about 320 km (199 mi). The next couple of days will be interesting."
Is she a Greenland bird?
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