Hafoc Goes High-Tech

My day began shortly after 8:30 this morning, when I pulled into the Kodak Visitor Parking Lot. There, I found Mariah perched on the southwest corner of the Playpen railing. Almost as soon as I got out of my car, she took off, and made a short loop near the nestbox. I thought perhaps there was some activity there already, but after a pass or two, she settled on the apex of the Kodak tower's roof:

I found my fellow BTT member FalKenn Martinez, and he immediately put me to work-- as the welcoming committee. I was left to greet the folks from the Dept. of Environmental Conservation and the Canadian Peregrine Foundation. They began arriving a little after 9:00, and I chatted amiably with Barbara Loucks & Michael Allen from the DEC. They introduced me to Sean Hanna, the DEC regional director for the 11- county area that includes Rochester. Locals around here may remember Sean from his days as a Monroe County Prosecutor. He was also a prominent local politician before moving to the DEC in 1999. It was a real treat to have him attend. Sean's a real bird lover, and he had a great time seeing the falcons at such close range. June Summers of the Genesee Valley Audubon Society, and Mark and Mary Ann Nash from the Canadian Peregrine Foundation showed up a little later.

Once everyone arrived, we made our way up to the 19th floor, quietly, as there was a celebration of some sort taking place in the executive offices. We set up in a utility area in the cupola of the tower, adjacent to the large electric motors that run the tower's three elevators. Their droning hum filled our ears as we went over our assignments for the eyas extraction. Mark had brought a variety of transmitters with him from Toronto, which he showed to us:

We also got a look at some of the tools of the transmitter fitter's trade:

One of the many anecdotes that Mark told us was that when he was first getting involved with birds, he never thought he'd end up as a tailor! He was full of stories and bits of wisdom, and he had a very engaging style. I think he'd make a terrific teacher. He has an obvious zeal for his work, and he does it quite well. We were very fortunate to be able to draw upon his expertise. He also told us that Hafoc was the 47th Peregrine Falcon that he'd fitted with a transmitter. He's done this kind of work for many different organizations, including the Pennsylvania Peregrine falcon tracking project.

When everyone was ready, we headed out onto the ledge below the KODAK sign. Our task was to draw Mariah away from the nestbox. No sooner did we emerge, than she leapt into the air after us:

Here is one of the few shots of her that I was able to take:



You can see that the sky was quite blue, but filled with high clouds, so backlighting was a problem. Also, Mariah kept flying into the sun, so it was very hard to get her framed for a proper shot before she disappeared behind the tower.

One interesting change from a Banding Day a week ago was that Kaver took a much more active role in defending the nest box. He came out as soon as Mariah did, kakking every bit as loudly, and attacking with nearly the same fierceness:

Mariah took a couple of breaks from her attack, and landed on the radio antenna at the southeast corner of the playpen:

The eyas extraction was handled in short order, since the team only needed to retrieve one bird instead of five. We didn't linger on the ledge, but headed back inside as soon as Hafoc was removed from the nest. Mark Nash and Mike Allen set up quickly, and Mark placed a falconer's hood (size 0) on Hafoc's head to help keep him calm:



Mark explained that the falconer's hood works by sending the bird into "Self protection mode", a state in which they naturally become very quiet and relaxed. He even told us of several birds that fell asleep while he was fitting their transmitters! As you can see from the picture, though, Hafoc demonstrated a bit of his mother's ferocity, giving Mark a nip on his fingers as he tied on the hood.

The harness to which the transmitter is fit, is nothing more than a lightweight piece of neoprene that is die-cut according to a standard pattern:



Mark told us that these harnesses used to be custom cut by the person fitting the transmitter, using a template. However, any nicks or other mistakes in cutting could cause the harness to come apart prematurely, so they went to a standard pattern which is cut by a die. This makes for very clean cuts, and helps ensure that the harness will last through its intended life. The long hole in the harness goes over the falcon's head, and is designed not to constrict the crop, so that the Peregrine can eat properly.

Mark began by gently removing some of the downy feathers on Hafoc's back, and trimming other feathers. He carefully avoided clipping any of the "blood feathers", which are important for a growing Peregrine, and can bleed profusely if cut. Then he placed the transmitter to check it's location between Hafoc's shoulders:

After a little more feather trimming, he slipped the harness over Hafoc's head:

Mark explained that some people use rivets or other materials to fasten the harness, but he prefers plain waxed dental floss. Here you can see him using surgeon's knots to tie the ends of the harness closed:

        

Mike Allen's primary duty was to keep Hafoc steady, and to place him in the best position for Mark to do his work. Here, Mike has turned Hafoc on his side so that Mark can tie closed one of the harness straps:



Sometimes he needed a little more help, so Kenn lent a hand. Once, I even got to hold Hafoc's wing gently against his body. I was surprised at the softness of the Peregrine's feathers. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture to show you, but it was a real treat to touch the bird that I had named.

After Mark finished sewing the harness straps closed, he sealed the knots with neoprene cement, then spent some time preening Hafoc's feathers over the harness. After 45 minutes of sweaty work in the heat of the utility room, Hafoc was ready to be returned to the nestbox, so Mark removed his hood. Here is Sean Hanna, blowing air into Hafoc's face to calm him while Mike Allen keeps a secure hold on the little guy:

Newly wired, our high-tech Peregrine is ready to be returned to the nest box:

Outside, Mariah and Kaver went right back to work as soon as we appeared. She moved so fast, this was the best shot I could get of her before our hasty exit from the nest box area:

To say I was thrilled would be a gross understatement. I was in awe the entire time. I know Hafoc's a wild animal, but it's awfully hard not to get attached to him, and though I try to eschew anthropomorphizing the falcons, I have to say that I have high hopes for Hafoc. He has a rare opportunity to shine a light on the migratory habits of urban-raised Peregrines, about which scholarship is still lacking. I couldn't be more pleased that Hafoc was chosen to wear this transmitter, and I think he'll do us all proud.

Finally, a question I've seen asked several times is why a male was chosen instead of a female. Since the females are larger, they are able to bear more weight, so they ought to be the first choice for a transmitter, or so goes the conventional thinking. I asked Mike Allen about this, and he told me that he's been working with a gentleman in Virginia whose studies indicate that juvenile females are more likely to crash on their first migrations than males are. Perhaps this is because they are more aggressive than the males, and this leads them into trouble. That would fit with Isaura, who often seemed to throw caution to the wind, and who met her untimely end in a collision with an airplane. Perhaps the males, being less aggressive, are less likely to get themselves in trouble during the months when they're still learning the fine points of migratory flight. In addition, scientists are eager to learn more about the migratory habits of male peregrines. Since most Peregrines fitted with transmitters are female, there is a lack of knowledge about the differences in migratory behavior between males (tiercels) and females. Whatever the reason, I am grateful, and pleased beyond words, that Hafoc was chosen to bear this transmitter for the benefit of falcons everywhere.

UPDATE June 14, 2004: I heard from Barbara Loucks of the DEC, who provided a more accurate explanation of why they chose to band Hafoc:

"I [Barbara] had spoken with the Va. pf [Peregrine Falcon] person who recommended we do a female, Mark Nash had recommended we do a male....both for crashing reasons (our Va. contact thought the females crashed less, due to the males being smaller, maybe quicker and more risky maneuvers). SO we had opposing opinions from excellent sources, the evidence on both sides didn't seem overwhelming, so we split the difference in a way and did a big male (since there weren't any small females)..."

Many thanks to Barb for setting me straight!