Stranded Eagles, Peregrine 568, Mealworm Shortage, and Interesting Hummer Story

Remember that eagle nest caught in some river flooding in South Dakota? Just got an update from Amber:

"Those eagle chicks in South Dakota that I wrote you about were successfully taken to the Oahe Wildlife Center facility in Pierre, SD. I gotta say I am proud of my dad - he made lots of calls. My dad said that the first land/tree was about a quarter mile away from the nest, so bet that first flight out would just land them in the river."

So, that's some good news for those eagles! Thanks for the update Amber and thanks to your dad and all the people who helped them out! Someone also sent me this news link about the story...it's worth the read especially for the typo in the last paragraph.

Hey, remember Peregrine 568 (she's the one with the lighter head in the above photo)? The falcon that flew into a banding station with an injured leg and our field trip group dropped off at The Raptor Center? Well, she has gone on a test flight and I was told by one of the vets that she flew BEAUTIFULLY...however, her feet are still a problem--bumblefoot strikes again. Here is the challenge: she is a tundrius peregrine falcon. They only show up in Minnesota during migration which won't be until late September/early October. As long as she is in captivity, bumblefoot is an issue, but we can't release her in Minnesota when it's not the right time...or can we find a way to fly her to northern Canada?

There have been lots of people commenting on the mealworm shortage. It's not only a problem for bird feeding, but also for wildlife rehabbers who need them for baby birds and reptile owners. I've been trying to call around to several companies and find out the answer and let me tell you, the mealworm industry isn't too interested in answering the questions--it's almost as if companies seem to prefer wild speculation on the Internet as opposed actual answers. One company who sells mealworms to retailers told me that their supplier just can't grow them and doesn't know why. I asked what the name of the supplier so that I could call and ask my questions and the person said, "I don't know."

To which I responded, "You're telling me that you only get your worms from one company and you don't even know the name?"

She transferred me to someone else and I still didn't get the answer I was looking for. Anyway, the bottom line is that mealworms died, no one knows why, and isn't hesitant as when they will be available again. Here's a little write up that I did for Birding Business Blog.

And finally, there's a fascinating story over at Hilton Pond regarding ruby-throated hummingbird migration. It's worth scrolling through the whole entry, but it's about a banded hummingbird and where it was found after it was banded. Cool stuff!