Judy Boyce releases an adult female
Our spring survey was conducted April 11 – May 4 by Mike Yates, Bill Seegar and Carl Thelander. We expended 230 man-hours in observing 564 peregrines. We recorded 41 new captures, 10 returns of falcons we’d banded during previous surveys, and six recaptures of falcons newly banded during the survey. Peregrines are notoriously difficult to capture in the spring at Padre because most are adults and all have plenty of available natural prey that is easily caught on the wind tidal flats. This spring demonstrates that in spades, as three highly experienced and proficient field biologists were only able to secure about one in ten individuals sighted. Fortuitously our best day coincided with a visit from a Peregrine Fund collaborator (Geoff Pampush) and two honored guests (Judy Boyce and Kay Hale). We were able to introduce them to four adult females, an adult male, and a second-year male on April 19.