PEREGRINE FALCON CHICK BANDING PHOTO IMAGES.

Dr.  Bryan Watts, the Director of the Center for Conservation Biology in Williamsburg, Va. drove up to Northern Virginia  on Saturday morning May 12, 2018  to band four Peregrine Falcon chicks from a nesting ledge on a building in Reston.  I was invited, and privileged, to come along to photograph the banding activity.  I took over 100 photo images, which I have culled down to about 18, and which are posted below with some comments. 

               

               Two of the four chicks on the nesting ledge. 

 Some of the feathers on the ledge were collected and later taken to the Smithsonian for identification.  Over a dozen species of birds had been brought in by the adult Peregrines to feed their chicks, including a Robin, three Blue Jays, a Bluebird, a Red-bellied woodpecker, a Starling, and even an American Woodcock.

              The containment boxes used to bring the chicks up from the ledge to the roof for banding. 

One chick per box.  

              One of the chicks in its box. Look at the size of the feet 

                and talons on this 19-20 day old Peregrine chick.

Falcon chick before banding.

 Dr.Watts preparing to put falcon chick into cloth bag for weighing.

Dr. Watts putting another chick into bag for weighing

Dr. Bryan Watts weighing a falcon chick in bag.

Dr. Watts measuring the tarsus (leg) size of a falcon chick.

Placing alpha-numeric Virginia band on leg of falcon chick. 

Peregrine chick with unsecured Va. band on left leg.

Securing band on image above with pop rivets.

Banded chick: U. S. Geological Survey band on right leg,
Virginia green and black band on left leg. 

Banded Peregrine chick, as above.
Notice beginning wing and tail feathers emerging. 

Banded chick sounding off. 
 Tail feathers beginning to emerge. 

Detail of head of Peregrine falcon chick.

Another detail of head of falcon chick.

Banding assistant, Matthew Olear (on left), 
and Dr. Bryan Watts with a banded falcon chick.