Migration is in full swing. It seems to be something that I keep returning to. I just read a post about one of the Peregrine Project birds - Island Girl. In order to learn more about peregrine migration, the Project has attached small, non-invasive solar powered GPS transmitters on the backs of some birds. Island Girl is one. You can follow her third trip south on line. She left Baffin Island last week and is following a path south through Ontario. The last two years she has spent the winter in south-central Chile in an area called Putu Dunes. Some trip!
She actually spent time last year near the major quake site in Chile. As many did, she moved upland to safer territory right after the quake. Not that a bird would be in danger, but move she did.
Peregrines have been called the fastest birds in the world. They hunt from high in the sky (they have incredible vision) and when they spot prey far below, they tuck their wings and head straight down at well over 200 miles per hour. Some researchers have attached tiny cameras to the heads of some birds and followed these dives. Dizzying doesn't even come close to describing the ride!
Anyway, check in on Island Girl. Watch her progress south and cheer her on. Go to www.frg.org then click on Southern Cross Peregrine Project, then go either to the tracking maps or to the blog. If you go to the maps, click on "Island Girl" and scroll down to see her daily movements. The blue dots indicate where she rested last night, the yellow dots indicate where she is at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. There is also a photo of the lovely girl.
Sometimes I think technology is over the top and is taking over our lives. But then something like this comes along where I can fly with a peregrine, and I love it.
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