There's no news from our satellite-tracked falcons this week, BUT we have an important on-the-ground report from observers in Alaska. The first peregrines returned to Shageluk, Alaska on May 5th, according to students at Innoko River School in Shageluk.
Take out a map of Alaska and see if you can find Shageluk. It's located in western Alaska very near the Yukon River. Remember, the falcons you're tracking this spring nest along the Yukon River near the border with Canada's Yukon Territory. According to Skip Ambrose, the falcons returned right on schedule. Peregrines usually return to this region each year in late April or early May.
The students in Shageluk sent a flurry of bird reports in the past 3 weeks, leading up the the return of the falcon. Since "bird food" for peregrines really is birds, it's amazing to see how closely the falcon's migration is tied to the migration of other birds. Here's a list of some of the birds that recently returned to Shageluk. The students' comments are below. Accompanying today's report you'll also find a traditional migration story which people in Shageluk have told for thousands of years.
Date................Bird Species
April 17............Canadian Geese, Mallards & Shovelers
April 25............Sandhill Cranes, Tundra Swans & Snow Geese
April 27............American Robins, Sparrows & Other Thrushes
May 05.............Peregrine Falcons
May 08.............Swallows
Over the next few days we'll receive the final satellite readings from our falcons for the spring. Our FINAL peregrine migration update will be posted on Monday, May 20th. In the meantime, think about this:
We've tracked two populations of peregrine falcons this spring. One population nests in Alaska and the other nests in Utah. On March 29th, Skip Ambrose said, "As near as I can tell, most adult females are back at Lake Powell and most Yukon birds are still on wintering grounds." An ornithologists would say this is an example of "leap- frog migration". Can you describe this term?
Challenge Question # 117
"What do you think is meant by the term 'leap-frog migration'? Why
do you think leap-frog migration happens commonly within populations
of migratory birds?"
To answer this Challenge Question please follow the instructions at the end of this report.
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Comments About Migration Sightings from Shageluk, Alaska:
April 17
Four Canadian Geese were spotted around the Innoko River near
Shageluk today. According to our traditions in Shageluk, Alaska,
spring has officially come to our area. Our Canadian Geese are a
subspecies of the geese you folks have down there. I'm not sure
what all the differences are but I know the ones up here are a bit
smaller. When we see the geese here it is officially spring. Most
of our traditional winter activities like Native Dancing and
ceremonies stop now until freeze up. We're too busy getting our
fishnets ready for fishing! Oh, and other ducks have arrived at
about the same time.....mallards and just lately we see shovelers.
April 25
All week the larger birds have been migrating over us. We first
noticed the Cranes same day as the Swan. Swans have been flying over
in large flocks of about 20-30 every day. Some are landing in the
lakes around Shageluk. They fly too high to notice if they are
Trumpeters or Tundra. We're pretty sure they are Tundra. The Snow
Geese comes later than the Canadian geese. They do not land in our
area, but go further west to the coast. They always fly over us
every spring on their migration.
April 27
The robins, thrushes, sparrows and other songbirds we notice all
coming in about the same time. The sounds of the birds are
everywhere now. We just got back from a trip to Anchorage, all of
us 4th graders, and we noticed the birds in the city, but we
couldn't HEAR them. Out here away from traffic sounds the air is
filled with the bird sounds.
May 5
We have some Peregines in our area that arrived this weekend. I
don't think this is one that has a transmitter, the one that the
Falcon Expert talks about.
Joyanne Hamilton and Students
Innoko River School
Shageluk, Alaska
TSJMH1@acad1.alaska.edu
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How to Respond to Challenge Question # 117 :
1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line write: Challenge Question # 177
3. In the body of the message, answer this question:
"What do you think is meant by the term 'leap-frog migration'? Why do you think leap-frog migration happens commonly within populations of migratory birds?"
The FINAL Peregrine Falcon Migration Update Will be Posted on May 20, 1996.
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