The satellite readings below just arrived from Skip Ambrose. This is an exciting week! Beginning on March 1st the falcons' transmitters are set to begin sending signals once a week. Though nobody knows when the birds will begin to migrate Mr. Ambrose thinks the time is approaching. Watch the readings carefully and look for changes.
Falcon Date Latitude Longitude
22652 2/24/95 35.772 S 60.275W
22653 2/26/95 14.062 N 89.114 W
22654 2/21/95 21.920 N 78.245 W
22658 2/24/95 10.063 S 42.194 W
News About the "New" Peregrine So what is the true story about peregrine falcon #22657? Here are some ideas from students in Wisconsin and Missouri followed by an explanation from Skip Ambrose:
From WISCONSIN: PLAEHNC@UWSTOUT.EDU
We are third graders from Boyceville, Wisconsin in Mrs. Plaehn's class. We think that falcon 22657 has either been able to find food and stayed in Alaska or the transmitter got hooked on a tree and fell off the falcon. We will know which is right if the next report has 22657 in exactly the same place. We love tracking the animals on our maps.
From MISSOURI: JUDITH_R@mail.hallsville.k12.mo.us
The new Peregrine Falcon is 22657. We think it has either died or didn't migrate. Logan Carter, Jason Cole, Kellen Quick, David Morton, David Banks, and Patrick Burkett
From WISCONSIN: BAKERJT@CNSVAX.UWEC.EDU
We, the 7th grade class at Pepin, Wi., have an answer to your question about bird number 22657. We think that it didn't migrate along with the other falcons. Thank you, Amanda and Rose
From SKIP AMBROSE:
"Last summer, while we were trapping the falcons that you're now tracking, transmitter #22657 fell off one of our birds and it's been sitting on the tundra ever since! If you get out a map of Alaska and find its location (64.958 N, 141.216 W) you'll see that the transmitter is signalling from the Yukon River Basin along Alaska's border with Canada's Yukon Territorty.
"We'll pick it up later but for now it's helping with what we call "ground truthing". Since we know the exact location of the transmitter, and we know it's not moving, we get a good idea how accurate our other satellite readings actually are."
CHALLENGE QUESTION:
The Truth About Telemetry
Here's a chance for you to make your own ground truthing estimates based on readings from transmitter #22657. Remember, the transmitter is just sitting on the tundra so all apparent changes in location are actually due to satellite error.
Your question: How reliable are satellite telemetry locations? Give your answer in kilometers and send it to:
Readings from transmitter #22657:
Latitude Longitude 64.993 N 141.425 W 64.985 N 141.235 W 64.994 N 141.419 W 65.011 N 141.396 W 64.958 N 141.216 W 64.998 N 141.379 W
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