Boronia

what a view!

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-29/melbourne-peregrine-falcon-deaths-likely-caused-by-disease/11647430 Peregrine falcon deaths atop Melbourne skyscraper likely caused by diseased pigeons ABC Radio Melbourne By Kristian Silva Posted about an hour ago P Photo: It is too risky to retrieve the chick's body for an autopsy. (Supplied: 367 Collins Falcon Watchers) Related Story: Webcam captures the moment falcon chicks hatch on top of Melbourne high-rise Related Story: Ingenious solution saves birds from flying into glass windows Related Story: Webcam watchers await CBD falcon hatching after last year's heartbreak One of three chicks that hatched in a peregrine falcon nest perched high on a Melbourne skyscraper has died, marking the third year in a row the nest has suffered such a loss. Key points: A falcon chick born in September has died, with a disease carried by pigeons likely to be the cause Followers of a Facebook page that monitors the birds have expressed their grief at the news An expert says that the state's warm, dry conditions may be contributing to the prevalence of the disease Birds of prey have lived in nest boxes on the building's ledge since the early 1990s, and the current crop of falcons have thousands of online fans who watch a video stream on the 367 Collins Falcons Facebook page. Victor Hurley, the project leader of the Victorian Peregrine Project, believed several deaths since 2017 were caused by a disease called trichomoniasis, which was carried by the falcons' prey. He said drier winter conditions across the country and hot spring temperatures were to blame for an increase in pigeons and starlings carrying the disease. "That is something that I think will change the moment we have good rain in winter and good spring conditions," Dr Hurley said. A report released by the Bureau of Meteorology last week said Australia experienced its ninth driest winter in 120 years. Minimum, maximum, and average temperatures were also well up, on average, in Victoria. While an autopsy would confirm how the chick died, Dr Hurley said retrieving the body from the building's ledge could pose serious risks to the remaining young and handlers themselves. "There's a high risk, with the nestlings having their wing feathers half or three-quarters grown, that they will scurry off the ledge and that will end badly for everyone," he said. The most likely outcome is one of the adult birds will remove the carcass themselves. Windows, wires and trains put city birds at risk The chick's death was announced on the falcons' Facebook page and prompted a flood of tributes. "I just saw the news and felt a pang in my chest. Sad news and you cannot help but feel some attachment when we watch them so much," one woman wrote. "RIP little baby," wrote another. Photo: The falcons have gained a cult following. (Facebook: Ronan Reid) Until the carcass is cleared, the web stream administrators have switched off the stream's main camera. Even though falcons are at the top of the food chain, Dr Hurley said life in the big city comes with risks, including other peregrine falcons who could try to take the nest by force. "They can fly into windows, they can hit overhead wires, they can get hit by cars and trains, they can drown in a rooftop swimming pool in Flinders Lane with four inches of water," he said. "It's a bit of a fraught landscape." Topics: birds, animals, ornithology, conservation, weather, animal-science, human-interest, melbourne-3000 Contact Kristian Silva

I know it's a remote CGF but now I can't get the picture of some poor cameraman hunched down and gripping the edge of the small wall surrounding the balcony for 24 hours a day. I hope he's being paid well I'll be keeping my fingers' crossed that the littley will keep living

Thanks heaps KitKat, much appreciated, what a little fat tummy that one has I had felt when I was watching them a couple of weeks ago that the littley may not survive as it wasn't getting stuffed with food like the other two, it's always distressing for us humans to see a non-thriver through lack of food. maybe the camera-operator will take it home an feed it (fat chance of that happening though)

For the last two weeks I haven't been able to load the link anymore as I have used up my monthly allotment (probably from watching the chicks) and have been 'shaped' by Westnet, it's akin the dial-up Sooo, could someone here pop up some screen-shots if possible? I am missing out on the excitement

This ABC drama is excellent, Deborah Mailman is so talented and here's a story about the dogs https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-20/dogs-steal-scene-in-total-control-during-filing-in-winton/11618384 Meet the Winton dogs that stole their scene in ABC drama series Total Control premiere ABC Western Qld By Damien Larkins and Oliver Wykeham Posted about 11 hours ago Photo: Winton local Steven Elliott was cast as an extra, but after meeting him the producers wrote him a much larger role. (ABC TV) These outback Queensland dogs are probably the only characters in Australia that could steal a scene from star Deborah Mailman. Key Points: Sheep dogs steal the scene in ABC drama Total Control Originally cast as extras, were given larger role when producers saw them Owner Steven Elliott says they would return for a second season The Australian border collies captured hearts in the debut episode of the ABC drama series Total Control. The scene sees their Winton owner Steven Elliot offer Ms Mailman's character a puppy, to distract her from telling him to take his medication. The well-trained canines jumped on her ute as she tried to drive away. Mr Elliot was originally cast as just an extra in the Blackfella Films production. The directors saw something special in him and the dogs and wrote them all a bigger role in the show. "They all slotted in and done their little bit," Mr Elliott said. "They were working really good and really enjoyed it." Photo: You can find Steven in his backyard, making cattle brands or training his sheep dogs. (ABC Western Qld: Ollie Wykeham) From rodeo riding to a wheelchair The 42-year-old partly severed his spinal cord when he fell from a horse in a rodeo in 2003. Nowadays you will find him scooting in his wheelchair around the backyard of his Winton home. It is there he crafts hand-made branding irons and trains his beloved dogs. Photo: Steven has a sheep pen in his backyard he uses to train his dogs. (ABC Western Qld: Ollie Wykeham) It was a long day filming on set, but the dogs took to it like ducks to water. "They sort of got sick of it by the finish," Mr Elliott said. "One fell asleep underneath the car at one part." Scores of the Winton locals were cast as extras in the production and the larger role came as a surprise to Mr Elliott. "We were thrown in the deep end there a little bit," he said. "They said 'we're going to do something next week', then they turned up that afternoon and gave me a piece of paper," he said. "They said 'this is what you've got to say and we're going to start at half past six in the morning' and out we went." Leaving their mark With a quick whistle and a flick of his hand, the dogs are quick to respond to Mr Elliott's every command. "They all really enjoyed it, all the film crew and everyone, they all love the dogs," he said. "They were enjoying the extra pats." Photo: Steven's dogs are so well trained, they will wait for his command to eat. (ABC Western Qld: Ollie Wykeham) Mr Elliot is hopeful for an even bigger role with Ms Mailman if there is a season two. "We kinda clicked after a little bit and got on real good too," he said. "It was pretty fun to work with her." Mr Elliott thinks the dogs left an impression in more ways than one. "I think the dogs ended up making a bit of a mark on the camera stand at one point," he said with a laugh. You can watch Total Control on ABC TV and on iView. Photo: Dog Wiggles and his pack left their mark on the crew and their equipment. (ABC Western Qld: Damien Larkins)

I can only say sorry Grumpette, I always like reading about your dogs and Zephyr in particular, he opened my mind to what wonderful and beautiful dogs Rotties are. Have fun over the bridge Zephyr, there is a huge amount of balls there just for you.

This weekend. $10 microchipping. https://petstockblitz.simplybook.me/v2/?fbclid=IwAR0VoyaS_z6Fc-G9GPFOD-p-kezt9uv0ukiEg5pCXc6pRcMcov9xsUjYBUI#book/category/12/

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/north-america/woman-reunited-with-missing-dog-12-years-later-and-1600km-from-home-20191015-p530o5.html Woman reunited with missing dog 12 years later and 1600km from home By Brittany Shammas October 15, 2019 — 1.25am Dutchess the fox terrier squeezed out the door at her owner's house in Orlando, Florida, one day in February 2007 and didn't return. A devastated Katheryn Strang made "lost dog" signs and took daily trips to the local shelter for months, desperate to find her. On Friday, Strang finally got the reunion she had been hoping for - 12 years after Dutchess disappeared. A man found the dog under his shed in the Pittsburgh area, almost 1600 kilometres from Orlando. He took the shivering animal to a shelter, Humane Animal Rescue. There, a scan of Dutchess's microchip linked her to Strang, who had since moved to Boca Raton, Florida. Katheryn Strang is reunited with her fox terrier, Dutchess.Credit:AP At the shelter on Friday, Strang cried as an employee handed her the dog she had always hoped would one day return to her. Staff members posted footage of the emotional reunion on Facebook, writing, "This is why we do what we do." "Dutchess. Hi, baby. I missed you," Strang says in the video as she strokes the dog's face. "Your face is all white." No one knows how Dutchess made the trek to Pittsburgh - or what she has been doing for the past 12 years. Strang joked that the dog could "tell me some stories." She said she couldn't imagine that Dutchess had walked the whole way. The dog, who is now 14, was hungry, shaking and "in serious need of a nail trim" when she arrived at the shelter, said Torin Fisher, an admissions counsellor with Humane Animal Rescue. She was also "a little nervous about the situation, which, who could blame her?" Fisher said. But otherwise, Dutchess was in pretty good shape. Shelter employees soon found the microchip - an implanted device that contains a unique number that can be traced back to an animal's owner. Seeing that Dutchess's owner lived in Florida, Fisher figured the family must have recently moved to Pittsburgh. Only when she called Strang did she learn "how incredible of a situation it actually was." Dutchess had been missing for 12 years.Credit:AP "The whole story kind of unfolded while we were on the phone," Fisher said. "And we were equally excited and shocked and surprised." Strang had always held out hope that Dutchess might be found, even after so many years. She paid a $US15 ($22) annual fee to keep the microchip active, saying on Friday that she would have continued that for years. Still, she was in disbelief as she drove to Pittsburgh. "Until she's in your arms, it's just gut-wrenching," she said. The Washington Post

Give her some cranberry powder as well rascal, I put a little powder in Zara's food each time (she is prone to struvite crystals) I buy the capsules and each capsule lasts around 5 days so that's 10 doses per capsule. I just cut the capsule end off and sprinkle. It may help and will not do any harm anyway. Also give her segments of oranges if she'll eat them, otherwise some vit C powder

and dad supervising dinnertime

it's lunch-time and i wonder what sort of bird this is, it looks like a juvenile something

Yes! Three chickies

She sure is Rozzzie. I checked this morning while mumma is still sleeping, there seems to be a un-hatched egg. And a little later when she has left to find breakfast there seems to be three little chicks...two heads and one hatched later and you can only see its bum-hole right at the front of the 3rd screen-shot

I had a look now and think the other eggs have hatched, maybe four chicks. 5.15 and it's dinner-time...

Hooo... breakfast

6.24

For those DOLers who saw the news two week's ago about that poor man, Simon, who was killed near Monto. His dog, Merlin, ran away after the crash and locals have been searching for her. Well she's been found: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-01/merlin-the-missing-dog-turns-up-after-a-fortnight-in-the-bush/11564308 Merlin the missing dog emerges from the bush a fortnight after owner's death By Jemima Burt and Rachel McGhee Updated about 10 hours ago Photo: Merlin appeared as if by magic after a fortnight in the bush. (ABC News: Rachel McGhee) Related Story: Search intensifies for Merlin the missing dog after owner killed in car crash A dog that bolted into southern Queensland bushland after surviving a car crash that killed its owner has been found alive, more than two weeks later. Key points: A local farmer had spotted Merlin and left out the dog's bedding with food Merlin was found lying on the bedding on Tuesday morning Simon Hannan's family say they are thrilled Merlin is safe and well Merlin the kelpie-cross had been travelling around Australia with its Victorian owner Simon Hannan, but he was killed by a car between Monto and Eidsvold, west of Bundaberg, last month. The distressed dog ran into the bush from the crash scene. After Mr Hannan died in hospital, the North Burnett community banded together in a bid to help his family track down the dog, the final link to their loved one. Hopes for Merlin's survival faded quickly last week, with the drought-affected area offering up challenging conditions for the domestic dog's survival. But for the past five days, Eidsvold farmer Bill Kerle has been tracking Merlin's paw prints on his property, which is only a couple of hundred metres from the crash site. Mr Kerle said he spotted Merlin on Monday morning, and decided to set up a trap for the dog near his dam. He placed the dog's bedding inside the trap, with some pork steaks, and found Merlin asleep inside the trap on Tuesday morning. "I nearly fell off my quad bike, I couldn't believe it," he said. Photo: Merlin with Simon, who was killed in a car crash near Monto. (Facebook: David McDougall) Shortly after Mr Hannan's death, his mother Jan Hannan and stepfather David McDougall travelled to the area from their home in Western Australia, but were back at home when they received a call telling them Merlin had turned up. "We believe he had put Merlin's bed out overnight and some food and she was sitting in it this morning when they found her," Ms Hannan said. "We're so thrilled to have his dog and know that she's safe and well." Ms Hannan said there are no words to describe losing a son, but that finding Merlin offered some comfort. "We can't bring my son back but we can find his dog and we can make sure that she now has a good life." Photo: Eidsvold farmer Bill Kerle managed to capture Merlin in a humane dog trap. (ABC News: Rachel McGhee) She said she was very grateful to the farmer who recovered Merlin. "He has our undivided gratitude. We will personally be talking to him, he's a very humble gentleman," Ms Hannan said. "He will not want public recognition but we will be doing something privately with him." The search for Merlin gained national attention after Mr McDougall posted about it on Facebook. Photo: Merlin was lured back to civilisation by bedding and food. (Supplied) It has since been shared more than 17,000 times, with people coming from all over to help. Mr McDougall said it had been a difficult fortnight. "We weren't expecting a good outcome," he said. "It may have taken 15 days, but Merlin has returned so there is always positives. "To have her recovered now is … all that stress is gone. We've had to deal with the tragedy of Simon and to be able to get total closure. Photo: Merlin ran from the scene of the crash that killed the dog's owner, Simon Hannan. (Supplied) "For all Simon's family and friends and everyone that was out there looking for Merlin, it's just a huge relief," Mr McDougall said. He said Merlin seems to be in good health. "She's not distressed, not in a bad condition — there's going to be a lot of pats and cuddles and dog treats in her foreseeable future." Mr McDougall thanked the people of Monto and Eidsvold for their help and hospitality. "The amount of support and encouragement, and advice has been truly outstanding," he said. "We stayed in the local pubs in Monto, they wouldn't let us pay for accommodation. "I just can't thank the community, Monto and Eidsvold [enough], they are fantastic people and we know they're having a raw deal at the moment with rainfall and that sort of stuff with the drought."

Thank you for the link Rebanne ...Zara's son, she is so proud of him https://my.rasv.com.au/Results/Competitions/2019-rms-dog/Classes/DADT11 https://my.rasv.com.au/Results/Competitions/2019-rms-dog/Classes/DADT2S https://my.rasv.com.au/Results/Competitions/2019-rms-dog/Classes/DADT6S

That's good news that she is fine and dandie Kazm, it's a pity there are no pups but maybe for the best and there is always a 'next time' then her owner will be more aware of what's needed and keep on top of things. I think some of the comments were, perhaps, harsh, but mostly that comes with concern for the dog so it's usually 'wade in, boots and all' with the hope that the OP will do something NOW. Maybe some of the posters need to tone it down a tad and try a gentler approach, we could chase members away with bossy attitudes.

it may be a plan for them to whizz her to the vets and check anyway Kazm then they, and you (and us) will find out for sure

I am so sorry you have had to say goodbye to your beautiful girl Sheena