updated climbing advisories raptors

[joe]

FYI:

Hey All,

I wanted to touch base with everyone and let you know that there will be
some additional raptor research going on over the next 2 weeks at
Pinnacles. I will be joining Dr. Douglas Bell, a professor at Sacramento
State University with extensive experience in prairie falcon handling, in
conducting single nest entries into 3 prairie falcon nests at Pinnacles
this year. At each nest, we will briefly handle the nestlings, give them
color bands, and take blood samples, then place them back in their
respective nests. The blood samples will be used for genetics testing to
help us determine how insular and interrelated our prairie falcon
population is at Pinnacles, and the color bands will help us to
specifically identify individuals during monitoring periods. This
information has the potential to give us a much more thorough understanding
of movements, pair and site fidelity, and immigration into our population,
and will allow us to adjust our management strategies accordingly.

I want to stress that this research is not in reaction to any recent
climbing issues at the park... Far from it. The local climbing community
has been exceptional in their involvement in ensuring the continuing
success of the prairie falcon population at Pinnacles. We're just trying to
get a better sense of how much in-flow of "new blood" we get into the PINN
prairie falcon population. Our guess is that these birds have a small
genetic pool, which would make them more sensitive to disturbance or
disruption. This research should give us a clearer sense of how insular our
falcon population really is.

The nest entries will be timed to ensure that the researchers (Doug and me)
and the falcon nestlings are safe throughout the process, and that the
nestlings are handled briefly and efficiently to minimize disturbance at
nest sites. We may be entering at least 1 nest site in a climbing advisory
area in view of visitors. In this case, we will have roving biologists
and/or interpretation rangers on trail to answer questions and provide
educational opportunities for visitors in regards to the nest entry
research.

Hope that information makes sense... I just wanted to keep everyone in the
loop as to the value of this research.

Thanks for your support, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Gavin

[mungeclimber]

I know this will come across as a crank post, but why doesn't Gavin post up himself?  Easier than emailing a list, no?  blogosphere is here. I do appreciate the push toward openness and dialogue. Pinnacles has good history with that.


So onto the important points with dialogue in mind:

why disturb the nest at all to do the research?  I'm a climber, I'd like to do research on nesting falcons. If I get too close I will see when they screech annotate accordingly for my thesis. I will do this while climbing to see if the gear has an effect, with a control climb with no gear.

All this to study a false premise/theory to my mind... "Our guess is that these birds have a small
genetic pool, which would make them more sensitive to disturbance or
disruption."

I don't understand. How is that any judgment can be made about the sensitivity or lack of sensitivity based on the genetic profile?  What is needed is behavioral studies, not genetic studies. Empirically if the behavior is lack of reproduction, then while a rough guess at causation, it has to be better than sampling the genes.

What other benefits derive from the genetic sampling?

Otherwise, it seems like the birds are being disturbed so that we can say 'they are sensitive' If they are judged sensitive, then that provides justification for broader closures in the long run.  I just don't understand how the insularity of the blood lines will be a causation to a perceived (objectively measured?) sensitivity?

thanks,
M

[karl]

I am not sure, but I believe they are talking about how "sensitive" the birds are with respect to their genetic pool.  They want to know the genetic makeup of the birds in order to figure out what the death of or lack of reproduction of these birds does to their genetic pool.

For example if there are thousands of birds from a similar genetic pool, they would not be as threatened as 20 birds from a similar genetic pool.  Sensitive is not whether or not the birds get scared, but whether or not the loss of a few threatens the survival of their bloodline.

[mungeclimber]

karl,

thx for posting up.

I think being 'scared' is the link that is trying to be drawn to the bloodlines.  I guess I'm trying state the gap in the research, that is, how to determine that perceived 'scared' aspect.

this just a quick reply, I can try come back to this later... if only the feeling in my fingers would come back...

cheers,
M