Althouse: Watching the peregrine falcons...

May 20, 2020

Watching the peregrine falcons...

... at the nesting box at Madison Gas & Electric:

14 comments:

Fernandinande said...: Governor ordered the birds to remain in their box until their curves are flatter, but birds are deplorable and won't obey.; 5/20/20, 12:12 PM
Brad said...: Fantastically fast fowl.; 5/20/20, 12:14 PM
n.n said...: Falco - Push! Push!

I think he pronounces it Falc"oh".

Please pull the strings (push!)
Bees use their stings (push!)
Birds spread their wing and
Some things push! Push! (push!); 5/20/20, 12:43 PM
Quaestor said...: Peregrines incubate about 33 days from the last egg in the clutch. The last egg was laid on April 18, so the first eyass will likely hatch tomorrow. Peregrines like the sun, and usually nest on the face of a south-facing cliff so that their offspring aren't fatally chilled, so look for the new eyass in the afternoon.; 5/20/20, 12:45 PM
Quaestor said...: At 1:47 I saw an eggshell half. One has hatched.; 5/20/20, 12:48 PM
Quaestor said...: Four eggs are a typical clutch, though it's rare for all four to hatch. Predation by owls or other circumstances usually means only one of the four eggs represents a living Peregrine one year later. That's how nature deals with her most formidable predators — cruel neutrality between the fate of the falcon and the destiny of the duck.

Althouse would approve.; 5/20/20, 1:13 PM
Quaestor said...: I see three eyasses, and all look as though they hatched this morning. Their down is completely dry, but none are yet strong enough to get their feet squarely beneath them which is normal at this stage. Also, there are still shell fragments in the nest. It may take a day or two for the tercel to remove them. (Eggshell attract ants, which can be deadly to hatchlings.)

I wonder what became of the fourth egg. There are captive breeding programs in operation in many northern states which are licensed to remove single eggs from wild nests for artificial incubation, but I don't know whether that accounts for the missing egg in this case.; 5/20/20, 1:24 PM
Quaestor said...: You may notice the parents haven't attempted to feed the eyasses. Baby falcons are hatched with yolk matter still inside their abdominal cavities. It can take up to 24 hours for all of it to be assimilated. By tomorrow morning their appetites will be thoroughly revved up. Ma and Pa will be taxed to keep up with their demands.; 5/20/20, 1:35 PM
Limited blogger said...: What a coincidence! I've been watching the Cornell 'bird' cam at SapSucker Woods:

Live birds; 5/20/20, 2:14 PM
madAsHell said...: The red-tailed hawk got into the crows nest yesterday afternoon. There were at least a dozen crows defending the nest.

The hawk did not fly away empty handed. Cruel neutrality.; 5/20/20, 2:20 PM
traditionalguy said...: That could be a spy bird for Atlanta scoping out the Packers for the Monday Night Game on October4,2020. Another conspiracy exposed!; 5/20/20, 4:02 PM
hstad said...: Blogger Quaestor said...Peregrines like the sun, and usually nest on the face of a south-facing cliff so that their offspring aren't fatally chilled, so look for the new eyass in the afternoon.5/20/20, 12:45 PM

You're correct, worked in Downtown L.A. in the late'80s and saw a Perigine Falcon nest (South facing) on the Crocker Center Building - amazing - almost everyday saw these birds go after pigeons. But their hit ratios where not that great, despite the aerial acrobatics this speed demon exhibited. Beautiful animal!; 5/20/20, 4:12 PM
Kai Akker said...: So I'm in my fourth hour on this. Give me a spoiler please -- does she ever move???; 5/20/20, 4:37 PM
Hey Skipper said...: Quaestor — excellent posts, thank you.; 5/20/20, 8:13 PM