Day 18: chicks in hiding!

May 31, 2018 in In the Nest Box, lawrence peregrines, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

Another beautiful morning…..today the peregrines started things off with sunny skies, calm wind conditions, and temp at 54F just after sunrise at 5:10 AM.  The day ahead calls for more sunshine with a high near 82. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph in the middle afternoon hours!

2018.0531.2-001Over the past few days, the chicks have shifted to the north end of the nest box, up and under the web cam.  At times, it looks like no one is at home, and yet they are there.  Last year, a number of frantic emails came in with alarm and concern that somehow the chicks were gone…..not!  This morning, same thing, just out of sight, but with the female, with her tail just visible, out near the end of the perch pole, keeping a close eye on her little ones.  The unhatched egg remains intact through it all, and the nest box continues to be littered with feather debris from left over meals.

 

2018.0531.1-002Just after 6:30 AM, the female returned to the nest box with a morning meal.  At first she met the chicks in the lower left hand corner and then the female moved to her right and more towards the middle of the box.  This allowed for a fuller view of all three chicks.  It provides a nice perspective on how the chicks have grown larger, yet still are somewhat patient when being fed!

 

 

Literature cited:

Ratcliffe, D. 1993. The Peregrine Falcon. 2nd ed. Carlton, England: T. and A. D. Poyser.

The Canadian Peregrine Foundation, Peregrine Falcon Development – Age Guide; http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/info/ageguide.html

 

Day 17: how they have grown!

May 30, 2018 in In the Nest Box, lawrence peregrines, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

With sunrise at 5:11 AM, the peregrines started off the day with clear skies, wind from the NE at 9MPH, and the temp at 62F.  The day ahead calls for sunny skies, with a high near 74. Calm wind becoming east 5 to 8 mph in the morning.

2018.0530.1-001This morning the female dragged in a large bird, likely a rock pigeon, with a gray body, and a gray rounded tail with dark terminal band.  Unlike prior feedings, this was freshly caught and not stripped of feathers before being brought to the nest box.  The female went into a frenzy stripping the feathers and then feeding the nestlings.  The nest box at one point, was a swirl of feathers.  As the female was feeding, you are able to see the size of the nestlings, and how they have grown much larger over past two weeks!

 

2018.0530.2-001By day 17, the chicks have already grown considerably relative to the size of their parents, but still have a long way to go until they match their stature and reach full size.  In terms of feeding, the frequency of feeding visits by the parents depends on the size of the brood, but researchers have found that four meals per day was the norm during the nestling period.  Others have observed anywhere from 4-8 feeding visits per day, with some observing as many as 6-11 feeding visits per day.  Most observers agree that feeding begins very early in the morning, often before it is light enough for humans to see!

 

Literature cited:

Ratcliffe, D. 1993. The Peregrine Falcon. 2nd ed. Carlton, England: T. and A. D. Poyser.

The Canadian Peregrine Foundation, Peregrine Falcon Development – Age Guide; http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/info/ageguide.html

Day 16: growing flight feathers!

May 29, 2018 in In the Nest Box, lawrence peregrines, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

Just after sunrise time at 5:20 AM, the peregrines started the day with fair skies, wind from the SW at 3MPH, high humidity, and temp at 58F.  The forecast for the day ahead calls for a little patchy fog between 7am and 8am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 87! Light and variable wind becoming north 5 to 8 mph in the morning, and falling off later in the afternoon.

2018.05.29-001Around day 16, dark spots can be seen along the edges of the wings, indicating the growth of the flight feathers underneath the covering of down.  The down on the head also begins to take on a “rougher” texture around this time.  As mentioned in a prior post, most of the day is spent sleeping, up to about 16 days, but movements around the nest box become more developed, and they start to become more active during the day.  This morning they slumbered in the far left corner, still in a somewhat close huddle.  The female remained nearby on the outer part of the perch pole. 

Literature cited:

Ratcliffe, D. 1993. The Peregrine Falcon. 2nd ed. Carlton, England: T. and A. D. Poyser.

The Canadian Peregrine Foundation, Peregrine Falcon Development – Age Guide; http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/info/ageguide.html

Day 15: Hunchback mode!

May 28, 2018 in In the Nest Box, lawrence peregrines, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

Memorial Day started off under overcast skies with fog and mist, wind from the north at 9MPH, and temp at 52F.  Sunrise time was at 5:12 AM.  The forecast for the day ahead calls for patchy drizzle before 10am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 68. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning.  WOW!….from near 90F Saturday afternoon, to stuck in the 50s yesterday afternoon, it was about as big of a turnaround as you’ll see around here as August weather went to April real quick.  The week ahead brings warmer temps and lots of sunshine for the growing peregrine chicks!

2018.0528-001Now we are around day 15, and the chicks are beginning to enter the “hunchback” phase, during which they are often seen in the pose above, with their feet splayed out in front of them and their head angled forward.  Today, we continue to observe the chicks in the ongoing lazy mode of lounging and sleeping in the back left corner of the nest box, with the attentive female always nearby.  Around 2PM, the female returned to the nest with prey in talons.  Once she settled inside, the chicks gathered in the semi-circle position, and they provided a nice look at their feet splayed out and they all stood in hunchback mode! 

Literature cited:

Ratcliffe, D. 1993. The Peregrine Falcon. 2nd ed. Carlton, England: T. and A. D. Poyser.

The Canadian Peregrine Foundation, Peregrine Falcon Development – Age Guide; http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/info/ageguide.html

Lawrence Peregrines: Day 14

May 27, 2018 in In the Nest Box, lawrence peregrines, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

This morning started out under heavy overcast skies with fog and mist; winds from the northeast at 12MPH, and the temp at 56F.  The forecast calls for a chance of rain. Cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 52 by 4pm. Northeast wind around 9 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

2018.0527.2-001The daily pattern is now shifting with the female no longer brooding the chicks in close contact. She is very attentive, and remains close by, either in and around the nest box, or on the nearby perch pole. She is always alert, and may preen and stretch quite a bit.  The chicks like the far back left corner, and continue to stay close to one another, but in a bit of a looser huddle.  The addled egg remains in the nest box for now.  A few lingering feathers can be seen, but given the number of feedings, the nest box remains fairly clean!  At 11:20 AM, the female can be seen calling and squawking for food.  Minutes later, the male provides and she enters into the nest box with pray in her bill, ready to feed to the hungry chicks

 

Literature cited:

Ratcliffe, D. 1993. The Peregrine Falcon. 2nd ed. Carlton, England: T. and A. D. Poyser.

The Canadian Peregrine Foundation, Peregrine Falcon Development – Age Guide; http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/info/ageguide.html

Lawrence Peregrines: Day 13!

May 26, 2018 in In the Nest Box, lawrence peregrines, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

The peregrines started off the morning under fair skies, winds from the SW at 5MPH and the temp at 68F.  The day ahead calls for a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.  Tonight, a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Patchy fog between 10pm and 2am.

2018.0526With the high heat, at least the chicks spend most of the day well protected from direct sun, until later in the afternoon.  Today, they are mostly snooze hounds, splayed out in the back left corner of the nest box, but, with the vigilant female always nearby. The male arrived to the nest box late morning .  He stayed for a short visit, as if looking for the female, and then left.

As they approach two weeks of age, the chicks are beginning to sit upright more often, but still lean on each other, or against the nest box much of the time.  The very beginnings of wing feather development are also seen around this time. In a further look at feeding behavior, the female mostly avoids giving bones, intestines, or too many large feathers to small young.  She will usually pick up any dropped fragments of flesh.  The arrival, or return, of an adult, with food, is the signal for hungry nestlings to crowd forward and attempt to steal any prey morsels possible!

Literature cited:

Ratcliffe, D. 1993. The Peregrine Falcon. 2nd ed. Carlton, England: T. and A. D. Poyser.

Lawrence Peregrines: Day 12!

May 25, 2018 in In the Nest Box, lawrence peregrines, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

For the peregrines, the morning started off under clear skies, winds from the south at 9MPH, and the temp at 57F.  The day ahead calls for sunny skies, with a high near 89. West wind 7 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.  Sunrise this morning was at 5:14 AM.

2018.0525.1-001This morning the chicks were first seen int he next box by themselves with the female nearby on the perch pole.  By 5:40 AM she was back in the nest box preening and scratching herself aside the chicks.  Just after that, she settled on the outer edge of the nest box looking out to the west, and the chicks remained in tight huddle formation with the the addled egg still close by.  Right about 7:30 AM, the female returned to the nest box with fresh prey and the chicks had a quick feast. Overall, The little ones are moving around more, wing stretching and being playful with each other.  They are literally a tight bunch at this age!

 

 

2018.0525.2-001As was mentioned in a prior post, the adults will shelter the nestlings from strong sunshine, and rain, as may be needed, when they are too large to brood but not yet protected by their own feathers.  The sheltering falcon half-spreads its wings, as seen in this photo.  As the overall weather warms up, and these chicks are subjected to hot, intense sunshine afternoons, this type of sheltering may be important and helpful.  The female was seen with her mouth wide open, and tongue hanging out, a clear sign of being somewhat overheated.

 

 

Literature cited:

Ratcliffe, D. 1993. The Peregrine Falcon. 2nd ed. Carlton, England: T. and A. D. Poyser.

Lawrence Peregrines: Day 11

May 24, 2018 in In the Nest Box, lawrence peregrines, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

2018.0524.1-001The peregrines started the day off under clear skies and bright sun, calm winds, and the temp at 53F.  The day ahead calls for mostly sunny skies, with a high near 69. Light north wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Just before 5:30 AM, the female was seen hovering near the chicks but not really brooding them.  The little ones continue to stay close ton one another in a constant huddle formation.  By 5:30, the female moved out to the perch pole, keeping an eye on her chicks but remaining very close.  Finally, around 6:30 AM, she returned to the nest box with prey in talons and feed the hungry little ones!

 

 

 

2018.0524.2-001By day 11, the beak is already beginning to acquire a slightly yellow tinge, as opposed to the pink color it has had to this point in the chick’s development.  In regard to feeding behavior, hungry chicks solicit even if the adult arrives without food, but when satiated they remain indifferent. R. W. Nelson observed that chicks tend to form a semi-circle in front of the parent or to one side and all received portions of the prey item. Another researcher found that each chick was fed in turn until satiated, when it dropped back and was replaced by the next in line. After 10-12 days, chicks which called most received the most food

 

Literature cited:

Ratcliffe, D. 1993. The Peregrine Falcon. 2nd ed. Carlton, England: T. and A. D. Poyser.

The Canadian Peregrine Foundation, Peregrine Falcon Development – Age Guide; http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/info/ageguide.html

Lawrence Peregrines: Day 10

May 23, 2018 in In the Nest Box, lawrence peregrines, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

The morning started off under mostly cloudy skies, winds from the SW at 6MPH and temp at 57F.  The day ahead calls for partly sunny skies, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 83. Southwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming northwest in the morning.  The sunshine will arrive later today and stay with us into the weekend.

2018.0523.2-001Just before 6 AM, the female was seen in the nest box preening, wind stretching, and watching over the little ones.  She departed and returned moments later, again with food in her talons. The hungry chicks were happy to receive a morning meal.  The egg has been moved back into the huddle!  After the feeding session, the female moved to the perch outside the box for a while, and then hopped back inside the nest box.  She settled back in for a bit, spent more time on perch and then returned to hover over her brood!

2018.0523.1-001By day 10, the chicks have already grown visibly, but remain covered in white down with pink patches of skin still showing through in some areas. Around this time, the young peregrines grow a second coat of down. From this age onwards, nestlings become more active and strong though the nature of their movements does not change markedly for another week or so. They are brooded less and less during the day and become more vigorous in their movements about the nest box, including backing up to squirt their feces outside the nest box. Vision develops strongly and the young, when hungry, scream and clamber towards an arrived parent. Most of the day is spent sleeping, up to about 16 days, but the comfort movements, become more developed, and include foot nibbling and hitching of the wings into adult position.

Literature cited:

Ratcliffe, D. 1993. The Peregrine Falcon. 2nd ed. Carlton, England: T. and A. D. Poyser.

The Canadian Peregrine Foundation, Peregrine Falcon Development – Age Guide; http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/info/ageguide.html

Lawrence Peregrines: Day 9

May 22, 2018 in In the Nest Box, lawrence peregrines, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

Fair skies, calm wind, 54F with sunrise time at 5:16 AM. The forecast for today calls for showers likely, mainly after 5pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 72. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

2018.0522.1The female started the day off hovering and brooding over the chicks, including the remaining addled egg.  Towards 7 AM, she walked over to the far edge of the nest box and spent time gazing out to the west.  She will begin to do this more and more, getting the chicks use to her taking breaks, and then later breaks away from the nest box, but always nearby.  In the early afternoon, had a nice look and noticed the addled egg has been moved a bit away from the huddled chicks.  It may remain there for now, and be pushed off a bit further in next few days.  The female resumed her position at the far edge of the nest box and spent time preening herself, before feeding the chicks.

 

 

2018.0522.2In the early days, brooding and feeding are by the female alone, but the male later takes a share, though a lesser one, in feeding. Both parents are inclined to encourage the chicks to eat more than they appear to want: at 8-9 days, repeated gaping disappears, for the nestling watches the feeding actions of its parent and reaches up to take the food as it is presented. Treble whining increases in volume and is uttered between mouthfuls, but ceases when satiation is reached.

 

 

Literature cited:

Ratcliffe, D. 1993. The Peregrine Falcon. 2nd ed. Carlton, England: T. and A. D. Poyser.

The Canadian Peregrine Foundation, Peregrine Falcon Development – Age Guide; http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/info/ageguide.html