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!

Over 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.

Just 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