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.

This 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!

As 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.