Lawrence Peregrines: Day 38….ready for flight!
June 11, 2019 in Near the Clock Tower
The Peregrines started off the day under overcast skies with and fog, wind SE at 6MPH, and temp at 65F. The forecast calls for showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 11am, then a chance of showers between 11am and 2pm. Patchy fog between 10am and 11am. High near 76. Southeast wind 5 to 13 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Tonight, mostly clear, with a low around 51. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Just before 6AM, the three chicks were observed hanging on the outer ledge of the nest box, gazing westward. The preen a bit, jump around, bob and turn their heads, and continue with vigorous wing flapping. Fledging, or first flight is close at hand, and they seem to know they are ready to launch into flight. Overall, the female chicks develop more slowly than males, and retained their lingering down just a bit longer. Age at first flight varies from 5 to 6 weeks. One researcher found an average of 40 days, with males usually flying before females. The normal range runs about roughly 38 -46 days based on some observations, with many peregrines in Eastern Mass. making first flight, on average, around 40 days. Stay tuned!
Literature cited:
Ratcliffe, D. 1993. The Peregrine Falcon. 2nd ed. Carlton, England: T. and A. D. Poyser.