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.

The 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.

In 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