Day 36: more wing flapping!

June 18, 2018 in In the Nest Box, lawrence peregrines, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

Sunrise this morning was at 5:06AM. The peregrines started of this morning under fair skies, winds from the south at 7MPH, and temp at 70F.  The forecast for the day ahead calls for a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Increasing clouds and hot, with a high near 98!! Heat index values as high as 101. Southwest wind 6 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

2018.0618-001And then there were two?  After the first watch this morning, it looked like only two chicks in the nest box!! The third one was hiding underneath the web cam. Looking back, at 28 days, or 4 weeks old, the young falcons really began to show their juvenile plumage, and became much more active around the nest box. They started much more active wing flapping, which helps to shed the down.  At 35 days, or 5 weeks, they became well feathered and most of the down has been lost, though some adheres patchily to the young birds. The quill feathers are quite strongly developed, though the wings and tail are still short and rounded.

At day 36, the chicks look almost like full-fledged juveniles.  They are spending much of their day flapping their wings, which both strengthens their flight muscles and shakes loose some of the few remaining down feathers.  In the midst of wing flapping frenzy, those remaining bits of down go airborne!

 

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 35: wing muscles stronger!

June 17, 2018 in In the Nest Box, lawrence peregrines, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

Happy Father’s Day!  The peregrines started the day with clear skies, bright sun, calm wind conditions, and temp at 67F. Sunrise at 5:06 AM.  Day ahead calls for sunny skies, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon.

2018.0617.2-001The chicks are ramping up the wing flapping big time.  At this point in the cycle, they are very active in movements around the nest box, and the biggest priority is working the wing muscles.  While watching them, you are able to get a sense of anticipation, as they ready for first flight.  They were working themselves into a frenzy just before 9AM.  The action was so intense, they whipped bits of down and feather debris into the air around them inside the nest box, as seen in photo on left.

 

2018.0617.1-001On rare occasions male peregrines may take flight as young as 35 days, which is possible, as they are fully developed at this age.  Usually they wait a few more days though, until their wing muscles are stronger through exercise in the nest area, and generally by the time they do take flight they have lost the last tufts of down.  The female continues to provide regular feedings, and you can sense their readiness for the next feeding when then stand and call for 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

Peregrine female guards the nest box!

May 29, 2014 in In the Nest Box

The chicks remain under the watchful guard of mother bear who is usually now out of the nest box but always close by keeping her chicks under observation!  Chicks continue to move around the inside of nest box.