This morning starts off with fair skies, calm wind conditions, and the temp already at 73F.  The forecast calls for a chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83. Light and variable wind becoming north 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Around 5:45 AM, the female checked into the nest box, walked around a bit, and the chicks thought food might be part of her visit.  After a few moments, the female departed and the chicks went back into loafing mode.  The nest box is littered with more feather debris than before, while the unhatched egg survives through all of the activity! At 6:08 AM, the female returns to the nest box with prey in her talons.

They prey has been prepared outside the box and another feeding session is at hand.  At first, only the chick in the lower left hand corner engages in feeding while the other two watch from the upper left corner.  Then the second chick joins in and both are fed, and finally the third chick joins in too!  At 6:19 AM, the female grabs the remaining uneaten prey and departs.

Around day 20, some yellow/beige becomes visible in the patch behind the eye, and a distinct dark edge to the wings becomes visible as the flight feathers continue to grow in length beneath the layer of down.  The dark eye patch is becoming larger.

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

The peregrines started off the morning under fair skies, winds from the SW at 5MPH and the temp at 68F.  The day ahead calls for a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.  Tonight, a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Patchy fog between 10pm and 2am.

With the high heat, at least the chicks spend most of the day well protected from direct sun, until later in the afternoon.  Today, they are mostly snooze hounds, splayed out in the back left corner of the nest box, but, with the vigilant female always nearby. The male arrived to the nest box late morning .  He stayed for a short visit, as if looking for the female, and then left.

As they approach two weeks of age, the chicks are beginning to sit upright more often, but still lean on each other, or against the nest box much of the time.  The very beginnings of wing feather development are also seen around this time. In a further look at feeding behavior, the female mostly avoids giving bones, intestines, or too many large feathers to small young.  She will usually pick up any dropped fragments of flesh.  The arrival, or return, of an adult, with food, is the signal for hungry nestlings to crowd forward and attempt to steal any prey morsels possible!

Literature cited:

Ratcliffe, D. 1993. The Peregrine Falcon. 2nd ed. Carlton, England: T. and A. D. Poyser.