Three chicks have hatched in the Peregrine falcon nest high atop the Ayer Mill Clock Tower in downtown Lawrence; the fourth egg is not expected to hatch.  The three chicks had emerged by May 2; the parents will eventually roll the fourth egg out of the “scrape” area and off to the side of the nest box.

Viewers on the “New Balance Falconcam” now can see the adults brooding and feeding the nestlings, which need their parents to keep them warm for about 10 days until they can regulate their own body temperatures.  The yolk inside the egg, which nourished the embryos during incubation, was absorbed into the body cavity of the chicks immediately prior to hatching. Although the yolk keeps the chicks well-nourished for a few days, their begging instinct kicks in right away. The adults feed the chicks bits of food by tearing off small chunks of meat and delicately placing them in the chicks’ beaks.  Access to the falcon cam from the home page of the Lawrence Peregrines blog!