In the Nest Box | Lawrence Peregrines

Lawrence Peregrines: Three eggs!!

April 10, 2018 in In the Nest Box, lawrence peregrines, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

Up early just before 6AM, for a look at the possible third egg and the answer is YES! This morning the female is waking up to overcast skies, wind from the NE at 5MPH, and temp about 34F.

The forecast for today: Scattered showers, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

The female was moving around quite a bit late yesterday afternoon, and spent time standing over the two eggs. It looked like she was ready to drop the third egg, but the timing was not yet right. Looks like the third egg was laid after dark. The time interval between egg #2 and egg #3 looks to be in the range of 56 -64 hours, or just a bit more than 2 days apart……well within normal range!

Around 6:25AM the female departed for another break, and then returned and perched on the outer pole for a while, before returning to the inside of the box…

Once again, she hovers over the eggs, and then nestles in back in incubation mode to keep the eggs warm. The male has not yet engaged in incubation duties, but will do so shortly!

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Lawrence Peregrines: waiting for next egg…

April 9, 2018 in In the Nest Box, lawrence peregrines, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

Today may be the day that the female lays her third egg! The second egg was laid Saturday in the middle of the day, and typically the female will lay eggs about 48 hours apart. Today the female woke up to clear skies, and winds from the west at 10MPH, and temperature around 30F. The wind chill was around 21F and with the wind blowing from the west, she felt the chill and spent lots of time incubating the eggs and protecting them from the cold. She did spend time perched at edge of nest box and on the outer perch pole.

Late in the morning, the male arrived in the nest box with prey and it was a joy to watch them engage in pair bonding as a new pair, and watch them in a classic food exchange. The photo shows the males with back to camera and the female facing the camera. By this time the temps had moved up a bit, but the wind chill at 27F, made the air still feel quite cold.

By late in the afternoon, the temps had warmed up to mid-forties, with wind chill just above 40F. The wind remained fairly steady and continued from the west at 10MPH. The female spent time hovering over the eggs, rather than squatting low in incubation posture. It seemed like she might be ready to lay another, but turns out, not just yet!

Lawrence Peregrines: a rest day between eggs!

April 8, 2018 in In the Nest Box

Just after 6AM, had a nice look on the nest box, under fair skies, light winds from the north at 6MPH, and temps just below freezing, and a wind chill around 25F. The female departed the nest box for a while, as is normal firth thing in the morning. As the eggs are being laid, it is normal for the female to spend time warming the eggs, and time outside the nest box, but near by. Whne she is up and out, it provides a nice look at the reddish brown eggs.

In the middle of the day, she is seen incubating the eggs, with her tail pressed down firm behind her, and her wing tips a bit up in the air, all to help her keep the warm air in! The winds remained light and temps warmed up to just over 40F.

At the end of the day, another chance to view the eggs while the female is out on another well deserved break. The winds had picked up quite a bit from the NW at 16MPH, and gusts up almost 25MPH.

Lawrence Peregrines: Two eggs!

April 7, 2018 in In the Nest Box, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

The weather improved from earlier this morning with rising temps and clearing skies. By the middle of the day the sun came out full force, big winds from the west at 17MPH, gusts up over 25MPH, and temps in the mid-forties. Made a look a bit after 2pm and what a nice surprise to find the second egg. The last look was around 10:30 AM….so this second egg was laid middle of the day. In the past number of years, at this nest location, the first three eggs have usually been laid overnight and about 48 hours apart. This egg was laid at a bit of a longer interval, at about 56 hours apart. If this year is somewhat like years past, we are likely to see the next egg on Monday morning, or a bit later in the day…..stay tuned!

Here, the female had departed the nest for a short break, returned to the nest box, and perched for a moment on the outer edge looking in!

Tags: lawrence peregrines, Peregrine falcon, peregrine falcon eggs, peregrine falcon massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons, Peregrine Falcons Essex County, Peregrine Falcons Lawrence, peregrine falcons nestbox
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Lawrence Peregrines: waiting for second egg!

April 7, 2018 in In the Nest Box, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

Had some time to get up and watch from just after 6AM, with the female in and out of the nest box. At 7AM, it was snowing lightly with winds from SW at 6MPH, and temp around 37F. The female was seen perched just outside the nest box. After initial egg is laid, the female will hover over and/or incubate the egg, particularly if the temperature is at or near freezing. At this point in the egg laying process, active incubation has yet to begin. Thought we might see the second egg, but it may be just a bit delayed and coming later today!

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Lawrence Peregrines: watching over first egg!

April 6, 2018 in In the Nest Box, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

The female has spent most of today watching over her first egg! She has dug for tight incubation, she has been out of the nest box, and she has been just getting used to having an egg, and knowing more eggs are likely to follow soon. Sometimes she completely covers the egg and other times, like this, she hovers over, but does not fully cover the egg.

In this next photo, she shows herself hunkered down, much more on top of the egg, with her tail down low and wings slightly elevated

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Lawrence Peregrines: first egg late in day

April 5, 2018 in In the Nest Box, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

It is always a joy-filled day when the first egg is laid, and the new breeding season is underway. It has been a dramatic week with “Crash” getting caught in a major altercation, and having the nest taken over by another peregrine falcon, and then his death. The first egg has been laid just under 6 days after the big fight. The female is right on schedule despite this major, unexpected change. She laid her first egg almost to the day a year ago, and then laid 3 more eggs in the following days. Once you see the first egg, you can’t help but look in again, and again! Great news!

Lawrence Peregrines: First egg!!

April 5, 2018 in In the Nest Box, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

Here we are at minutes before 6AM, with sunrise at about 6:16AM, and looking in on the female. It sure looks like she is hunkered down tight on her fist egg. But, not yet able to confirm until she lifts up, and provides a look! She is seen here in typical incubation posture, providing every indication that the first egg has been laid.

A few minutes before 8AM, the male returns to the nest box with prey in bill and offers it to the female who has maintained her incubation posture. As she receives th eprey, she does little to help confirm that the first egg has been laid!

Finally after waiting and waiting, the female laid her first egg early this morning well before sunrise. Her behavior was very consistent with the general lethargy that a female falcon typically experiences in the few days prior to laying the first egg. In many cases this lethargy may last a week or longer. She lazes around and spends lots of time in the nest box, nest scraping, and other courtship related activities.

Incubation usually will not begin until the second to last egg has been laid. In this colder weather, the female will spend time incubating the egg, but it may not be a non-stop effort!

Literature cited:

Nelson, R.W. 1971. Captive breeding of peregrines: suggestions from their behavior in the wild. Raptor Research News 5(2):54-82.

Lawrence Peregrines: food exchange

April 1, 2018 in In the Nest Box, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

Happy Easter! The peregrine falcons were seen on Easter morning while engaged in a classic food exchange, under cloudy skies, winds from the SW at 15MPH, and gusts up to 23MPH, and temps in mid-fifties. For many this morning was filled with hopes of a first egg, but not quite yet! Here’s a bit of background on food exchanges among large falcons:

Food-Transfer Display: A common courtship display involves the transfer of food from one mate to the other, usually male to female. Either sex may initiate a transfer.The female uses a wail vocalization or rarely a whine, combined with a vertical head-low posture to solicit transfers when the male does not have food. If the male has food, the wail and Ee-chip vocalizations are used about equally by the female, often accompanied by the vertical Head-Low BowDisplay.

Male solicitation which elicits the female’s approach always occurs when he has food, either spontaneously or initiated by female intention movements to engage in transfer.This solicitation by the male is characterized by a very sharp and clear Eechip vocalization. The male alternates between a relaxed posture, with the head up, and a posture with his head down while he manipulates or contacts the prey item. This posture,with the head low, does not appear to be the nonaggressive Head-Low BowDisplay. Transfer from the female to the male is not obviously solicited.

Prior to actual transfer, the male picks the prey item up in his beak and stands vertically, head up. The female maintains head-low postures, often horizontal, and both sexes give complete Eechip vocalizations.

Literature Cited:

Cade, T. J., J. H. Enderson and J. Linthicum. 1996a. Guide to Management of Peregrine Falcons at the eyrie. Boise, ID: The Peregrine Fund, Inc. (Excerpt: Linthicum, Janet. Observing Breeding Behavior)

Wrege, P. H. and T. J. Cade. 1977. Courtship behavior of large falcons in captivity. Raptor Res. no. 11:1-46.

Tags: lawrence peregrines, Peregrine falcon, peregrine falcon food exchange, peregrine falcon massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons, Peregrine Falcons Essex County, Peregrine Falcons Lawrence
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Lawrence Peregrines: more scraping!

March 31, 2018 in In the Nest Box, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

A late afternoon view of the female peregrine in the nest box alone. She appears to continue the process of scraping the gravel in the nest box in continued preparation for egg laying. Also the female has been seen picking at pieces of gravel, as if doing a bit of house cleaning.

Tags: lawrence peregrines, Peregrine falcon, peregrine falcon massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons, Peregrine Falcons Essex County, Peregrine Falcons Lawrence
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