Lawrence Peregrines: female balancing outside nestbox!
August 31, 2016 in In the Nest Box
Made a short visit mid-afternoon to find the unbanded female in the midst of a balancing act on the perch pole outside of the nest box!
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Lawrence Peregrine: adult female cacking away!
August 23, 2016 in In the Nest Box
Had beautiful looks at the adult female peregrine falcon early this evening under clear skies, low humidity, SW winds at 13 MPH, and temp around 77 degrees. It was about an hour before sunset under stunning light conditions! The adult female was perched at the rim of the nestbox and then moved out onto the wooden perch. The adult male was making aerial loops way overhead and that prompted a series of cacking replies from the female!
Lawrence Peregrines: 3 amigos waiting to fledge!
June 7, 2016 in In the Nest Box
And then there were three! The remaining peregrine falcons remain in the nest box and will likely fledge over next few days!
Lawrence Peregrines: flapping away!
June 6, 2016 in In the Nest Box
As the peregrine chicks prepare to fledge, they spend much of their day flapping their wings, which both strengthens their flight muscles and shakes loose some of the few remaining down feathers. It’s time for the first one to launch! Perhaps early this evening!!
Lawrence Peregrines: so ready!
June 6, 2016 in In the Nest Box
What a sight seeing these young 2016 peregrines lining up to take flight out in the world! This may well be the last group photo for this year’s graduating class!
Lawrence Peregrines: 4 chicks ready to fledge!
June 5, 2016 in In the Nest Box
The 4 Lawrence Peregrine chicks are so ready to fledge! At close to 40 days old, aside from perhaps a tuft of down feathers remaining on the crown, these 4 peregrine chicks are fully developed and ready to take flight. Their next major change in appearance will be around one year of age, when they begin to molt and acquire their adult plumage as their feathers are replaced. Stay tuned!!
Lawrence Peregrines: approaching 5 weeks!
June 2, 2016 in In the Nest Box
The Lawrence Peregrines look to be approaching 5 weeks of age and are now within a few days of being able to take flight for the first time! The remaining down feathers are now only seen on lower back, lower legs, and on the crown. The three amigos are basking in the late afternoon sun with winds from the east around 9 MPH and temps in low 60’s…..very nice!
Lawrence Peregrines: White Pantaloons!
June 1, 2016 in In the Nest Box
The Lawrence Peregrines look to be a few days away from fledging, or making first flight. The age of the white pantaloons! This may happen a day or two earlier or later, but most chicks do go through this phase around Day 33 where they have large fluffs of down conspicuously surrounding their legs, much more prominently than anywhere else on their bodies. This photo shows three of the four chicks!
Lawrence Peregrines: female with 3 chicks!
May 31, 2016 in In the Nest Box
The Lawrence Peregrine Falcon chicks continue to grow and get bigger. The patches of remaining down feathers are becoming restricted to the base of the legs, parts of the wings, and perhaps parts of the back, as well as the crown. They are also becoming increasingly vocal and active around the nest area, to the extent that the adults rarely visit except to drop off food for them, or stand guard for a short visit.
Lawrence Peregines: feeding time at nestbox!
May 23, 2016 in In the Nest Box
The Lawrence Peregrine fledglings continue to grow and get bigger. The female in this photos is tearing apart prey and feeding it to the chicks. The nestbox is getting crowded and the meals are more frequent. The chicks are spending more time near the front of the nestbox! The are now using their legs fully and no longer sitting on tarsi. Banding time is very close at hand.
