This was a fascinating moment to watch.  The parents were exchanging food with one another and then with the chicks.  The chicks continue to huddle with each other.  they have been doing so close to the unhatched eggs but with less regularity.  The nest box is starting to get a bit messier.

The two chicks continue to be actively fed by both the female and the male.  The checiks have regular feeding sessions with the feeding parent tearing apart food and presenting to both chicks.  The two unhatched eggs continue in the nest but receive lass and less attention.  The chicks are getting bigger each day!  In this image, the parent is cleaning up the nest box and discarding accumulated debris.

The Peregrines have now had two eggs hatch and two eggs remaining to hatch.  The male and female have been very busy feeding the chicks.  The chicks have been eager to receive all food that has been offered.  The male and female have been brooding both the chicks and the eggs nonstop over the last week.  It is exceptional to watch the care for the chicks and the feeding process!

The Peregrines are truly sharing the duties of incubating the 4 eggs.  Over the past week they have both been close by the nest much of the time even as the other is in the nest box and on the eggs.  Stopped by Wednesday morning and observed the male preening on the west wing rooftop of the New Balance building.  It is fascinating to watch the care and precision as they are preening each feather from base to tip. 

In the afternoon, stopped by and noticed the female on the perch stick that protrused from the nest box.  She went through a ritual of bowing and shrugging while lookingin at the male.  It seemed like she was saying, your time is up and the switch over time is now.  She seemed to take extra time to coax the male of the eggs.  He finally exits the nest box.  It was natural to expect the female to then enter the nest box.  Not so!  At least not right away. 

To date, the change over during incubation has usually called for one of them to enter the nest box while the other (still incubating) prepares to depart.  This time, the female turns around and does a big aerial loop around the west wing of the New Balance building and then loops back in under three minutes.  She then re-enters the nest box.  Had a chance to view the nest box cam on my phone at the same time to observe the switch over.  Talk ablout the joy of our modern electronic devices, never mind the totally excellent New Balance falcon cam!!

Photo highlights of change over sequence posted online.  Link to photos:  http://www.pbase.com/birdshots/image/142642170

Enjoy!!

While away on family vacation last week, received a wonderful email update from Lorraine Kaplan about the Peregrines.  Lorraine observed on the New Balance Falcon Cam that not only had 2 eggs already been laid, but a third one had just been laid late Thursday morning, March 22nd. morning!   According to Tom French at MassWildlife, the fourth egg should be laid on Saturday, March 24th.  Read the rest of this entry →