Richmond Falcon Cam

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:56:00 +0000

On Feb 2, DGIF biologists accessed the 17th floor balcony of the BB&T building in order to once more modify the site so as to make it unsuitable for nesting. The falcon pair had nested there from 2003 to 2005 before moving to the Riverfront Plaza nest site in 2006. Following the move, we covered the nest box on the BB&T building in order to discourage the birds from nesting at what we consider to be an unsafe site. However, in May of 2009, we removed the cover from the nest box when it looked like the pair was focused on the site and might not otherwise nest elsewhere (see May 22, 2009 post). Because the falcons went on to nest successfully at the Riverfront Plaza, we have once again outfitted the BB&T nest box with a cover and placed blocks of wood on the remaining surface areas of the balcony to preclude nesting at that site. While we were working, we were paid two separate visits by a falcon, which swooped by the balcony window a few times before perching on another building. This is not unexpected, as the BB&T building site remains part of the broader territory defended by the falcons. Following the work, we confirmed the presence of both falcons in the downtown area.

Brrr!

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:18:00 +0000

Its a good thing peregrine falcons aren't breeding yet. The snowstorm that's impacting the mid-Atlantic region has filled the falcon box in Richmond! Plenty of time for this melt away and make room for falcon eggs.

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:11:00 +0000

The falcon spending time on the roof of the nest box finally raised a leg - showing off its aluminium USGS band. This identifies it as the male of the pair.

Comparing the size of this bird to that of the previous video and photos indicated that the visits over the past few days have all been the male. This most recent video capture shows the male calling repeatedly - perhaps communicating with female nearby(see video below). The breeding season is still a month or more away - but the male spending time at this site is a positive sign.

Peregrine falcon nests are simple affairs. The birds will simply scrape out a shallow bowl in the dirt or gravel of a nesting ledge (or nest box). The male selects potential nest sites and will generally initiate a scrape. The female will ultimately decide which site the pair use.

Falcon Sightings

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:10:00 +0000

For the past three days (Jan 26, 27 and 28) a peregrine falcon has visited the nest box in Richmond. We have had sporadic sightings of falcons in the area and as far as we know our nesting pair remains in the Richmond region throughout the year.

Given the angle of the camera we have been unable to get a good look at the bird's legs which would let us determine if this was our male (banded) or female (unbanded). A brief glimpse seemed to hint at a band.

The video clip clip below shows the falcon quite alert and with an extremely full crop - indicating a recent meal. A bird's crop is a muscular, expandable pouch that allows them to rapidly consume food and move somewhere secure to continue to process and digest.

Final Test Results

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:43:00 +0000

In 2009 we reported the results of heavy metal contaminant testing on an intact egg and remnant eggshell fragments recovered from the Richmond pair’s two initial failed nesting attempts (see July 16th post). The results documented high concentrations of lead, which prompted the collection of blood samples from the three chicks when they were banded on July 27th. The remains of the 4th unhatched egg of this year’s successful clutch were recovered on August 1st and also sent for testing.

Test results have been reported back to us. In contrast to the eggs from the first two clutches, no lead (or pesticides) was detected in the egg remains from the last clutch. Because the pathway for lead deposition into eggs is through the female parent, this strongly suggests that the female of the pair is not suffering from chronic lead exposure. The bird likely had limited exposure to a lead source and was able to pass the contaminant out of its body by depositing it into the eggs from the first two clutches.

Lead was detected in the blood of both female chicks, but was not detected in the blood of the male chick. Lead concentration in the females was consistent with exposure to a lead source, but was not high enough to produce clinical illness. Generally, lead in the bloodstream is the result of recent exposure, which usually happens through ingestion of contaminated prey. It is likely that both female chicks were fed one or more contaminated birds, whereas the male chick was not. Prior to being penned, the male spent much time away from the nest box area where the females were normally found. In addition, the male was smaller than the two females, and probably less able to compete with them for food items being brought to them by the parents. We can speculate that these characteristics may have prevented his exposure to the contaminated prey item(s).

There are a number of sources that can contribute to lead contamination of falcon prey. Lead can be ingested by potential prey such as pigeons through exposure to contaminated dust while foraging. Contamination of soil and dust dates back to the days of leaded gasoline, and contaminated soil can be exposed through disturbance or construction events. There are also a few local ongoing, small-scale lead release sources in the greater Richmond area as well as an old lead smelter (operated until the 1980's) about 2.5 miles away from the nest site. In addition, lead contamination of falcon prey can occur through ingestion of particulate lead in the form of shotgun pellets or fishing weights, or through wounding by a lead pellet (ex. a dove). The overall test results are consistent with the presence of lead sources within the environment used by the falcons.

Although the falcons are periodically exposed to lead through contaminated prey, at present such exposure does not appear to be frequent enough to result in high cumulative levels of lead that can impact their survivorship. However, high concentrations of lead passed on to eggs can result in failed clutches and ultimately impact the reproductive success of the falcons.

These circumstances highlight the challenges in successfully managing the recovery of this species. We will continue to monitor lead exposure of the pair by testing any future addled eggs that we are able to recover.

Pen Removed

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:38:00 +0000

DGIF biologists accessed the ledge yesterday to remove the pen. The pen was initially installed to keep the young birds from leaving the ledge before capable of flight. Following the successful fledging of the falcons - it was decided to leave the pen in place to allow the adults to become acclimated to it during the post-fledging period. Our hope is that allowing the adult falcons as much time as possible to become accustomed to the pen will reduce any stress that it's installation during the breeding season might cause.

Given the history of early fledging attempts with this pair, and the young male chick's fall from the ledge this summer - it is likely that we will continue to employ the pen to ensure the safety of the chicks.

The adult falcons are not being seen as regularly in the downtown Richmond area over the last several weeks. This is not unusual for this pair, which although non-migratory does seem to expand their area of operation during the non-breeding season.

Sept 1st Update

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:40:00 +0000

Many thanks to the local observers who have provided us with updates as to the activities and whereabouts of our three falcon fledglings. All three of the fledglings were reported in the vicinity of the nest area as recently as Saturday August 29th. Observers report that all three of the birds are flying well and perching on various buildings in the downtown area. Both adults remain in the area as well - and are sometimes seen hunting at a well known Purple Martin migratory roost in the Shockoe Bottom area of Richmond. At the time of this post, we can see two falcons with the falcon cam - although we are not able to focus closely enough to determine if they are adults or juveniles. It should be noted that many of the birds' favored perches are not within the camera's field of view.

Young falcons may remain close to their nest area for 5-10 weeks following their fledging. During this period of time they will continue to follow the parents in flight and beg for food - calling loudly (they can be heard clearly from the ground - even over the traffic noise of downtown Richmond). The young will continue to perfect both their flying and hunting skills until they become self-sufficient and eventually disperse away from the nest area.

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:42:00 +0000

After a morning in which it appeared that all three chicks were beginning to master basic flight skills, Female AD/03 continued to have some challenges yesterday. She again made multiple attempts to alight on banks of glass windows on the building surrounding the nesting area. Predictably, she was unable to find purchase and would lose altitude - eventually finding a perch within about 4 stories of the ground. This process was repeated twice during the course of the afternoon. In each case DGIF staff and volunteers were able to locate and monitor the female until she flew off to a higher perch. The fact that she was able to recover in each case and eventually regain altitude gave us increased confidence in her abilities.

We were able to observe the adults utilizing food to help teach their young birds. The female adult would use a food tidbit to tease the young into the air - where she would lead them on an extensive flying lesson before dropping the food on a ledge. As we closed the day yesterday evening all five of the falcons were accounted for. This marks the end of our official "Falcon Fledge Watch". DGIF staff will continue to periodically check on the area and we continue to receive reports from observers with "high-rise" vantage points in the area. In fact an observer reported that as of 8:30am this morning all five falcons were in view.

Our thanks to the many building managers for allowing us access and of course to our volunteers for dedicating many hours in the Richmond heat.

Updates will be posted to the blog as we receive any reports of significant events.

Grounded Female Up and Flying

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:44:00 +0000

One of the juvenile females spent the evening perched on a lamppost on the Federal Reserve property after attempting (and failing) to perch on windows at the reserve. She was uninjured and in a secure location. This morning, shortly before sunrise, this female finally took flight. She looked good and was able to gain altitude, perching on a 10 story building adjacent to the Reserve. From there she continued flying and gaining altitude, eventually joining her siblings and parents atop the Riverfront Plaza where they shared in a morning meal.

All three of the chicks continue to fly well and are being attended to by the parents.

All three have flown

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:54:00 +0000

Following the first successful flight of the young male, the two juvenile females were somewhat more cautious. One of the females slowly scaled the roof line using a strand of holiday lights (the lights are unplugged) and finally reached the apex of the roof. The other perched on the box that houses the camera equipment. Both females practiced getting the wind under their wings for some time before finally taking flight. Both of the two females flew strongly and were able to gain altitude.

One of the females did quite a bit of flying - eventually attempting to "land" on a window at the Federal Reserve building. She was unable to gain any purchase and was able to fly back to the Riverfront Plaza West Tower. A short time later she attempted the same maneuver again. This time she was unable to regain lift and fluttered to the ground. DGIF personnel were able to enter the Federal Reserve property with an escort from Federal Reserve Police. The female was located - unhurt- perched on a small single story structure on the grounds. Although she was able to move to a slightly higher perch she made no concerted effort to regain the air. She was monitored at this location for some hours. As the site is extremely secure it was determined that the best course of action was to let her rest and try again tomorrow. Our past experience has shown that birds which have similar experiences often do well after an evening of rest. We will closely monitor the bird on Wednesday.

The other two fledglings were not seen for some time during the afternoon - although the adults made regular flights to favorite perches. Not until late in the afternoon was the juvenile male seen again - chasing the adult male and begging loudly. The adult male soon flew off to hunt. During his absence the second juvenile female was resighted and she joined her brother atop the Federal Reserve.

When the adult male returned the mother and juvenile male met him in the air - where he dropped his prey to them. It was caught (we're unsure by who) and the three flew to the roof of the Riverfront Plaza West Tower (nest building). They were joined by the juvenile female who had been on top of the Federal Reserve. In all, the day was largely successful. The difficulty encountered by the juvenile female demonstrates the potential hazards encountered by these birds fledging in highly urbanized areas. We are hopeful that she will be able to take flight on her own tomorrow morning. Should intervention be warranted DGIF staff will be on hand.

Fledged!

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:51:00 +0000

The male has fledged! He took strong flight gaining altitude before landing atop the Riverfront Plaza west tower to rest and enjoy a new perspective. Both of the females have left the pen. 02/AD is perched on the ledge and 03/AD is perched atop the camera housing. We will post more updates later today.

Fledging

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:11:00 +0000

Our three young falcons have grown quickly. Only a few scattered tufts of down remain and their juvenile plumage is almost fully grown in. Peregrine falcons typically fledge between 40-45 days after hatching.

The door-opener apparatus will be installed on the pen door on Tuesday morning, August 18th. This will mark 47 to 48 days since hatching for these falcons. The extra time ensures full feather development, and allows these birds to strengthen their flight muscles before attempting their first flights.

The “apparatus” is comprised of a weight, bungee cords, and a plastic bottle of ice attached to the pen door. As the ice melts it releases the weight and the door is slowly pulled open by the bungee cords. Depending on the temperature on the release date, the door should open about 2-4 hours after the trigger is attached. We have used this method successfully for three years. Though the adults become aggressive when we attach the device, they quickly calm down after we leave. Past releases have gone very smoothly, with the chicks typically walking from the pen or flying to the ledge, surveying their surroundings for a few minutes or hours, and then taking successful first flights.

DGIF personnel and skilled volunteers will be stationed in the area surrounding the nest building. This will allow us to track the young birds’ first efforts and ensure that they are capable of sustained, controlled flight. This monitoring effort will continue until we are confident in the flight abilities of the fledglings. Should one of the fledglings encounter difficulty and end up on the ground, DGIF staff will recover the fledgling and either return it to the ledge or ensure prompt treatment and transportation to a licensed rehabilitation facility if necessary.

4th egg was Found

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:27:00 +0000

When DGIF biologists were on the ledge installing the pen for the falcon chicks, they discovered the remains of the fourth egg from this clutch wedged under the ramp. The eggshell was cracked and its contents dried out. The remnants of this egg were sent for toxicology testing along with the blood samples from the chicks collected during the banding.

Camera Positions

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:14:00 +0000

With the installation of the pen camera operators have a bit of a quandary. It is not possible to simultaneously provide a view of both the nest box where the chicks spend much of their time or the feeding area where the adults bring food and pass it through to the chicks. Providing a good view of one area means a poor (or non-existent) view of the other.

Unfortunately camera operators are simply not able to monitor the cam continually (as much as we like watching falcons). In an attempt to provide the best possible coverage of activity at the nest we are utilizing some of the camera's built-in features. The camera had been programmed so that when motion in detected in a section of the camera view ("a trigger" area) the camera can be instructed to move to a preset position. As these cameras were not designed with the flapping of wings in mind - calibrating the detection can be somewhat tricky. A number of things (including rapidly changing light levels) can "fool" the camera temporarily. There are a limited number of triggers and positions that can be programmed. We have selected those that provide the best overall chance of seeing what's happening. When a camera operator is logged in the view can be set manually.

While this solution does not work perfectly, it does allow for our viewers to see more of the action at the nest then otherwise possible.

A Close Call

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:23:00 +0000

On the afternoon of Fri, July 31st, a DGIF biologist responded to a call of a grounded osprey chick in downtown Richmond. The caller reported having shooed the bird from the Manchester Bridge, where cars were swerving to avoid hitting it, onto the adjacent grassy lawn of the Federal Reserve Building. The Manchester Bridge sits between the Riverfront Plaza, where Richmond's peregrine falcon pair have nested this year, and the Federal Reserve Building. Upon arrival at the scene, the biologist was surprised to see that the ‘osprey’ chick was none other than the banded male peregrine falcon chick. This chick was known to have been spending time on the parapet of the ledge of the Riverfront Plaza and had evidently fallen or been swept off the ledge by a gust of wind. Luckily, the bird was unharmed and was returned to the Riverfront Plaza ledge shortly thereafter.

Although DGIF biologists had decided to leave these three falcons to fledge naturally this year – the recent mishap has caused us to reevaluate our approach. In the past we have utilized a pen to prevent premature fledging. Young falcons leaving the nest before they are fully ready to fly is a serious hazard – one that was experienced before by this pair (see http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/falconcam2008/2007-archive.asp). To ensure that these three chicks are well developed and capable of full flight when they fledge, we have decided to use the pen.

On the morning of August 1st, two DGIF biologists accessed the ledge and found the male chick again perched on the parapet. All three chicks were removed from the ledge while the pen was installed; the chicks were then placed in the pen under the watchful eyes of the adults. The entire process took less than two hours.

The pen allows ample room for the young to exercise their wings (indeed the pen is larger then many peregrine falcon scrapes). The adults are able to feed the young through the pen wires. At this stage the chicks do not need brooding, and are able to feed themselves from prey brought by the adults. A sunshade has been added to the roof of the pen to provide shelter from the sun. When the chicks have fully developed and are capable of flight, a remote door-opening mechanism will be installed on the pen. The door will then slowly open, allowing the chicks to fledge without human intrusion.

Male Chick Located

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:32:00 +0000

A local falcon watcher with a vantage point from a nearby office building has made a positive sighting of our wandering chick. The young male was seen perched atop the parapet (raised edge of the ledge) at the farthest point possible from the nest box.

This relatively precarious position underscores our decision not to access the ledge in search of the "missing" chick. Any disturbance might have startled the young bird into jumping, resulting in an unfortunate conclusion. It is somewhat surprising to find the young male up on the edge at this age but there are some structures present (lights, fixtures etc.) that might have given him a leg up, so to speak.

As we suspected the young bird has simply taken advantage of the spacious ledge to explore its surroundings. The observer noted at least one of the parents attending to the young male. Given the fact that his sisters are so much larger then he - remaining on his own might offer some relief in competing for food. Should he choose to, he'll be able to make his way back to the nest box.

Walkabout?

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:27:00 +0000

Some have expressed concern that the male chick (Band 19/AB) has not been seen on the camera since late Monday. As the chicks have become more mobile the full ledge has become available to them. The picture below should give an idea as to what we can and can't see on the camera.

Only about 30 feet of the ledge are visible on the Falcon Cam. The remaining ledge comprises approximately 110 feet and is fully accessible to the chicks. The adults are also able to access the full ledge and will feed the chicks regardless of where they are.

Spiders are Back

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:55:00 +0000

Although the camera dome was thoroughly cleaned during yesterday's work on the ledge, we can already see new webs spun across the dome. This area provides excellent habitat for the spiders and apparently the camera dome is an especially attractive place to spin a web.

The camera setting have been changed to to prevent the autofocus from focusing on the webs - but unfortunately the webs will still cause problems with viewing, especially in the morning hours when sunlight glares through them. We will not likely have an opportunity to clean the dome again this season - as there are no plans to access the ledge.

Banding

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:05:00 +0000

The banding of the peregrine chicks and installation of safety lines at Riverfront Plaza were completed today. The new fall protection system will ensure that we can access the ledge as needed in the future. Contractors performing the work on the ledge were accompanied at all times by biologists to ensure the safety of both the workers and the birds. Both falcon parents were defensive of the ledge although they often took breaks, perching and keeping a close eye on all personnel involved.

All three chicks appeared well-fed and generally healthy. No external parasites were noted. The chicks were weighed and measured. The measurements revealed that we have two females and a male this year. The male's feather development indicates that he is the eldest of the three.

The chicks were banded with both a US Fish & Wildlife Service anodized green aluminum band and green and black bands with larger characters that can be more easily read in the field. A small blood sample was also taken from each chick in order to test for lead content. This testing is being prompted by the high levels of lead detected in egg materials collected from failed nesting attempts earlier this year.

Vital Statistics
Male USFWS Band #1126-11828 - Aux. Band 19/AB - Weight:627 grams
Female USFWS Band #1807-65007 - Aux. Band 02/AD - Weight: 848 grams
Female USFWS Band #1807-65008 - Aux. Band 03/AD - Weight: 883grams

Update

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:05:00 +0000

The necessary equipment for installation of the safety system on the nesting ledge will not be in place in time for tomorrow's scheduled work.

The safety system is now scheduled to be installed on Monday morning - after which the banding will take place as planned.

Banding and Ledge Work

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:40:00 +0000

Scheduling banding this year has been a bit tricky as some other issues needed to be resolved before we could move forward. OSHA regulations deemed the fall-arrest system inadequate on Riverfront Plaza. This is the system that assures the safety of any personnel who must access the ledge.

This has created somewhat of a catch-22. The necessary work could not be performed with the falcons on the nest, and we can’t access the ledge (and the falcons) because the work hasn’t been performed.

DGIF staff have been in discussions with the building management and come to a solution. On Friday July 24th beginning at about 9:30 a.m., contractors will install an updated fall-arrest system on only the portion of ledge shared with the falcons (as opposed to the entire perimeter of the building). All work on the ledge will be supervised by DGIF biologists to ensure the safety of the falcons (and the contractors!). This procedure was evaluated carefully by DGIF Nongame biologists to ensure that any disturbance would be tolerated by the birds. Part of the desire to have this safety system installed is to ensure that should an urgent situation arise with the falcons, DGIF personnel will be able to access the ledge as necessary.

The birds will be given a chance to settle down following Friday’s scheduled work and biologists will return on Monday July 27th to band the three eyases. At this time blood samples will also be taken to evaluate the chick’s potential lead exposure. The unhatched egg will be collected for further testing. The camera will not be active for either the safety system installation or the banding. Photos and information from the banding will be posted to the blog.

Those who have followed the pair since 2006 when they first nested at Riverfront Plaza, are very familiar with our Richmond falcon banding routine. In past years, this has included transferring and “hacking” some of the Richmond chicks to augment the Appalachian population, and “penning” the remaining Richmond chicks to enhance their chances of survival (Please see the 2007 blog link http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/falconcam2008/2007-archive.asp for details on these topics). Falcon fans also are aware that our pair did not successfully nest in 2008, and that this year they suffered two nest failures before producing three chicks from four eggs.

Due to the nest failures of the last two years, the lateness of this year’s brood and to reinforce the pair’s attachment to the Riverfront Plaza nest site, we have decided to leave all the chicks at the nestbox site to fledge naturally this year. We are hopeful that the spaciousness of the ledge, the relative abundance of shade and protected nature of this site will result in their successful fledging in mid-August.

Going Mobile

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:01:00 +0000

The young falcons are just starting to get their feet under them - literally. The eyases will soon be able to stand and their feet instead of waddling on their "ankles" (tarsus). This will mark their ability tp move around much more effectively. At this point they're still a bit unsteady, but with some practice will soon be able to get around quite well.

This mobility created some consternation in 2007 (another late nest attempt at this site) as the young left the box and were unable to climb back in. We believe that the young were attempting to excape the heat of day by seeking shade elsewhere on the ledge. This necessitated some modifications including the ramp and overhand (for shade) seen on the nest box now.

Should the eyases again decide to explore the ledge there is no cause for concern...the ledge has a significant vertical wall running for its entire length - which will keep the chicks safely contained. As demonstrated by the 2007 season (http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/falconcam2008/2007-archive.asp), the parents will find and feed should they wander from the nest box.

Test Results

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:52:00 +0000

Richmond Falcon Cam followers may recall that remnants of two failed nesting attempts by the falcon pair were collected earlier this year. These included one intact egg and some eggshell fragments (see May 15 and May 22 blog entries). These materials were sent for tests to investigate potential exposure to contaminants in the environment, including heavy metals, pesticides and flame retardants.

Some of these results have just been reported. Both the egg and the eggshell were found to contain very high concentrations of lead. The primary pathway for lead deposition into the eggs is through the female, so these findings suggest that the female has suffered exposure to lead. Interestingly, eggshell fragments recovered from this pair’s failed 2008 nesting attempt came back negative for lead. Therefore, it is likely that the female's exposure to lead is recent. We hope to continue our investigations through recovery and testing of the unhatched egg, possible blood tests of the chicks, and consideration of potential sources of lead exposure in the greater Richmond area.

Additional results for other potential contaminants will be posted when received.

Growing Quickly

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:45:00 +0000

Our three eyases have have grown quickly! All three are well fed and moving around the nestbox. They aren't coordinated enough yet to walk on their feet...you'll note that they waddle on their tarsus. All three are feeding well...following a feeding you'll note a swollen pouch below the chick's neck. This is a storage organ called a crop. It is a essentially an enlarged portion of the esophagus that stores food prior to digestion. It allows the birds to quickly consume a large quantity of food and digest it someplace safe and away from potential predators or competitors.

You can see the emergence of pin feathers along the edge of the chicks' wings. These will develop into the flight feathers that these birds will eventually use to take their first flight

The 4th egg remains unhatched, at this point there is no chance that it will hatch. The egg remains in the nest and has now been rolled off to the corner.

Still Waiting

noreply@blogger.com (VDGIF Wildlife Biologist) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:20:00 +0000

We have been closely monitoring the 4th egg, hoping to see some indication of a pip. Today marks the 37th day for this egg. While peregrine falcon eggs generally hatch at between 33-35 days of incubation, 37 days is not unknown. We are drawing towards the end of the window where we can reasonably hope that this egg remains viable.

The three chicks that have hatched are doing quite well - and being fed often by the adults. In the short time since they've hatched the chicks have grown noticeably.