Rochester

Mariah looked real tired today. She slept when she was incubating. Kaver did the best part of the incubationduties. She probably took a day off. Way to go girl. You will be busy enough in a few weeks time. After all she is already 12 years old going on 13. But still as beautiful as ever.

Oberhausen eyases

Zwolle: livestreaming

Today the livestreaming from the peregrine webcams in Zwolle has started. Thank you Electrabel, and Jan van Dijk who have made this possible.
Watch and enjoy the feed on:

http://www.electrabel.nl/Over-Electrabel/Onze-centrales/De-centrales/Centrale-Harculo/Live-beelden-slechtvalken.aspx

The eyases are due on April 26, so we can watch live the hatching of the 4 eggs. The peregrine pair have both hatched in Germany in 2005. They where born just a few kilometers apart. They possible have met right after they both fledged from their nestsites. And bonded and never left eachother again.

James River Bridge: growing eyases

Terminal Tower Cleveland

SW and Buckeye doing just fine. They don't seem to be bothered to much by the workers. Of course they are living in the big city and are quite used to noise and people. And have adapted. But in breedingtime they are much more aware of possible intrusion.

When I think of our own De Mortel breedingpair, their circumstances are so totally different. They live in a protected wildlife area, on top of a 130 meter high tower. They never meet people so close. Sure they do look down on us when we come to worship them ( ...) on our spottersplace and when they want to please us they fly a bit (...) or go chase a flock of pigeon who live there by the hundreds. Those peregrines are living by the rithme of nature. Quite opposite to the peregrines in the city.

They do amaze me how easily they will and can adapt, reregrines are so special.

Columbus Ohio

Rome: eyases with Aria & Vento

Both chicks are well been taken care of by their parents. Aria is feeding while Vento is on the watch out. They do grow fast and notice the little crops swelling by the food Aria is offering.And enjoy those little fluffy sweeties. They only stay a day or 2 like this.

Nijmegen: broken egg

Well last night it looked as though one of the 4 eggs was brooken. And in daylight it turned out it was. That is a shame. How and why stays in the dark. There has not been a territorial dispute in the past days. So why is it so damaged. It's hardly possible it has broken under the weight of the parents. If the eggshell is weak it would have brooken much sooner in incubation. So what is wrong. Maybe it got damaged last sunday when there was in fact that horrible fight. The eggs where all over the place.

Anyway it means there will be only 3 eyases to welcome next sunday.

De Mortel

Oberhausen: tasty meal

Richmond

Well de webcams where very dirty duringthe past days, so images where very blurry. But today people have cleaned the lens, Thank tou so very much. We can watch our beloved peregrines again.

Eyases are due here not before April 26

Indianapolis

This is the Market Tower in downtown Indianapolis. The red arrow indicates where the nestbox is in which KathyQ and Kinney are incubating theire 4 eggs.
It is really amazing how peregrines have adapted to the big city. For them it is an excellent mountainarea. Full of high cliffs and ridges. The wind in the big city makes all kinds of flight possible like dynamic soaring and gliding. Updrafts generate obstructionlift. Juvi's like to make use of that by letting themselves glide up by updrafts and practise light stoops . Thermals, or updrafts are caused by the uneven heating of air near big buildings or subways.
And last but least there is a lot prey available in the city: pigeons, sparrows, small songbird. It must be like paradise for the peregrines.

Heidelberg: 3 eyases born!

Harrisburg

Eemsmond

Only 6 days left. Inside the eggs the embryo's are preparing to get out of the egg. It is of major importance that the head is in the right position. Untill now it's has been resting on the yolksac. Now the embryo is starting to lift it's head to be able to move it underneath it's rightwing with it's bill towards the aircell. The head should be along the long side of the egg. Only in this position it will be able to pip the shell in the right spot and keep pipping and turning to break the shell in two.

James River Bridge: growing eyases

Derby Cathedral Peregrine Project

One of our peregrines was posing for the cam. And caught her I think right there! Thanks dear peregrine. You are beautiful.
The dervy eayeses are not due before May 6.

Rome Eyases

Aria and Vento taking very good care of their babies. They are so cute, resting against her strong but very soft brestfeathers. Peregrine falcons are very caring parents. Both male and female brood. In general the mother stays with the little ones, while the male hunts for food.

When the eyases get older and need more food, both parents hunt together. The female drives the prey into the talons of her partner. She carries the prey home, because she is much stronger. Nevertheless even the female is breathless when she arrives at the eyrie with a heavy prey. But the enthousiasm she gets from the waiting chicklets make sit worth her while!

Bologna

The eyases are 11 days old. Aisha is not leaving her babies, she stayes with them all the time. In a few days time she will start to leave them by theirself for longer periods. By then they will have their second down and can regulate their own temperature.
When they are fed, one can see how they've grown! Rhey are sitting already on their tarsi, with their big feet in front of them.

Eyases from day to day

Click the pictures to enlarge

Condition At Hatching

The peregrine falcon eyases are semialtricial, nidicolous; covered with off-white (prepenne) down. Semi altricial means: Covered with down, incapable of departing from the nest, and fed by the parents. In species like the peregrine falcon we speak of semi-altricial 2, hatch with the eyes closed.
The bill and feet pinkish to pale gray with eyes closed. They weigh about 35–40 g. If eyes open with food-begging first day, they are slitlike. The eyases obtain 2 downy plumages.



Growth and development

At 5 days after hatch, their mass has doubled. The eyas can sit with relative ease, and the open eyes are more round.
At 6–8 days of age the second down (mesoptile or preplumulae) starts to emerge, first on humeral and alar tracts but no down visible on belly at 6 day, although on the legs and belly at 8 days.
Also second down is well out on the wings and looks a bit blueish and sheaths of primaries breaking skin on wings.



By 10 days of age the second down is complete and uniform and outer rectrices are breaking skin. At 10 days, primaries growing at 2–3 mm/d, rectrix sheath not yet split.
At 14 days the second down is dense and long, rectrix sheath about 2 mm and typically ninth primary emerges from sheath.
By day 17 the contour feathers start to push out prepennae and only pale (buffy) tips of rectrices have emerged but growing at about 2 mm/d (since day 13).


By 10 days of age the second down is complete and uniform and outer rectrices are breaking skin. At 10 days, primaries growing at 2–3 mm/d, rectrix sheath not yet split.
At 14 days the second down is dense and long, rectrix sheath about 2 mm and typically ninth primary emerges from sheath.
By day 17 the contour feathers start to push out prepennae and only pale (buffy) tips of rectrices have emerged but growing at about 2 mm/d (since day 13).


At 20 days while still with heavy coat of second down, brown contour feathers are visible on margins of wings, tail, and faintly around the eyes.
By 30 days young appears about half down-covered and half feathered; while side of face well feathered, crown still covered with down.


At 35 days while mostly feathered, large conspicuous patches of down around legs, under wings, and on crown.
At 40 days almost fully feathered with traces of down on crown and under wings and outer several remiges; rectrices not fully grown but bird capable of weak flight.

From my Peregrine falcon website:

http://www.falcoperegrinus.nl/

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