Thursday, April 24, 2008

Rochester





Terminal Tower: 3 eyases!





Oberhausen: 26 days old







These 3 eager customers are exploring their surroundings. Taking more steps towards the entrance every day. By the size of them I think there is 1 female and 2 males. The males are transforming faster than the much bigger female. She has to grow some more before the transformation is complete.
They are amazingly beautiful. They show us all the biological features one never gets a look at.
Like the pagatium, the skinflap between the shoulder and wrist. It is beautiful spread in one of the pics, and one can very clearly see how the featherbuds are developing.

Zurich nestsite





It remains a secret if and how many eggs there are overhere. That tehre are some seems certain. Both birds are at the site frequently and seem to take turns incubating.

Nijmegen: 3 eyases doing great!

Zwolle





No hatch here yet. Estimated hatchdate is April 26.
Watch the live stream from this scrape on teh website of Electrabel, official sponsor of the Dutch Peregrine Falcon Foundation;
http://www.electrabel.nl/Over-Electrabel/Onze-centrales/De-centrales/Centrale-Harculo/Live-beelden-slechtvalken.aspx

De Mortel : 3 eyases or 4?



In De mortel S2 and Pa are taking real good care of their precious kids. There are 3 now, that's for sure, or are there 4? In some pics it looks as if there are indeed. We just have to wait until it is for sure we can see 4 of them.
Unfortunately the cams where offline for the biggest part of the day. There was a minor technical problem which we solved together with our sponsor INTERNL.NET. Thank you so much INTERNL.NET. Now we can relax and enjoy the feed from de Toren in De Mortel.
As a write this it is midnight in the Netherlands. I watch S2 in the scrape with her sweeties warm tucked away under her. She is looking down and checking if everything is fine with them.
Beautiful, magical, phenomenal S2, goodnight to you and your eyases dear falconlady

James River Bridge: 15 days old



Here are our sweeties. They are growing into real big eyases. They have a full crop and a fat belly and are being stuffed with fresh meat by their parents. Sir James is with them for long periods. Much more than their mother Elizabeth. That might be due to his old age. For a peregrine he is very old indeed. But still growing strong. Look at these 3 fine kids he produced together with beautiful Elizabeth. A fine couple they are!

Brighton: Sussex Heigths





April 26 is the estimated hatchdate. So we are very curious and anxious. Dear eyases we will welcome you into our world. Have a save journey out of the egg.

Cobb Island: 3 eyases



Oberhausen: 26 days old



Rome: 15 days old




Heidelberg: 10 days old



The Heidelberg eyases are 10 days old now. They seem small, but that's mostly due to the way the cam is placed.

James River Bridge: 15 days



Our sweeties are getting bigger and stronger. The cams have zoomed out. So we can only see them from a distance. But they are doing very well. Look how they've grown.
They are 15 days old now.

Eyases from day to day

With all the eyases in different stages of development it might confusing about who is where in his transformationprocess. Here once more the developmentprogress in photo's:


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:

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Richmond: No hatch yet




Is there a pip? Both peregrines are watching the eggs often. Do they here the eyases singing inside? Hatchdate will be April 25 or 26.

Florence: 2 eyases

Indianapolis: 2 eyases!





KathyQ and Kinney are the proud parents of 2 eyases, and 2 more on their way!
Congrats everybody on the Indy forum.
Kinny bringing a visit to his KathyQ and 2 babies. Kathy telling him how happy she is.
WElcome little cuties onto our world. We are happy you are alive and kicking.

Oberhausen: becoming juvi's





Growing and changing so fast now. They are transforming into juveniles.

Derby: up close and beautiful