Thursday, May 1, 2008
Oberhausen
Day 33 - 'the age of the white pantaloons'. This may happen a day or two earlier or later, but most chicks do go through this phase where they have large fluffs of down conspicuously surrounding their legs, much more prominently than anywhere else on their bodies.
De Mortel: 11 days old
The 4 eyases, or at least the eldest one are 11 days old now already. They are growing rapidly. Pa catches prey and S2 feeds the chicks. She is very protective, and keeps the 4 babies under her wings, or against her warm chest. They get a lot of food. S2 enjoys feeding them, so when the finally sleep S2 is already there again with the next meal. She takes extra care of the last born, so he is in perfect shape as well. She hardly lets Pa near the babies, she grabs the prey he delivers and off he is again.
By day 11, the beak is already beginning to acquire a slightly yellow tinge, as opposed to the pink colour it has had to this point in the chick's development
Terminal Tower Cleveland: 9 days old
Tthe chicks are 9 days old now. They have already grown visibly, but remain covered in white down with pink patches of skin still showing through in some areas.
Brighton Sussex Heights: 3 days old
4 very small eyases and 2 parents taking care of them. Both the female and the male are feeding the little ones. The male is bringing prey in very often and the female lets him feed the eyases as well. The adults begin feeding the chicks shortly after they have hatched. At this age their eyes remain closed, but the chicks already have the instinct to crane their necks upward for food.
Zurich: preening in the afternoon
At the Zurich nestsite one of the peregrines was preening and stretching this afternoon. They keep it a secret if there are eggs, or even eyases present in the nestbox.
James River Bridge: 22 days old
The amount of black protruding along the edge of the wing indicates that the flight feathers continue to develop at a rapid rate, but it isn't until the wing is spread that the state of development can be fully appreciated.
Nijmegen: 10 days old
These 3 eyases are growing very fast. Both adults are bringing in prey about 5-6 times a day for the 3 hungry customers. They are 10 days old now and the parents leave the 3 longer alone but never more than 15 minutes.
The chicks have already grown visibly, but remain covered in white down with pink patches of skin still showing through in some areas.
Eemsmond: failure
The male is sitting al day on the ledge. He comes in every now and then. It seems like he is telling her, come on it is not going to happen anymore. Let's go and have fun again. Go hunt together and fly through walls of clouds, climb to the highest heights again and feel the air under our wings. Don't sit there but come with me.
But she can not say goodbye to this dream yet. But she has to, the eggs are liveless.
But she can not say goodbye to this dream yet. But she has to, the eggs are liveless.
Oberhausen: where is our dinner....
The eyases or better almost juvi's had to wait very long for their evening dinner. They waited for hours. When it finally came arounf 20:00 hours they attacked the bird, they where really hungry. They didn't even wait for the parent to bring the prey in the nest, but started eating on the ledge. So no pictures of that.
After dinner they flapped their wings as usual, did some preening and went to sleep. Mom watches over them while behind her the night slowly sets in. And what beautiful colors it painted in the sky. Sleep tight dear juvi's and awake healthy in the morning.
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