Derby on saturday

We saw very many great feedings, a lot of activity and 4 very healthy eyases. All very alive and kicking.
There has been some concern about the last eyas. He hatched 3 days after the first. That is very late indeed. But he is a fighter. Females always are putting extra nutrients and extra testosteron in the last egg. To give this last eyas extra chances of survival in a nest where there are 3 older eyases. We've all seen how much an eyas grows in just one day. It is hard to compete with siblings who are twice your size. This extra testosteron however makes the hatchmuscle extra strong. This neckmuscle is the same that makes it possible to hold the little head up during feedings.
Peregrines are excellent parents how are very much aware of what is happening. They are not just feeding machines, but are very concerned with who has eaten and who has not. They give chupping sounds to ask teh eyas "who wants some more" or "come on eat little thing". They go on feeding until the eyases are stuffed.
The Derby female has a special tactic, she feeds the 3 older ones till they drop, and then has all her attention for the little one. Who is fed until he has enough. I saw exactly the same behaviour in De Mortel scrape. Same situation, the fourth was born more than 2 days after the first 3. And S2, our female bird did the same: feed the 3 till they're stuffed and then she fed the little one. Who is in the meantime a big healthy and very keen, smart and intelligent eyas who takes advantage of his size during feedings.
I saw today how little one has been fed very well. so there is absolutely no need for concern. We can all trust the parental skills of our 2 parents!

Watch here 4 slideshows of today and a great many pictures:

http://falcoperegrinus-froona.blogspot.com/2008/05/derby-noon-feeding.html

Great video's on the Derbypage:
http://derbyperegrines.blogspot.com/

De Mortel

Rochester: 5th hatch

All eggs have hatched now and we are all so very happy with this great succes. The pics from the scrape are adorable. The qute little faces of Mariah and Kaver's offspring are so sweet. And eventhough it is no livestreaming we can see how Mariah is movin a lot. Beneath her are 5 very much alive and kicking eyases. And this kicking is kicking. They push het a lot in her stomach, twisting and turning, talking, arguing etc. It will certainly be a very lon 7 weeks for Mariah and Kaver. And we will love every minute of it.

Oberhausen: the endless quest

The pigeon, once more a downtown Oberhausen citypigeon was delivered at the scrape. The eyases once more gave it a try and i do believe one of them plucked some feathers. They are starting to learn. Later on teh female dropped by and finished the work. It is amazing that the eyases are getting tehir fres pigeon every day. No leftovers, but fresh meat every day. That makes them very fortunate juvi's. I do see scrapes in the (too) many I watch this season where there is not such a whealth of food. And eyases are fighting for a bite. These 3 are fortunate. And so are we with this awesome coverage!

Terminal Tower Cleveland

Rome

Nijmegen: 19 days old

De Mortel: growing so big!

Our own 4 De Mortel eyases are being stuffed on a daily basis. S2 keeps on bringing delicious bites of food into teh nestbox, The eyase skeep on eating till they alomst explode and S2 keeps on offering more and more and more. They look like balloons.
Fortunately an eyas can never be to fat. The fatter the better. Al the babyfat will be very rapidly transformed into beautiful feathers and the result is a strong and slender juvi. Keep on bringing them in S2. You're a fantastic mother!

Zurich

It is more fun every day to watch the very active and flapping Zurich eyases. They seem to be having a lot of fun on the scrape. Often both parents watching them.

Oberhausen:

James River Bridge: 31 days old

Look at this little guy, isn't he adorable. They have been sweet from their hatching on and still are. Very will visible is the brom that is braking through. The patches behing the eyes are very distinctive now. The brown coverts will be growing very fast now. The changes per day will be enormous.

New Yersey drama: 2 death eyases

Again a drama at the New Yersey scrape. Two of the 4 eyases have died from Trichomoniasis. This is one of the most dangerous diseases an eyas can get, and in most cases the little thing will die. Many peregrine eyases do die from this infection.

Yesterday May 9, biologists visited the nestbox to administer medication helpful in preventing this disease. Upon examining the chicks in the warm and dry rooftop engineering room it was found that one chick was not doing very well and the decision was made to transport it to The Raptor Trust for evaluation and appropriate treatment.

In the meantime 2 chicks have died and where removed from the nestbox. The parents look after the remaining chick and we hope and pray this one will stay healthry. When the chick in healthcare has recovered it will probably be returned to teh scrape.

Trichomoniasis.

The parasite Trichomonas gallinae causes avian trichomoniasis. When present, it is usually found in the upper digestive tract of many species of doves and gallinaceous birds. Some strains may also produce liver and lung lesions. The parasite is transferred to young from the mother during feeding. Transmission between birds may also occur from contaminated feed and water. Infection by this trichomonad can be fatal. The presence of this organism in doves is a common source of infection of falcons and hawks feeding on them.

It is characterized by raised lesions in the mouth, esophagus, and crop. Infected birds may appear to have trouble closing their mouth. The disease caused by this protozoan is often present in the mouth secretions of birds that appear to be healthy but are carriers of the disease, such as pigeons.

Infected birds can contaminate water containers (bird baths) with their oral secretions, which can, in turn, expose many other birds to the disease. Mortality from this disease varies, but it can be quite high.

Florence: growing stronger

Little Ariosto has grown into a strong chicklet of 20 days old already.

Rochester morning feeding

Harrisburg: 9 days old

Zwolle: 15 days old

The Zwolle eyases got a very early breakfast, and a few hours later the female brought in a fresh pigeon. No doubt caught in Zwolle. There are an awful lot of citypigeons in our cities. Living on French fries and hamburgers. Such a fat one was served for the morning break to 3 very eager customers in the nestbox in Zwolle. They loved it and their little crops where growing into stuffed puoches.

Brighton Sussex Heights: 13 days old

It's hot throughout Europe. So the 4 eyases in Brighton where panting as well, laying flat out to cool off. In the evening they got a nice meal from teh female. These 4 are very sweet. There is a difference between eyases, in character, but certainly in looks. They have very distinctive features that are very different from eyas to eyas. These 4 have sweet features. For instance the Rome eyases hev very fierce features fitting to there very raptorial behaviour, already that is.

De Mortel in the morning

Oberhausen

Heidelberg: 27 days old

The Heidelberg eyases have been banded. They both got male names although the bigger one is of course a female. This has been done to honor two men who played an important part in the project. So the female is called Jürgen. The male is called Hans.

Bologna: how they've grown

The Bologna eyases are 38 days now and turning into beautiful juvi's It always amazes me how fast it goes, this transformation from a little white fluffy thing into a brown raptor to be. The Bologna two are very often outside on the ledge watching the world go by. Within 8 days they will probably fledge. I will keep a close eye on them

Derby on Saturday

Here is an impression of today in pics and slideshows.

FEEDING AT NOON





SLIDESHOW



FEEDING AT 13:00





SLIDESHOW



FEEDING AT 17:00





SLIDESHOW







Great video's on the Derbypage:
http://derbyperegrines.blogspot.com/