Alcoa Anglesea: 3 eggs!

Yesss!! The cams are open for season 2008!
Sheila already laid 3 eggs.
The first one on August 29, the second on August 31 and the third on September 2.
Perhaps a fourth one? We will see.



She is a week behind compared to the schedule of last year. She laid her eggs in 2007 on August 21, 23, 25 and 28. After all the month of August has been one of the coldest in years. But the breeding season will not differ much, the amount of daylight is one of the most important factors after all.



So the season in Alcoa has begun. We will all watch daily, in spite of the fact that incubating eggs is like watching paint dry......
Watch the cam here:

http://www.alcoa.com/australia/en/info_page/falcon_webcam.asp



And a short update about the 2007 Season:

The Alcoa falcons

This nestiste is on the Alcoa plant in Anglesea near Melbourne in Victoria. The risiding peregrines are Sheila and Havoc.





Alcoa Anglesea has been home to a pair of Peregrine Falcons since 1991. This webcam is showing images from a special nest box that environmental staff at the site built and installed in 2004 on the site’s water tower. The height and aspect of this structure mimics
the preferred natural nesting environment of this species. Normally Peregrines can be found nesting on sheer cliff faces.





The most serious threats facing Peregrines in Victoria are illegal persecution and the continuing loss and disturbance of suitable nest sites. Only 3% of Peregrine nests found in Victoria are on man made structures, so Alcoa Anglesea is pleased to be able to provide a safe and secure site for this pair of Peregrine Falcons.





Alcoa has an ongoing interest and involvement with Peregrine Falcons in Victoria, with both the Anglesea and Point Henry sites working alongside the Victorian Peregrine Project (VPP) to assist with research and conservation of the species. This work is part of the environmental management work underway at each Alcoa site
to reduce our environmental footprint and promote conservation.





Last season Sheila laid her first egg on august 25 and had completed her clutch of 4 by August 28. On October 1 the first eyas hatched, and on october 3 the second one emerged. But the other 2 eggs did not hatch. So just 2 beautiful eyases. They grew up without any problems.
On October 25 both little ones were banded and named. Weighing in at a very healthy 905g was the young falcon, Dash, with all the characteristics to be as formidable as her mother.More reserved and weighing in at 590g was the little tiercel, Concorde.





Concorde fledged on November 10 and his sis followed a day later.
Both were well and accounted for when the cams closed.