One of the peregrines paid another visit to the nestsite. It is difficult to see what is happening, because the webcam gives us not a clear overview of the entire ledge. Maybe there are copluations on the ledge, or head-now-low somewhere in the scrape which we miss. We now only see a very small part indeed and that's a real pity.
No news yet of the Alcoa nestsite. I have written an email to Alcoa asking when they open up shop. When I know more I will post it of course. We are all eagerly awaiting the season start in Alcoa as well.
Hope Melbourne will consider webcams in their Peregrine nestsite! Would be great!
Frodo has been busy! There are several bowles in the scrape now. This is perfectly normal courtship behaviour. The male diggs bowles, and the female chooses one for her eggs. Today we could catch a glimpse of one of the peregrines, think it was Frodo. And a late night visit from Frida.
When daylength increases nature awakens. Spring is on it's way and that means the start of new life everywhere. The increase of daylight triggers an important hormoneproductioncycle in the brain of animals. And our peregrine falcons feel that as well and so the beautiful weeks of courtship are commencing.
The increase of light is being registred by the Hypothalamus in the brain. Ambient visual cues, such as daylight, activate photosensitive loci in the brain both indirectly, through the eyes, and directly, through the skull. The hypothalamus of the bird brain contains special cells that are sensitive to extremely low light levels, intensities comparable to the amount of light that can penetrate brain tissue.
Head-Bow-Low
This lightincrease triggers photic stimulation of the hypothalamus and results in the secretion of Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH below). When activated by GnRH, the anterior pituitary secretes two gonadotropin hormones, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Both very important androgens.
FSH acts on sperm-producing structures in the testes, while LH acts on the interstitial cells of the testes causing them to secrete the steroid hormone testosterone. The pituitary gland monitors the amount of testosterone in the blood, thus creating a negative feedback loop to maintain hormone levels within a set range.
DISPLAY AT THE NESTLEDGE
PROMINENT PERCHING: both male and female perch in conspicuous positions near the nest ledge. This may very well be accompanied by the Advertisement Wail. This is more frequently exhibited by the male, especially before the female arrives. It is believed to function in mate attraction early in the season and also signals site ownership. The first indication of pair development is mutual perching or roosting, where male and female perch quietly together. This progresses from perching on the same cliff at some distance to perching side by side. In established pairs, this may be accompanied by peeping, mutual preening, nibbling at toes or bill of the mate, or billing, in which one bird turns its head upside-down and engages bill of the other. This can be seen very often in peregrines. Billing is a social behaviour as well. Activity on nest ledge increases as courtship progresses.
Billing
BOWING: is a display used in many situations, especially as part of courtship. The peregrin leans forward, head low, often with her tail held high.
MALE OR FEMALE LEDGE DISPLAY: The peregrine stands over the nest depression (scrape), leaning forward (bowing) and making an “ee-chupping” vocalization. The male often stares at the female during a male ledge display. he is making a more "ee-chipping" vocalization. Ledge displays are often accompanied or followed by;
SCRAPING: Either bird can do this, however the male is often the one who scrapes the bowl for the eggs.He runs his breast through the substrate or nest depression, pushing out with its legs behind. The bird is forming the nest cup (scrape), but this is also part of courtship. Scrapes may be made at several potential ledges before the female chooses one of them to lay her eggs in. Peregrines do not build a nest, but rather lay their eggs in such a scrape formed in the nest substrate.
MUTUAL LEDGE DISPLAY: Often this is precipitated by a male or female ledge display. The other bird joins the first on the ledge and both bow and ee-chup over the scrape, sometimes touching bills. This can also happen outside the eyrie.
Scraping
FOOD TRANSFER: The male offers food to the female by approaching her or standing near, with food in talons or beak, ee-chupping. The female takes the food from the male, usually ee-chupping or wailing. This can happen in the air or perched. The male often signals the female that he has food by wailing as he approaches the cliff or nest. This will normally occur outside the nest box. Peregrines normally do not bring food into the eyrie until they are feeding young, probably so that the nest stays clean.
The offering of food is an essential part of courtship. The courtship behaviour of the tiercel is an important stimulant for the hormone production of the falcon. The more food he offers the more she comes into season. He shows her with these offerings that he is a good hunter, that he will be able to provide for her and her eyases. She has to fuel up for the production of her eggs and as soon as that proces starts she will not be able to go out hunting. So she has to able to rely on him. When the eyases are there se will not leave them for the first 10 days. She has to be sure he will bring enough food for her and her eyases then as well. She will go into molt as well at the end of incubation and that takes an enormous amount of energy as well. So here he is the tiercel, our Frodo in this case. He has to convince Frida every year again that he is the very best mate there is for here. So even though they are a pair for many years, the tiercel has to go through the selectioprocess every year again.
Food offering
Will she ever decide: no you won't do. Oh yes! They do these feisty falcons. If she is not content, she just leaves. And tries to find herself a better one, which very often means a territorial battle at a different nestsite where a tiercel resides she likes better. Not to worry, that won't happen here. Frodo is the very best, he has proven that to Frida for the past years. The pairbond is a very strong one. However it is more the bond to the nestsite then it is the bond to eachother.
So let's enjoy the courtship these early days of spring. It's a wonderful period and beautiful behaviour of these so magnificent creatures we all love so very much!
We have not seen much of both peregrines at the nestsite. But today one of them was there. It could well be they do all the romancing somewhere else, although we have not seen the tiercel scraping bowles here either. We just have to wait and see. I'm sure it will be alright. It is still early. Last year the first egg was laid on August 18, that is still a week from now. It is still very cold overthere. Last night was below zero. There is not much food around yet.I do not expect any eggs untill the end of August.
In the meantime there has been some concern about an injured peregrine that was found in Brisbane. Fortunately it turned out it is definitely not our Frida or Frodo. The injured tiercel has a fractured right wing and is very well been taken care of by the vets and nurses at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. He will make a full recovery and spends his time in a beautiful flight cage.
Both pics are courtesy of Mimi Dona, Senior Veterinary Nurse at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.
A great sequence of Chad and Chris Saladin of an attempted foodexchange at the I-480Bridge Site. The female Maddy came in with a pigeon that she got under the bridge and it was still alive. She flew in and began biting the neck of the pigeon. Maddy was trying to deliver the bite while the prey was struggling to escape... There was an exchange attempt, although Cahd and Chris were not quite sure if Maddy intended to do a live drop, or if she lost control and the pigeon escaped. As you can see, juvenile Ally dropped back down after inverting and getting close to taking the pigeon, then the pigeon flapped and crashed down as Ally dove down after the pigeon as it fell.
Both Ally and Maddy circled, calling and looking at the pigeon, but wouldn't come down to the ground level. Then they both flew up and perched on the bridge supports, looking down at the pigeon. So, Chad picked up the pigeon (which was now dead) and tossed it up onto the roof of a nearby green baracks building so they would have an opportunity to come and get it. They immediately took off toward the building and took turns trying to pick it up "on the fly" without landing. After a few attempts, Maddy actually did grab it, but dropped it as she cleared the building roof. And of course, Chad had to give them another chance, this time throwing it further back on the roof hoping this would encourage them to feel safer landing and securing the pigeon.
Throwing the pigeon further back worked, as Maddy flew in from the back of the building and was out of view for awhile before rising up from the building with the pigeon (so, we believe she must have landed to get it). She flew with the pigeon toward the support where Ally was perched, but instead of taking it up to the support, she flew past Ally low, went parallel with the north side of the bridge. Ally took off and came up to complete the exchange on the opposite side of the bridge (unfortunately backlit and with a telephone wire in the foreground, so no pics).
All pics are courtesy of Chris and Chad Saladin. Thanks Chris and Chad for the terrific pics!
After the breedingseason has winded down in the Northern Hemisphere things are getting on the road "Down Under". The Australian breeding season is getting started. There are 2 nestsites that have webcams overthere. The one in Brisbane or Frodocam. And one in Anglesea on the Alcoa plant.
Australia is something else. A beautiful continent which is totally different from the rest of the world. Flora and fauna have species that only live in Australia, like the Kangeroo, Platypus, Koala, Huntsman spider and Brush tailed possum. And Australia has it's own 2 Peregrine falcon subspecies as well: the Falco peregrinus macropus and Falco peregrinus submelanogenis.
Peregrine Falcons occur just about anywhere in Australia, from the coast to the Outback and from the tropical north to the temperate south. Even in arid interior, they can be seen around billabongs and permanent waterholes.
Peregrines have lived in Australia for a long time. Their fossil remains have been found in Pleistocene deposits dating to about 1.85 million years ago. A study of deposits found at a cliff where Peregrines nest in Tasmania discovered that the oldest deposits were laid down about 8600 years ago.
Falco Peregrinus Macropus
The main subspecies on the Australian continent is the F.p. Macropus. It can be found througout Australia except the southwest. That is the territory of the other subspecies F.p.submelanogenis.
The macropus differs from the subspecies in Europe and de US/Canada in many ways. The peregrine falcon we know in Europe is the Falco peregrinus peregrinus. And the one in the US/Canada is the Falco peregrinus anatum.
We are used to a peregrine with a darkgreyblue head with more or less white stripes in the throat and neckarea. Some Northern peregrines even have a white stripe of feathers just above the cere. Australian peregrines have a totally different head. It is covered by a darkgreyblue-blak cap. Its back is a dark slaty grey, throat white and the rest of the underparts white to buff with narrow black bars. They are medium-sized (0.5 m), stocky, deep-chested birds of prey (raptors) with long, narrow, tapering wings. Compared to our peregrines the Macropus has very big feet.
The juvies are similar but upperparts vary from chocolate brown to brown and underparts buffy with blackish streaks (vs. bars).
In Australia, the Peregrine falcons occur across the continent (except on treeless, waterless plains) and are present on many offshore islands. Some, like Frodo and his mate, have even joined the population drift into major towns and cities.
There is probably nowhere in the Greater Brisbane Region that Peregrine Falcons cannot be seen and several breeding pairs reside here. Although Peregrines can be seen widely, a few birds account for all sightings. Like all 'top predators', they are uncommon and highly territorial.
The total world Peregrine population is thought to number 12,000–18,000 breeding pairs. 3000–5000 of them live on the Australian mainland and in Tasmania. The Queensland population has been estimated at around 950 breeding pairs (approx. one pair per 1800 sq km) with 25–35 pairs in South-east Queensland (6–10 pairs in the Greater Brisbane Region).
Each pair permanently holds and defends an area of land (territory) from other Peregrines. The size of the territory varies according to quality of the habitat and availability of prey. This explains why there may be as many as one pair per 30 sq km or as few as one pair per 14,000 sq km in different parts of Australia.
The Brisbane falcons
We all know and love Frodo and Frieda. What magnificent raptors they are. We have been enjoying the imgaes from Frodocam in the past years and looking forward to this new season 2008.
Peregrines may be new addition to the Admiralty Towers residential block, but they are not new to the CBD! Brisbane joined the list of cities around the world that have breeding pairs on tall buildings and skyscrapers sometime during the mid-1970s, when a pair took up residence on the MLC Building (George and Adelaide Streets).
A pair, but not necessarily the same individuals, has been living in the CBD ever since. During the past decade, they have nested on Sheraton Building where they also attracted a great deal of attention.
The pair has now moved to the Admiralty Towers, probably because of the number of tall buildings rising around their former residences. On the other hand it may simply be that the ledges of their new home are far more attractive.
Last year the first egg was laid on august 18, the second and third on 8/20 and 8/22The first eyas hatched on 9/25 and the second on 9/26. The third egg did not hatch and was disposed off by Frida. Sadly one of the eyases died due to heat exposure on 10/4. The heat of the sun is deadly for an unprotected eyas. The little one laid all afternoon of 10/3 in the burning sun and died. Very awfull. The other one however survived and grew up to a very lovely little well nourished chicklet. Loved by the world! It fledged savely in the early morning of november 5.
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.
So we are at the brink of a great new season. Of course daily reports of both nestsites will be on this Blog.
This blog is all about Peregrine Falcons and part of my website: www.falcoperegrinus.nl. At the start of the new breeding season 2009 I will observe several nests all around the world just like last year.
And I will write about the peregrines, their eyases who will turn into strong juveniles. Join me in a new adventure!
I want to thank Chris & Chad Saladin for their amazing pictures of the peregrine falcons of Ohio. I feel very honoured you gave me permission to use this wonderful collection for my Blog and Website. You guys are the best! Thanks so much!
" We need another, and a wiser, perhaps a more mystical, concept of animals. Remote from universal nature and living by complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the creature through the glass of his knowledge and sees thereby a feather magnified and the whole image in distortion.
* We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man.
* In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear.
* They are not brethren. They are not underlings. They are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth.”
