Rfalconcam Forum

No eggs yet but.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgu7qrSvlVA# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgu7qrSvlVA#) SOON!!!

http://ohiodnr.com/wildlife/dow/falcons/live_ledge_video.aspx (http://ohiodnr.com/wildlife/dow/falcons/live_ledge_video.aspx)  Web cam

 ;D

The falcons in Columbus have their first egg!

OH YAY, was just checking yesterday and they weren't sure when or if it would happen. Thanks

Durant and her egg.

 :thumbsup:

Wednesday, April 06, 2011
More on Egg #2 Including Video Links
Here is a YouTube video of Durand laying the 2nd egg yesterday. Fast forward to 2:40 for what appears to be the actual moment. And, here is another version of the event saved by Pascal watching from The Netherlands.

Thanks to all of the fans out there watching and capturing these moments and sharing so everyone can review if they were not able to catch it live.
OK, so some may be wondering why did she lay the second egg in a different location? Actually, she did not lay #2 in a different spot. Both eggs were laid in the same scrape, on the right side of the box as we see it via the camera but the first egg has been moved to the left since it was first laid on Sunday. It is likely before the clutch is complete that she will gather the eggs together into the scrape of choice in which she will incubate. This is a first time nesting attempt for Durand thus she has no actual experience going through this process. However, instinct is very strong and dictates what they do. More times than not things work out the way they should.

I think it will be interesting to see in which part of the nestbox she decides to incubate. Right now she seems to favor that back right corner. If I recall correctly, each year since the late 1990s when we 1st had the camera showing the nestbox no peregrines have ever used that back corner of the box to incubate. One reason may be that in previous years when there has been more than one scrape, prior to the nesting season (usually in late February) I have smoothed out the gravel and made one prominent scrape in the best viewing spot in front of the camera. In the past the nesting falcons have always taken to the scrape I made. This year I did not smooth the gravel as I described. Is this the explanation of why the falcons are using a different spot in the nestbox? Who knows! Regardless it is something interesting to ponder while we wait.

Posted by Donna on the Columbus blog



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6Jbf3y3lrQ# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6Jbf3y3lrQ#)

Durant laid her third egg.

Yay thanks!

Durant laid her fourth egg.


Fourth egg
The 4th egg was laid approximately 6:50 p.m. Sunday, April 10th.
This egg was laid near egg #1 towards the left side of the box (as we are looking at the box). So now there are 2 eggs in each of 2 scrapes! As I write this at about 7:30 Sunday evening, it does not appear that Durand has started incubating yet - hopefully by morning she will gather all the eggs together and begin incubation. Or, we could be in for more waiting and wondering. Also, even though 4 eggs is the average clutch it is entirely possible that she could produce another egg! Anything could happen with this nest this year!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkVIp-_06II# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkVIp-_06II#)

Today Durant laid her fifth egg.




5 Eggs!

A 5th egg was laid this morning, April 13, just before 8 a.m. It was laid on the left side of the box, in the scrape that she seems to be most interested in incubating. Four eggs is the average clutch but more can be laid (obviously!) especially when we are dealing with a first time nesting situation. More proof that Durand's hormones are fluctuating! Let's just hope that some of the 3 eggs in that scrape are fertile and that she concentrates only on those eggs from here on out and is not distracted by the others.

The primary job of the male during the incubation phase is to provide food for Durand. He should also take over incubation duty when she leaves the nest to eat. Keep in mind this is likely his first time nesting as well, so it may take some time for him to realize what he is supposed to be doing. He has been in the nestbox with the eggs, but as far as I know he has not attempted any incubation duty yet.

No incubating means more coming!? How they going to get those eggs all together?  :surprise:

Wow 5 and maybe a 6th! Oh help her!

Durand finally rolled all the eggs together though her incubation is still spotty.

(can't open Donna Daniels' blog here at work for the whole story)

Well...Surprise!!! By last night Durand had managed to gather all of the eggs together herself! Here is a photo of the last egg a little closer to the main scrape last evening:

From what I have seen so far today she seems to be a little more focused on incubating! But 5 eggs would be a challenge for even an experienced female. Unfortunately, her technique is still lacking. She is not staying down tight on the eggs and when she is setting often one or more eggs is not covered. As I write this at about 11:20 she is in more of a brooding posture:
This intermittent incubation likely will not be enough for the eggs to develop--if they are even fertile to begin with. Because of her young age and the presumed young age of the male, it is possible that the eggs are infertile. I know I am sounding like a broken record here, but it will come down to watching and waiting to see how this situation develops! We should all be prepared for anything!
If it weren't enough dealing with eggs in different scrapes and irregular incubation techniques, yesterday there was another situation to deal with: A juvenile falcon was in the area and at least twice landed on the nest ledge only to be run off by Durand! These birds certainly don't "need" another distraction, but again-this is "real life" for a peregrine falcon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp64sWBxlpU# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp64sWBxlpU#)  video of intruder, a juvie.

Durands brooding posture.
Stranger things have happened, we'll see.

Just captured this from the cam, seems all are covered but like Donna said, "Is this enough?"

State Office Tower in Columbus, Ohio.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Eggs Alone
Unfortunately, things continue to deteriorate at the nest. For the majority of yesterday afternoon, overnight and now this morning the eggs have been uncovered. Further, Durand has been away from the ledge more than she has been present.

Earlier this morning she was observed scraping in the corner of the nestbox. This is typical site-bonding behavior that normally occurs prior to nesting and again later in summer after the young have fledged. The fact that she is exhibiting this behavior now is another indication of shifting hormone levels. Even though we categorize these actions as "abnormal" at this stage in the nesting cycle, in actuality abnormal actions can be the norm with a bird that is not yet fully mature as in Durand's case.

We will give her a little more time and continue to observe what transpires. If things stay on this track then in the coming days the eggs will be pulled and examined to determine fertility.

5 eggs and no hatches this year.  :(

She sits on the cam but not the eggs. Where her mate is, is anyone's guess.
There is speculation by some that the male is no longer in the territory as he has not been seen via the Falconcams for several days. While it is possible he is still around but just not in front of the cameras, certainly if it were the case that he is gone, Durand would definitely need to leave the nest for longer periods of time in order to hunt for herself, especially if the cached supplies of food are depleted. Were she fending for herself she would need to eat twice a day or so, however, she is leaving the eggs much more frequently than that.

All 5 Peregrine Falcon Eggs Infertile

COLUMBUS -- All five Peregrine Falcon eggs laid in a nest high up on 41st floor of the Rhodes State Office Tower in downtown Columbus turned out to be infertile, ABC6/FOX28 News learned Friday.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources reports that the mother had abandoned the eggs late last week.

Falcon Expert Donna Daniel, who maintains the online Ohio Peregrine Falcon blog, says she went up to check to if the eggs were fertile and discovered they were not.

Apparently, with the falcon mother being so young, such an instance is common.   :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart:

I hope that doesn't happen with Beauty and Unitys eggs because Archer has spread himself too thin. :gum:

Didn't they say it was probably because she is young? So with Beauty no I don't think we will have that problem (except with maybe Sophie since she was laid 8 days before the others) Now with Unity I don't know. How old is she? (I forget)

Unity is 2 yrs old BC. Don't forget, Beauty was 2 yrs old also last year when she laid her 1st clutch. Guess it depends on the female.

Thanks Donna, well Beauty did have the one that didn't hatch last year. As long as we get one eyas I'll be happy (I want all three but will settle for one)

Beauty was born in 2007 making her 3 years old last year (2010) when she had her first clutch.  In 2009, after they attacked Mariah, Beauty and Archer were believed to have a scrape on Midtown but nothing came of that (she was 2 then). This is A and B's 3rd spring together-2nd clutch.

I stand corrected! Thanks Kris, your on the ball!

Didn't Rhea Mae have a full clutch at 2 years old?   4 eggs, all hatched?

Carol would know.

I think Beauty's problem the first year was location. Midtown, a rain gutter is not a good place to raise a family.

 
I stand corrected! Thanks Kris, your on the ball!

Glad to help!    :handshake:

Didn't Rhea Mae have a full clutch at 2 years old?   4 eggs, all hatched?
[/quote]

I looked at the Family history tree and in 2008, when Rhea Mae was 2, she had Lily, Belle and Unity.  How ironic is that!?  Belle is Unity's mother's name (the Unity at KP)!

I looked at the Family history tree and in 2008, when Rhea Mae was 2, she had Lily, Belle and Unity.  How ironic is that!?  Belle is Unity's mother's name (the Unity at KP)!
[/quote]

Yeah and Lily hopped a bus out of town. Why fly, when she can ride.  :clap:

Yeah and Lily hopped a bus out of town. Why fly, when she can ride.  :clap:
[/quote]

I remember that!  There was a cute pic of her on the bus too!

Monday, June 06, 2011
New Male on the Scene and Update on Thunderbolt!



For the past few days a young falcon has been seen off and on at the ledge and in the nestbox. Finally, this morning he cooperated and showed his leg bands: black over red: 19/B. This is "Matrix" from the Canton, Ohio, Bank One/Chase Building 2010 nest! He and Durand have been interacting well so that would indicate that the unbanded, adult male here during this past nesting season is no longer in the territory. Let's hope this bird stays!

On another note, we received word that "Thunderbolt" a female hatched in Columbus in 2006 is now nesting at the University of Michigan! The male at that location is yet to be identified but as you can see from this photo, Thunderbolt posed rather nicely to allow a full and complete reading of her band:



The pair is currently raising 3 chicks. It is always a thrill to hear of "our" Columbus falcons doing well elsewhere in the Midwest!

Poor Columbus, they had so many changes over the past year.  :(

Matrix - the new guy has potential!  Mick and SGB, over at BCAW have sourced out his history and turns out his dad was born at this site on 2000!!  Matrix and Scout would also be first cousins as Scout's mom and Matrix's dad are full brother and sister (from different years though)

So while it's been a tough year, they now have 2 strong falcons that come from good strong lines  on both sides.  Matrix's father Maverick is legendary in Ohio - he raised a nest full of kids on his own one year when his mate was killed.

Hopefully this little guy is a keeper and Durand has time to 'mold' him  :2funny: while he's still young  :pray:  He's only 1 year old so talons crossed he does well and makes it to next year.

We lost a lot of info here. Update:

And in Columbus....
The past several days have seen frequent ledge and nestbox visits by both the male and female. Many times Spark and Durand have been observed making a scrape in the gravel. This behavior is one way the falcons bond to the site to claim it as their territory as well as bond with each other. It doesn't necessarily mean that they may attempt to nest yet this year, it simply is a way for them to reinforce their intent that this is their chosen site. Of course it is always possible we could see another clutch of eggs this season but not probable.

Posted on the falconuts by John English

Durand laid 3 eggs this year with mate Chance but just prior to the May 6th hatching date, he disappeared.  She eventually stopped incubating the eggs, a new mate, Spark, came onto the scene and today Durand laid an egg!  :o

Holy, you know! That's crazy cool, I think! WOW!!

That was an egg that got moved Donna, it was from her original 3 and I think some of the people got confused seeing it in a new location.  Hopefully next year Durand will finally get to be a mama.  :handshake:

Oh OK Carly, I did see that, 2 over there and 1 over here. Thanks, was going to say, that was quick and thought mating season was over, like we thought it was too late for Beauty!

Whew-glad she didn't lay one now (although I thought it was way late for that)! Thanks for the clarification, Carly!

Posted on Columbus site:

Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Post Nesting Season Box Maintenance
With the 2012 nesting season in Columbus over, several post-season maintenance items were crossed off the list today.  The roosting platform directly in front of the ledge camera was removed to be refurbished as it had begun to deteriorate.  It will be replaced later this summer to aid with leg band observations when a falcon perches in front of the ledgecam.

The nestbox was also cleaned, old eggs removed and gravel topped off and smoothed over.  In a previous post I stated that 2 of the eggs looked like they were decomposing.  Actually, they were intact but had sunk down into the gravel.  They were very bleached out, while the third egg was still showing pigment.  All three eggs were determined to be infertile, i.e., no embryo had developed.  So, even if the male that was present in the territory early on hadn't disappeared we still would not have had chicks in the nest this year.  Hopefully Durand and her new mate, Spark, will have better luck next year!  More updates this summer as noteworthy events occur.
posted by Donna Daniel at 6/26/2012 03:19:00 PM  

Intruder in Columbus, Durand (Pigotts sister) defending..photo and videos at BCAW.  No sign of either bird now so hopefully she's driven the interloper out.

http://www.peregrinefalcon-bcaw.net/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1286&start=260 (http://www.peregrinefalcon-bcaw.net/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1286&start=260)

http://youtu.be/fBXtWZTWPI8 (http://youtu.be/fBXtWZTWPI8) Durand defending her nest



By SGB

(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/10-26Durand.jpg)  Hope this is Durand after the fact!

All is well.  SGB got a positive ID on durand from her video and I got a shot of her and Spark bonding in the nest box.  She's out on the ledge now preening and keeping her eyes peeled.  Hopefully the interloper got a safe escort out of the territory  :handshake:

Just watched the video - that was one persistent intruder. Durand was in the nest box a little while ago, and she looks fine. The third pic shows her bands clearly.

      

 :phew: goodnews:

Phew is right!  ;D

An unbanded juvie was rescued recently in Columbus. I am so glad they were able to help this beautiful little juvie, and that she could be released. She is now banded black/red 37/U.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Juvenile Peregrine Detours

The day after Thanksgiving an unbanded juvenile peregrine migrating through Central Ohio took a little detour. As the falcon chased prey on the roof of Vet's Memorial in downtown Columbus, it “zigged” when it should have “zagged” and ended up unable to fly. The falcon was admitted to the Ohio Wildlife Center with a suspected fractured coracoid. Luckily, these "collarbone" type injuries usually heal nicely. In less than 2 weeks of "layover" time on its journey it was determined that the injury had indeed healed, the bird's flight was excellent and it was ready to be released to continue on its way.

The peregrine (a feisty female weighing 920 g) was given a second chance at survival when it was released by OWC staff on Thursday, December 6 west of Columbus. The bird launched well, found an updraft, soared for several minutes then headed out of sight to the east/northeast.

Along with the unanticipated stay at OWC, this falcon left the Columbus area with brand new metal leg bands. Even though we don’t know where this bird originated from, now that it has these colorful markers, it can now be tracked at least from its visit to Central Ohio. If it is seen again anywhere during its life and the codes reported, that information will add to what is known about peregrine migration and longevity.

Thanks to all involved at OWC and beyond that had a role in giving this bird a second chance!

   

There are a few more photos on the blog:

http://ohioperegrinefalcons.blogspot.ca/ (http://ohioperegrinefalcons.blogspot.ca/)

http://youtu.be/IBnLzjLhks8 (http://youtu.be/IBnLzjLhks8)  Spark tries to eat frozen leftovers

Durand and Spark also have their first egg, meant to post that when it happened on Tuesday.  She was facing the back of the nest box so we got a different perspective on it..was quite fascinating.  SGB has video of it over at BCAW.

 :2thumbsup:

Durand just laid her second egg of the season!  :yahoo:

 :thumbsup:  Thanks Carly

 :star: :star:

Egg #3 just arrived  :2thumbsup:

Go Durand!!

 :star: :star: :star: :thumbsup:

We've heard baby peeping from egg all day and finally just now saw the first pip!!  Durand is finally going to have a baby!!!!!

 :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

I hear it too!! It's LOUD!!  :heart:  What is Durand doing?? She just made a complete circle, pushing them eggs around!!

After two years of infertile eggs, I so much hope there will be a hatch for Durand. Haven't actually seen a pip yet:

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/March%202013/columbusapril282a_zps42f37bff.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/March%202013/columbusapril282a_zps42f37bff.jpg.html)

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/March%202013/columbusapril288a_zps2efc3f67.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/March%202013/columbusapril288a_zps2efc3f67.jpg.html)

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/March%202013/columbusapril289a_zps23d24b84.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/March%202013/columbusapril289a_zps23d24b84.jpg.html)

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/March%202013/columbusapril2810a_zpsa2364718.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/March%202013/columbusapril2810a_zpsa2364718.jpg.html)

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/March%202013/columbusapril2811a_zps8a56efb2.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/March%202013/columbusapril2811a_zps8a56efb2.jpg.html)

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/March%202013/columbusapril2814a_zps53682e86.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/March%202013/columbusapril2814a_zps53682e86.jpg.html)

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/March%202013/columbusapril2815a_zps826d770e.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/March%202013/columbusapril2815a_zps826d770e.jpg.html)

I don't know which egg it is, but you can hear it peeping for sure!

Shift change; the eggs were uncovered for only a few seconds. This year, Durand has a very supportive mate in Spark.

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/March%202013/columbusapril2821a_zps5a4df50f.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/March%202013/columbusapril2821a_zps5a4df50f.jpg.html)

First Hatch for Durand and Spark!!!  :notworthy: :yahoo:

Video by skygirlblue : Second feeding attempt by Durand!   :laugh:

http://youtu.be/EXxbG4OJqoU (http://youtu.be/EXxbG4OJqoU)

Um, WOW, has it been fed at all? Thought it was instinct to feed!! That was interesting for sure!

Not that anyone has seen but it's good for 24 hrs after hatching.  Both are first-time parents and will hopefully get the hang of it.

 :oops:   They need  :help:

What a beautiful little chick! Congratulations to Durand and Spark on their very first chick.

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/March%202013/columbusapril2912a_zps2d0ec2dd.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/March%202013/columbusapril2912a_zps2d0ec2dd.jpg.html)

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/March%202013/columbusapril2916a_zpsfae98892.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/March%202013/columbusapril2916a_zpsfae98892.jpg.html)

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/March%202013/columbusapril2917a_zps836316cd.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/March%202013/columbusapril2917a_zps836316cd.jpg.html)

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/March%202013/columbusapril2919a_zps7b5564eb.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/March%202013/columbusapril2919a_zps7b5564eb.jpg.html)

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/March%202013/columbusapril2922a_zps0eac6d15.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/March%202013/columbusapril2922a_zps0eac6d15.jpg.html)

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/March%202013/columbusapril2926a_zps271485f7.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/March%202013/columbusapril2926a_zps271485f7.jpg.html)

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/March%202013/columbusapril2928a_zpsb48bef7c.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/March%202013/columbusapril2928a_zpsb48bef7c.jpg.html)

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/March%202013/columbusapril2932a_zpsd4e41d0f.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/March%202013/columbusapril2932a_zpsd4e41d0f.jpg.html)

Video by sgb: 3rd attempt at feeding -getting closer.

http://youtu.be/h1RDYRmyR0A (http://youtu.be/h1RDYRmyR0A)

That's so sad to watch, poor baby. Hope she gets the hang of it soon!

The latest video posted by sgb shows Durand feeding the baby and it looks like she's starting to get the hang of it. Congrats to both Durand and Spark-hope the others hatch!

 :phew:

I had faith she'd get it. Remember Dot covering poor Orion in pigeon last year?

That was quite memorable!

Who could forget!?  :gum:

  :heart:

So sweet!

http://vimeo.com/65150727 (http://vimeo.com/65150727)  Let's try this feeding thing again! She's getting better!

Things are progressing very well for the 2-day old chick.  As with human newborns, new hatchlings really don't have much to do other than eat, sleep and poop.  While it is possible another egg may still hatch, as more and more time goes by it looks like this chick might end up as an only nestling.  But, only time will tell and I'm not ready yet to say another hatch won't happen.

Durand is figuring out the feeding process as shown in this video from midday today.  It can be frustrating to watch...but the chick does get food finally!  Spark is doing a great job of providing food and earlier this morning I witnessed him stash a prey item right next to the ledge camera.  Caching is a habit of these birds so that when they aren't successful at a kill, they still have food available as a backup.

Now that different activities are going on in the nest it has a lot of people thinking and wondering--and worrying about some things.  I will attempt to touch on some of the issues folks have been mentioning:

Chick seems lethargic:  as stated above, there is not much for a new hatchling to do.  Sitting up and begging for food can be exhausting for this little critter so when it isn't feeding time chances are for the first week or so the only thing the nestling will be doing is lying around.
Chick and/or eggs falling out of the nestbox:    The nestbox actually sets down in a recessed area of the ledge--the lower part of the ledge is several inches below the actual ledge that connects to the edge of just air and space.  Although viewers can't see it very well, there is a platform immediately in front of the nestbox at the same level as the nestbox itself, so it is virtually impossible for eggs to roll--or the chick to fall--out of the box into danger.
Durand panting/sun:  it's a warm week in Columbus and with the nestbox facing south, the temperature in the box can get several degrees warmer than the ambient temperature especially on sunny days.  Therefore, the chick doesn't always need to be brooded tightly.  And, just like a dog, a falcon cools itself by panting.  When Durand is panting, she is actually keeping cool and all is well--she is not overheating.

Keep in mind this nestbox in this location has raised many fledglings over the past 2 decades.  The combination of southern exposure of the ledge, nestbox and gravel is the right combination to attract peregrines year after year resulting in many successful nesting attempts and fledgings.  I hope this information helps put viewers with questions and concerns at ease and we all can just sit back and enjoy the show!
POSTED BY DONNA DANIEL AT 4/30/2013 05:20:00 PM

I didn't see much food go in that hungry little mouth.  :pray:

The little one is eating well!  :thumbsup:

First off, an update:  Everything is going very well at the nest.  After a rough "learning curve" the first couple of days, both Durand and Spark seem to have the feeding process down pat.  The chick is growing fast!!  It is still possible for one or more of the remaining eggs to hatch, but at this point I would be surprised if so.  If it doesn't happen over the weekend then it probably won't happen.  Any eggs that don't hatch will eventually be cast off to the side and ignored as the adults will shift their focus to the chick only.  Sometimes the adults will remove unhatched eggs from the nest, other times they will actually consume them.  In the meantime, as Durand broods the chick, the eggs are continually kept warm so we'll give them another few days before we say definitely the clutch is complete.   :clap:

 :thumbsup: That's great news!  :thumbsup:

   :heart:

Look at that plump little eyas.... parents have learned to feed....

Cropola!!  :o  Well fed indeed nycbird!!

It appears that Durand is finally ready to give up on the eggs.  (In this picture they are spread out...however, as I write this Durand came in to brood the chick and pulled one of the eggs under her again!)  At any rate, the chick continues to do very well.  It has grown to the point that for much of today it was able to be left uncovered! Each day it gets a little more mobile, taking short wanderings around the nestbox.  It's daily routine is pretty much along the lines of:  sleep, eat, chirp, sleep, sit up for a bit, chirp, wander, sleep, eat, sleep, eat again, wander, sleep, chirp, sleep, sit up, chirp, eat, sleep... you get the picture!

She forgot POOH!!!  :devil:

 :rofl: :rofl:

(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/5-11Durand2_zpse65875c6.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/5-11Durand2_zpse65875c6.jpg.html) Baby hungry, really going after Durand for food
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/5-11Durand_zpsb6f7166a.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/5-11Durand_zpsb6f7166a.jpg.html) Durand rolled the eggs under her!  :(
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/5-11Please_zpse32a88ba.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/5-11Please_zpse32a88ba.jpg.html) I would like some food now!!

The chick has been outside the nest for most of the day, and apparently is not being fed. Durand returned to incubating the unhatched eggs. Not a good situation; I hope Donna or someone else in Columbus is monitoring the situation and will help if necessary.

Oh no!  That's not good and she's been doing so well with the baby too!

It's stuck somewhere we can't see..like Scout's baby was all those years ago but in a different spot.  They won't go up until tomorrow which ticks me off as they have known about this for hours and could have gone during light..and it's still light out!!  So instead we have to pray the kid survives the night out there.    :tantrum:

Durand is confused, she tried to feed the eggs earlier.  She hears the crying but thinks it's coming from the egg as when she goes out she can't see the baby.  She was even crying at one point, it was heartbreaking to hear and see.

Cam just went to stripes!!  They might have gone up??  Or baby is by the electrical stuff..hope he's okay.

Praying they did-hope it's Ok. Poor Durand is so confused!

I hear kacking!!  Someone is there!!!  Yay!!!  Baby is back in the box, can see it in the dark.  Parents going nuts!!

I was told they wouldn't go up this late, I'm so glad we were wrong...so happy!!  Just hope Durand doesn't knock herself out with that yelling and flying in the dark!

Saw the little one this am up against the wall. So glad the cams are back up!  :phew:

Oh, I still hear kakking.   :o

           :thumbsup:

(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/5-14Columbaby_zps7d78aae0.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/5-14Columbaby_zps7d78aae0.jpg.html) Yay, he's back and likes that wall!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/5-14Durand_zpsb4e6605b.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/5-14Durand_zpsb4e6605b.jpg.html) Durand prob looking for some food.

(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/5-14Feed_zpsa0da1f92.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/5-14Feed_zpsa0da1f92.jpg.html) Food has arrived!

Baby's got a new name-Zoom! 

I voted for Zoom!!  :clap:

"Say what....Zoom?"  "Sounds about right, as I Zoom-ed out of here last night!"

Congrats! I voted for Miracle.

 :phew: Now that's enough drama from this site! Love the name Zoom!  :clap:

Zoom gets banded this morning 10am, live feed from nest cam.

(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/zoom_zps7039308a.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/zoom_zps7039308a.jpg.html) Pretty soon, bling Zoom!!

Banding in progress, she's a girl!!  :handshake:

(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/zoom2_zps26b2ec46.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/zoom2_zps26b2ec46.jpg.html)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/zoomretrieval_zps17655dfa.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/zoomretrieval_zps17655dfa.jpg.html)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/zoom3_zps19ffbc62.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/zoom3_zps19ffbc62.jpg.html)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/zoom8_zpscd751cfa.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/zoom8_zpscd751cfa.jpg.html)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/zoom9_zpsef20ab89.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/zoom9_zpsef20ab89.jpg.html)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/zoom6_zps34fcf0fc.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/zoom6_zps34fcf0fc.jpg.html)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/zoom7_zps66a18ac1.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/zoom7_zps66a18ac1.jpg.html)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/zoom5_zpsa58fd55b.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/zoom5_zpsa58fd55b.jpg.html)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/zoom4_zps57e15f14.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/zoom4_zps57e15f14.jpg.html)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/zoomback_zps3f172037.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/zoomback_zps3f172037.jpg.html) She's safely back

They did not take the unhatched eggs.  I thought they always wanted to study why they did not hatch....

Perhaps after fledge?

(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/6-1Zoom_zpsf4fff49a.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/6-1Zoom_zpsf4fff49a.jpg.html) Zoom's out and about, getting fed on the ledge!  :o

Wow, she almost got blown off! Not watching this one! So windy up there!  :scaredblue:

Zoom zoomed off the ledge!  :o


Zoom the Columbus, OH falcon yesterday morning accidently while flapping and hopping was gone from the nest box. It was very foggy. We have found out later that she landed on another ledge nearby. She returned to the box last evening. She took off again this morning.

http://youtu.be/zC2vYKFKC-Q (http://youtu.be/zC2vYKFKC-Q)

Zoom's doing well-so far!  :clap:

Zoom Update
THANK YOU to the dozens and dozens of notes sent in about Zoom's fledge last Friday.  I regret because of the volume I won't be able to respond to each one individually, but I will take this opportunity to express my appreciation for every one's enthusiasm and assistance!  We truly support your interest and support in the Division of Wildlife's peregrine falcon project, specifically in watching the Columbus nest!!! 

Here's a recap of fledging events:
Friday, 6/7 about 6:25 a.m. Zoom fledged. 
Friday, 6/7 mid-afternoon she was spied sitting on the Rhodes Tower on the ledge directly to the east of the nest ledge.
Friday, 6/7 by 4:30 Zoom flew back to the nest ledge and remained there the rest of the evening (Note:  I did receive several reports of her being in the nestbox mid afternoon however, that was actually Durand in the nestbox, not Zoom.)
Saturday, 6/8 about 6:25 a.m. Zoom took flight again
Sunday, 6/9 about 3 p.m. Zoom was spotted on the roof of the Rhodes Tower:

As of this morning, Zoom's whereabouts are unknown.  I'm surprised that she has shown herself as much as she has.  Usually when the young fledge, finding them downtown is like looking for a needle in a haystack.  Zoom has shown tremendous flight ability already so I won't be surprised if we see her again.  In the coming days she will be honing her flight skills and learning to hunt for herself.  Durand and Spark will still provide her food to a point but I have a feeling she will be totally independent of them sooner than later.  She will likely remain in the downtown area for several weeks but by later in the summer, will migrate out of the area to hopefully survive and establish a nesting territory of her own.

Meanwhile, Durand and Spark will likely stay in the downtown area all year.  We can expect to see them checking in at the nestbox and even scraping in the gravel.  This behavior is normal and is part of the way they continue their bond with each other and with the nesting site.  The nestbox will be cleaned out in the off season.

Zoom seems to be doing great and we hope this trend continues.  Further updates as information becomes available.  And if we get no further information, remember that no news is good news!!!
POSTED BY DONNA DANIEL AT 6/10/2013 11:25:00 AM


Zoom

(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/6-26Zoom_zps1326ec97.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/djweeds/media/6-26Zoom_zps1326ec97.jpg.html) Zoom came back for breakfast. She's doing well!  :2thumbsup:

Great news!

Mid-Summer News
This past week we have received reports on the whereabouts of 2 falcons from previous Columbus nesting seasons.
Zeus (b/g B/03; 2006 nesting season) has been spotted in Lorain, Ohio. It's reported that he has been making frequent visits on the coastguard tower.
On a sad note, we have received a report from Sandusky, Ohio that Jet (b/r H66), a falcon from the 2009 nesting season was taken to a rehab facility this week. Unfortunately the bird's injuries were too extensive and it had to be euthanized.
One of purposes of bird banding is to track migrations. The two observations above are classic examples of how bird banding provides critical information on the movements of peregrines. Even in the unfortunate case of Jet, we also know--with the help of the leg bands--how old she lived to be.

Back in Columbus, activity at the nest ledge has been very infrequent. There have been few sightings of the adults and none of Zoom. We assume her to be doing well and it is possible that she may have even migrated out of the area.

On a different note, all 3 of the unhatched eggs have now cracked open.  As the summer has progressed, the contents have been decomposing which causes gas pressure to build up inside of the eggs.  At the same, the shells have been degrading.  The result is an egg will pop open when conditions are just right.  The instant the first egg exploded (July 10th) was actually captured on video by a faithful falcon cam viewer.   A rain drop during a heavy thunderstorm must of hit the egg just right causing it to POP!