[I never thought Tasha's eggs would hatch after all the fighting and her off the eggs for so long..]

The Gulf Tower peregrines have really surprised me.  With all the drama that occurred in late March and early April — when Tasha laid two eggs, then Dori took over the nest site and laid three more — I really expected the eggs would hatch days apart and that only Dori’s would be viable.

Instead, yesterday two more of the five eggs hatched, so that all four hatched within 48 hours.

There are now four peregrine chicks at Gulf Tower.

Here are some “babyâ€� pictures from today and yesterday.  My thanks go to Jennie Barker, Traci Darin and Marianne Atkinson for capturing most of these images.  (I captured the feeding this morning.)

I never thought Tasha's eggs would hatch after all the fighting and her off the eggs for so long..

Beauty

Poor Billy! 

The Falcon Release Program has been introduced by H.H. The Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in 1995. The program’s objective was to return wild peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) and saker falcons (Falco cherrug) to their original habitat. In this great conservational effort so far more than 1,190 falcons have been released in release locations like Pakistan, Iran or Kazakhstan. The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital is in charge of the medical surveillance of the falcon release program. It fully examines all falcons to ensure that they are healthy and fit to be sent for release. Only fully healthy falcons that are physically trained and fit can be released back to the wild. Moreover, the satellite transmitters are fitted in the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital after selection of suitable falcons.

Every year during spring time, the falcons are taken from UAE to the release locations situated on the natural migration routes of wild falcons. The final release areas are carefully chosen in unpopulated regions and depend on the availability of food like small birds and water e.g. rivers & lakes. Several falcons are fitted with satellite transmitters to monitor the flight paths and provide data about the survival rates of the released falcons.

 
In May 2009, 68 wild falcons were released in Kazakhstan. Out of 68 falcons, 46 were Peregrine falcons and 22 were Saker falcons.  3 of the peregrine falcons and 7 saker falcons were fitted with battery powered and solar satellite transmitters. One of those falcons flew already more than 2,250km after being released.   

We think the female may have found a new mate!  We’ve been seeing a male falcon in the area the past week, especially the past couple days.   They’ve been seen flying together and he’s been diving in front of her while she sits on the building watching him.  Last night it looked like she was working on a new scrape so we’re not sure what to expect of the current clutch.  She’s currently sitting on them but today is day 36 and still no signs of hatching.  We haven’t given up on them yet though!

Several of you have asked if we would be able to help the female falcon in any way.  Here is some information from Craig Koppie, USFWS, Endangered Species/Raptor Biologist, that will likely be of interest to you and others….

“As you know, we have likely lost the resident male falcon right at a critical time during the final week of incubation. Obviously, he was essential to his mate as a provider of food, nest protection and sharing with incubation duties among a myriad of other important tasks after hatching! Yesterday, I spoke with Anthony and Kim and laid out an action plan whereby we could augment food deliveries at the nest box. This would allow her more time at the nest and less time flying about the city looking for prey. I traveled up to Wilmington today, after making arrangements with Brandywine personnel. I met with Paul Wharton and between the two of us we had the tools to make a food “drop shoot� (hole w/ sliding lid cover). The hole is approximately 4 inches. The placement is such that any food delivered will drop onto the ledge just before the step-down onto the pea gravel. In this manner, we are less likely to startle her.

I cut the hole 5 minutes after she left the eggs at approximately 9:35. Once the hole was cut, I dropped a full sized pigeon onto the back ledge. I plucked some breast feathers to make it look freshly delivered. She returned at 10:45; she looked at the pigeon and then looked out over the city and into the sky several times. She didn’t waste a lot more time and went about plucking feathers and tearing meat. I am happy to report that she must be feeding on some prey during her outings because she did not appear to me to be extremely hungry. She ate the head and neck, then flew off the front ledge with it (11:05).

At 11:20, she flew back to the front of the box and began to vocalize while looking upwards. Based on the type of vocalization, I believe it was another falcon and not a distress call to warn off other raptors. Soon there after, she jumped down to her eggs and began to gather them closer together with her legs and feet. She appeared less interested in the eggs now than what is lurking in the sky. She moved to the ledge.

At 11:40, she flew from the ledge. I departed at 12:10.

If hatching is successful in the next two day, food deliveries (quail) will be provided at appropriate times. A big thanks to Kim and Paul …with any luck we should see some hatching activity in the next 24 hours. If not, there is a remote possibility that I will provide her with a foster chick(s). Stay tuned. Craig�

Thanks Craig!!! 

  Still 2 there. Maybe Polly got a good talking to by dad...he seemed more disturbed over the "TAKE" than mom.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/53052.html

Beauty out Archer in 5:15

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — A troublesome smoky wild grass fire was expected to continue burning in marshy lands west of the intersection of U.S. 1 and Indrio Road, but a nest with bald eagles in the burned area is safe, a state official said.

The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office closed off Indrio Road from U.S. 1 to Taylor Dairy at about 2 p.m. Monday, to safeguard firefighters, but opened it during the evening.

Since Sunday afternoon, the fire, off the 200 block of Del Mundo Street on the west side of U.S. 1, has burned 300 acres in a largely inaccessible marsh, said Florida Division of Forestry spokeswoman Melissa Yunas. A cause has not been determined.

About 75 acres were left to burn towards the end of the day and firefighters were remaining on the scene Monday night.

The fire was 95 percent contained and firefighters decided to let it burn itself out.

“Due to wind shifts and wet marsh, it is difficult to get the fire contained,� Yunas said. She said a marsh is difficult to access.

The fast-moving fire has been wind-driven and there’s potential for it to burn up to 400 acres, she said. Forecasters at the National Weather Service were expecting a windy day Tuesday, with an east-southeast wind between 15 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Until neighboring residents called Sunday night, firefighters didn’t know there is an active eagle’s nest in a tall dead pine tree in the midst of the burning area.

“We had a lot of 911 calls,� she said.

About 9:30 p.m. Sunday, firefighters safeguarded the tree and nest — with two adults and one fledging eagle in it — by doing a preventive burn. The grasses around the tree were purposely set afire so the wildfire couldn’t get to it, Yunas said.

Also firefighters put in fire lanes to protect several homes in the distance.

No homes were threatened at the end of the day Monday and smoke wasn’t affecting operations at the St. Lucie County International Airport.

The fire has been burning the tops of marsh grasses up to 5 feet tall.

On Sunday, the fire was about 50 acres in size and began about 3 p.m.

  A juvenile eagle sits on a dead pine next to its nest Monday afternoon along U.S. 1 in northern St. Lucie County. The nest is active with two adults regularly seen there as well as the juvenile. A brush fire on Sunday threatened the tree and nest, although firefighters made a fire break around the area so the nest would stay intact.

I checked the site and there were no updates.  Milton is really beautiful and Nemo is just precious!  I think Milton should find Mariah and make babies

Yes     

[Their called "shapeshifters"]

I love the expressions and the shapes they "shift" into 

Their called  "shapeshifters" 

no you don't have to wonder, just read the stuff they publish as news most of them are ignorant morons. 

    so true!

They nest in Canada, way up north some in Alaska too.

I guess I have to go there to see them....Alaska 

 1+1=2 plus 1 equals 3!
-
Sarah Washington Reports:

WOW! Hamilton now has 3 beautiful chicks at the Sheraton Hotel! We are still waiting for one more to hatch, but that should not be long.

They look so small, and fuzzy…as always though….the do not stay that way for long.

Stay tuned!

!!! First Hatch at MEC!
May 09, 2010 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
Guylaine Drolet Reports:

Hi Guys,
Had a bit of a scare today, dad was sitting on eggs and the first hatchling. The little one was being very agitated, dad pick it up from the neck and took it across the nest box, dragging it around. I thought that he was going to kill the baby, I think that dad may have gotten a bit confused and may have thought that it was prey. Anyway, after he poked at it a few times and stepped on it too, he finally dragged it back where the eggs were and after a while, things settled down. VERY SCARY to see.. Big Frank and Loriann also saw this incident. 
Take care,
GfD