There is a new webcam this year in Oudenaarde, Belgium.

The nest box, with attached lawn, is located on a church.

Early this morning, when I checked the site, hatching had begun.







http://www.natuurpuntvlaamseardennenplus.be/p_slechtvalk.html

The cameras at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula came back online a few days ago. Today, hatching has begun.

A few hours ago, there was no eggshell:



And now there is eggshell; the first chick has hatched.





http://www.falconsforeveryone.be/live2.jsp?lang=en

Wow, MAK! Congratulations! This is very impressive!

More hatches today! There is a whole lot of eggshell, but Mom is very protective of her chicks:

Beaster and R/13 have been incubating eggs, but now the cam is down.

It was posted on the site that on March 31, a storm knocked out the cam, and that "we looked into ways of repairing the camera without disturbing the expecting parents, but due to a matter of safety and federal law, the falcons and their eggs may not be disturbed."

On April 6, this update was posted:

"April 6th, 2016 - As per Greg Septon, Falconer/Bander - "I visited the nest box this afternoon and was very pleased to find 4 eggs! I had been concerned earlier when I found only 1 egg on my last visit since the female appeared to have been incubating. In any case everything looks normal now.

Estimated Hatch Dates are May 1 - 3. As updates occur, we'll keep you posted!"

Love the photo of R/13 with her eggs which was posted with the update:

Thank you for posting that, Donna. Sad to read that their second attempt was not successful. Savannah and Derek are such a great pair. 

Dot.ca incubating peacefully . . . one look from Beauty, and he's gone.

   

Once again this year Diana and her mate are incubating five eggs:



Hatching could begin at any time . . .

The third egg was laid on April 6:

The second egg was laid in the very early morning of April 4:

The Phoenix pair are now incubating four eggs.

Egg check before daylight:



Sometimes one escapes . . .

Hi Alison! Just wanted to say thank you for all the updates you do! I, for one, appreciate it very much! 

I agree 

Thanks, Carly!

Hi Alison! Just wanted to say thank you for all the updates you do! I, for one, appreciate it very much! 

Thank you so much, MAK!

For years, the resident male at this nest has been Younger, born in 2003 at the Maiden Rock nest site in Wisconsin, banded black/green 04/N. His long-time mate was unbanded.

From 2006 on, Younger was a two-nest iiercel. He had a second nest only half a block away, across the street, where he raised chicks with another female, banded black/red 22/X. For instance, in 2014 he raised three chicks with his unbanded mate at the first site, and three more with 22/X at his other site. Last year, he raised four chicks at his first site, and four chicks also with 22/X.

I thought that Younger and his mate were still the resident pair this year, but last night I found out that Younger was found dead in Minneapolis on March 17 of this year. His injuries were consistent with having been in a territorial battle. It is so sad to have lost this great tiercel. 

This historic nest site was formerly known as the Multifoods Tower. It is the site where the first hack box was placed in the early days of midwest peregrine restoration, and where MF-1 was released in 1986. She went on to be the owner of this site from 1987 until March 1995, when she was found dead in the nest box.

This year, the first egg was laid on April 4:





The second egg was laid yesterday, April 6:





http://www.thefalconsat33.com/