New Peregrine cam in Australia

[patsy6]

Second egg!  Unfortunately mama Diamond seems to be really struggling when laying.  If you check out the clip I posted with the first egg, you'll see that her labor was long, and apparently egg #2 was even worse. Poor thing.  I hope she continues to do okay afterward. 

Second egg for 2016 running on time
Published 30 August, 2016 | By Scott Banks
Diamond’s second egg arrived at around 11.21am this morning (Tuesday AEST), with plenty of painful effort and quite some regurgitation. Diamond is not finding this stage at all easy, but she’s doing really well and both eggs appear to be in good condition. Video clips to come…

[Kris G.]

                         3 eggs!   

[patsy6]

It looks like Bula and Dot.ca are birds of a feather, pardon the expression.  He recently had a 1/2 hour standoff with Diamond trying to force him off the eggs to no avail. 

From Cilla Kinross:  And yesterday afternoon the pair sat quietly together, with Bula on eggs, for nearly half an hour, before Diamond gave up trying to dislodge our very maternal male!  Anyway, it’s a good opportunity to see them close together, so you can clearly see the difference in the yellow tones and size.

[Carol P.]

 

[patsy6]

This is not the good news I was expecting this weekend:

Bula is missing?

Published 2 October, 2016 | By Cilla Kinross

I may be wrong, but I don’t think I’ve recorded a sighting of Bula since 1300 on 30th September ie Friday.   This is not at all a good sign.  As far as I can tell Diamond has not had a feed since then (over two days) and, coupled with the frenzied activity on the Thursday, when I suspected an intruder, and the eggs were only irregularly incubated, I fear the worst.

And I don’t think that it is a coincidence that the box was visited by a strange female today, a very large bird that was instantly chased away (definitely not Bula).    I’d show you some stills, but the software is once again playing up.  I’ll send them to Scott and see if he can upload the stills or a videos.   I went around afterwards to see if I could see this bird again (or Bula) but all was quiet.   It could be an offspring from previous year.

Bad weather (and we’ve had plenty of that) does often lead to reproductive failure and so these problems may stem from difficulty in procuring food (they can’t complain of their nest getting wet!).   Or it may be that something has happened to Bula and he’s no longer able to hunt.

Anyway, let’s hope that I am wrong and that Bula (or another ‘suitable’ male) turns up again.  It’s a pity she isn’t inclined to accept another female, but I don’t think peregrines are that progressive:).  It’s also not unheard of for peregrines to raise a brood on their own, but very unusual and the poor weather (more expected tonight) is definitely not helping.

Fingers crossed.

[patsy6]

Cilla Kinross says:

3 October, 2016 at 6:55 pm

Yes, Diamond has finally had a feed, possibly a pigeon; not sure as it arrived headless and wingless, and I thought I saw a hint of yellow…but I am assuming she caught it herself as she was gone from the box for just over 10 minutes. There is a crack in one of the eggs, but no sign of chicks as yet. Perhaps tonight, but tomorrow is pretty much the last chance for hatching as it would be 33 days.

[MAK]

Hoping for the best at this site. 

[carly]

BCAW posted awhile ago that the egg hatched.  No sign of male as of yet.

[patsy6]

BCAW posted awhile ago that the egg hatched.  No sign of male as of yet.

Thanks, carly.  Poor Bula!  And poor Diamond and baby(ies)!

[patsy6]

From the website:

Shep says:
4 October, 2016 at 3:08 am
We have a hatch!
October 4, 2016 Shepnotes
Shortly after 1.30 am in Oz I saw her peep – probly to her chick.
She is wiggling almost continually

2.45 am Oct 4 Oz
11.45 am US edt
There is a shell! Chick #1 has arrived!

[Kris G.]

From the website:

Shep says:
4 October, 2016 at 3:08 am
We have a hatch!
October 4, 2016 Shepnotes
Shortly after 1.30 am in Oz I saw her peep – probly to her chick.
She is wiggling almost continually

2.45 am Oct 4 Oz
11.45 am US edt
There is a shell! Chick #1 has arrived!

Video of baby is posted on BCAW..sad for her if Bula's gone.

[MAK]

Maybe only the one will hatch making it easier for one parent to raise. 

[carly]

BCAW reporting a second egg has hatched.     They said she's been back and forth a few times but no food coming in and no sign of Bula yet. 

I can't watch but I"m following their posts.

[Kris G.]

BCAW reporting a second egg has hatched.     They said she's been back and forth a few times but no food coming in and no sign of Bula yet. 

I can't watch but I"m following their posts.

  Oh, how sad!   

[patsy6]

2nd hatch!!! But still no sign of Bula.   

Diamond struggles on
Published 4 October, 2016 | By Cilla Kinross
Incubated eggs can be left uncovered even in cool weather for 2 hours, and even up to six hours in one case, with a brood being successfully reared, so it seems that the disruptions last week have not had a major impact.

Two chicks have been hatched overnight.  Both appear to be healthy, although the second seemed to lack feathers, but I think it was just a bit wet.

Diamond was obviously very distressed, dithering between the need to keep the chicks warm (it is quite cold and windy here today) and the need to fetch food.

Finally at half past one, she left for a proper hunt and was successful after an hour (probably a pigeon, very pink legs).  And the chicks have received a feed (at least one has, by the blood on the beak; not sure about the other as she had her back to the camera).

No sign of Bula or alternative male, but she more she shows herself, the more likely she will be seen by a prospective mate.   I am fairly certain this nest box is a prized site, so would be well known to visiting peregrines (as well as past offspring, of course).

Apologies for no photos.  It’s the website, not the software, I think, so I’ll see if Scott can fix it.  If not, I’ll think of another solution…Facebook perhaps.