On the Road to Fledgeville
The eyases are about seven to ten days from fledging, or taking their first flights. Nearly full grown, they’re getting more independent and daring. Soon they’ll take their first steps outside of the nest box. The perch rail in front of the box is likely to be their first stop, but it won’t be long before they take short hops up to the roof and to the small ledges on either side of the scrape. From there, they’ll venture down to the catwalk a few feet below the nest box. The catwalk goes all the way around the steeple at the top of the Kodak Tower, and the eyases may spend several days there before making their first flights. Even after they fledge, they’ll return to it for several days. Camera 1 comes into its own when they make the move to the catwalk, which longtime falcon watchers have dubbed the falcons’ “playpen”. The camera’s ability to pan, tilt and zoom allows us to cover most of the south and east sides of the catwalk to keep tabs on the adventurous eyases.
The nestlings are now old enough to feed themselves by grasping prey with their feet and tearing at it with their bills. Voracious as always, they jump on food as soon as it’s delivered. Mariah and Kaver have stopped going into the nest to feed the eyases. Instead, they land on the perch rail outside the nest box and transfer the prey to the nearest eyas. The girls aren’t bashful about getting their fair share either, as the picture at the left demonstrates.
The eyases are always hungry, and now they’re mobile enough to be on the lookout for Mariah or Kaver bringing food. Whenever one of them appears in the sky, whether they have food or not, the nestlings are likely to begin wailing. When they wail for food they’re loud enough to be heard all the way down onto the street below, sometimes even over the traffic noise!
All that food is being used to build up their flight muscles. They’ll soon need them– fledging is expected to begin somewhere around the 20th of June. To get in shape for fledging, the eyases have already begun exercising their wings with furious flapping and stretching.
A few of our viewers have written comments indicating that one or another of the eyases has already flown. It’s still a little early for that, and none of the nestlings have left the scrape yet. It can be hard to see them in the nest box, especially when they crouch behind each other. Fledging is as important as hatching, and you can rest assured that we’ll let everyone know when the young falcons take their first flights. In the meantime they’re being fed regularly and the girls are growing stronger every day. Keep watching and maybe you’ll see one of them take their steps beyond the nest box!
June 14th, 2007 at 4:35 PM
It is going to be very interesting to watch the prefledging behavior this year. With no brothers to egg them on, the girls may be content to stay in the nestbox longer than we are use to seeing. Also with one less almost adult size bird in the nestbox it doesn’t look quite as crowded as it has in those five eyas days.
June 15th, 2007 at 8:52 AM
Thanks for giving us another update. This is my first year watching, and you are certainly a good teacher. I have learned so much and will miss them so when they go. Then I’ll be waiting impatiently for next year.
Thanks again, and I’ve got to say to the girls, “You Go Girls!”
June 15th, 2007 at 3:09 PM
I hadn’t thought about the sibling influence. It’s getting pretty exciting to think they’ll be flying soon. I’ve saved bunches of pictures every day, and told some West Coast friends who have watched them a few times. My girlfriend said she was watching around noon today when them were being fed by mom or dad(?), and I’ve noticed that this usually occurs between 10am and noon.
June 16th, 2007 at 2:17 PM
Looks like pretty soon they will be flying and we will have to wait for another year. Thanks so much for sponcering this site !
June 16th, 2007 at 3:35 PM
Thanks for the updates! I can’t wait to see them fledge. How exciting to have a front row seat! Thanks for this site and all you’re doing for birds everywhere!
June 17th, 2007 at 7:18 AM
It is just 7AM Sunday and I was watching the first chick step off the ledge to he railling in front. They are fine and all looking and seem to be saying ” see it wasn’t so hard”.
June 17th, 2007 at 9:57 AM
Wow Like One of the falcons is testing her wings and her mama at the same time. mariah is off in the distance watching her very closely.
June 17th, 2007 at 10:05 AM
I was mistaken… 🙁 It was Ananta sitting on the perch! Sorry about that folks! 🙂 She sure has been the leader, hasn’t she?
June 17th, 2007 at 11:22 AM
Ananta has been out on the perch today…stretching her wings. Sacajawea has been watching her…looking like she wants to be out there too! So fun to watch. I will really miss them when they’re gone….
June 17th, 2007 at 1:02 PM
sunday, 13:01, happy fathers’ day Kevar! hey, has one of the girls ventured out of the scrape????? looks like linn is exclaiming “hey,where’d you go?” i only count three ladies……………………………(but i COULD be wrong…)
June 17th, 2007 at 2:36 PM
Looks like Ananta is beyond the nest/scrape and sitting on the metal support of the main camera.
June 17th, 2007 at 3:50 PM
Ananta is sitting outside the box on the building ledge to the right of the box.
June 17th, 2007 at 4:01 PM
So Ananta beat out the others to go beyond the inside of the scrape. The girls look to be a little envious of her. Sorry I could not make it to the meeting yesterday. Maybe next year. Erin
June 17th, 2007 at 6:05 PM
She getting bolder and walking around on the ledge.