Hatching Should Happen Soon
Peregrines usually begin incubating their eggs when the next to last egg is laid. Mariah laid her fourth egg on April 5th, so as of today she and Kaver have been brooding the eggs for 30 days. In last year’s article about incubation and hatching we discussed the fact that Peregrines usually incubate their eggs for 33 to 35 days. There’s also a lot of good information in that article about how the hatching process works, so if you’ve forgotten about it, now is a good time to go back and catch up!
Anyway, we should see the first hatching within the next few days, perhaps as soon as Thursday! Keep your eyes on Mariah and Kaver. They’ll move around quite a bit when they start to hear the sounds of the eyases breaking through the egg shells. Just like 2007, all the eggs should be hatched in time for Mothers Day on May 11.
-Jess
May 6th, 2008 at 7:12 PM
Hooray!!! I can’t wait!!!
I also wanted to thank everyone that has been involved in getting updates on all of Mariah’s offspring. It is great to see where they are and what they are doing.
I was sad to hear about the falcon that had to destroy her eggs. How very awful that must be for her. I hope that she is okay.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:48 PM
Last year the first egg hatched on May 7th. I didn’t write down when she laid her last egg, but last year she laid her first egg on March 26th and she also laid her first egg on March 26th this year, too.
I’m going to be keeping a close watch tomorrow!
May 6th, 2008 at 10:11 PM
I am so excited anticipating the eggs hatching. I missed that part last year not finding the website until banding day. I have been watching faithfully and reading all the wonderful information on the website. I am way out here in Washington State !
May 7th, 2008 at 12:04 AM
Hey Donna I think you might be on to something Ill keep a close watch tomorrow too! I know that if I miss anything that the people who run the falcon cam will be sure to tell us whats going on! Keep up the great work guys! I sure hope those eggs will start cracking soon! Come on guys you can do it! lol 😀
May 7th, 2008 at 4:26 AM
I have been watching very close… I have noticed that both of them,, have been looking down at their eggs,,as if they feel something going on..I hope tomorrow will be a Happy Day for our Falcons….Happy Falcon Egg Hatching!!!!!!!!! This is my first year,, thanks to my sister–and loving every minute;;;;;; I feel like I’m — waiting and watching for my grandchild to hatch.. lol
May 7th, 2008 at 2:36 PM
I have also been watching Rhea Mae in Toronto, and I can’t confirm, but I think she may have hatched one. I did get pics, but I can’t post on this blog. Fingers crossed and anxiously await Mariah’s hatch.
May 7th, 2008 at 2:39 PM
Mariah is looking very antsy today. Every picture shows her in a new position. I think hatching might have begun!! Keep your eyes peeled!
Sandy in Pinellas Park, FL USA
May 7th, 2008 at 2:42 PM
The fourth graders have been watching for a long time. We can’t wait to see the hatching of the eggs.
May 7th, 2008 at 5:36 PM
It’s confirmed…Rhea Mae & Tiago have their first hatch!
May 7th, 2008 at 5:54 PM
Jess,
Do the camera make noises? Often the falcons are looking right at the camera. Just now Kaver(I think) is looking over his back to see the camera
May 7th, 2008 at 7:00 PM
EI,
Can you please send the link to the Toronto site where Rhea Mae is. I work at the Travelers in Hartford and our falcons did not return this year. I love this site.
May 7th, 2008 at 7:13 PM
There are two hatches in Toronto now, 2 eggs have hatched. Awesome, our little Rhea Mae, now a mother.
Mariah is very antsy indeed. She is listing to the eggs, and keeps doing that, and was moving a lot. I think it has begun. It is so very great to hear those little shri-shri-shri coming out of the eggs. And they start screaming louder if the parent starts ee-chupping. It’s exciting, again. Keep our talons crossed.
(I think when they look right into the cam, that the other one is sitting on the cam)
Froona
May 8th, 2008 at 1:37 AM
@AJ- The cameras don’t make very much noise at all, and none unless they’re moving. What noise they do make is drowned out by the street and wind noise. Peregrines are sharpest visually so it’s most likely that when one of them seems to be looking at the camera they’re actually looking at something beyond it that may have caught their attention.
@Kim- You can find a link to the Canadian Peregrine Foundation’s website under the Friends of the Falconcam section on the right side of the Imprints screen.
May 8th, 2008 at 1:42 AM
I think they have moved the eggs back to the back corner of the box – I have an image from the main camera at 20:36 that shows Mariah huddled at the back left, apparently with part of her body or wing smooshed up against the back wall. Perhaps she is protecting someone?
May 8th, 2008 at 9:18 AM
I think I see an eggshell – how nice.
May 8th, 2008 at 9:34 AM
Indeed the eggshell popped out from under Mariah at 3:53 or 4 (camera time) this morning.
May 8th, 2008 at 9:53 AM
We have an official hatch… I have a series of stills off camera 2 and the main camera that show the hatching, and Mariah eating part of the shell…. if anyone can tell me where to send them, I’d be more than happy to share!
May 8th, 2008 at 10:11 AM
I revise my statement above… the hatch was before the stills I have… I have Mariah eating part one of the hatchling’s shell, and then cleaning the nest at 4:37 and taking out piece 2 of the shell and starting to eat that! The stills I have cover from 4-5 am. Camera 2 images are much better than the main camera, as the main camera either froze a lot or is much slower to refresh. Anyway, still more than happy to share!
May 8th, 2008 at 10:27 AM
I could be crazy, but I think she just kicked another one out, and I think I see the reflection of light off the eye of the little guy? Still capturing stills at this point, so should be able to see soon!
May 8th, 2008 at 10:33 AM
Oh well, wishful thinking… the main camera has enough light to show that it’s just a piece of the shell reflecting light back into camera 2… but we definitely have shell! Yay!
May 8th, 2008 at 10:37 AM
Good morning! What a wonderful morning it is!
Can’t wait until it’s light enough to see for sure how many have hatched. Like Alison & ezsha, I first saw a shell fragment at 3:53AM and a second one at 4:47AM.
ezsha-yes, the main cam refreshes less often than the other 4. Only cam 2 has night vision capability.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:55 AM
Okay, it is two… Mariah brought out another big piece of shell at 5:53, and then settled down on top of it! Kaver showed up for just a frame, and then took off, no doubt because Mariah had it all under control!
May 8th, 2008 at 10:58 AM
Way to GO , “Mama Mariah” !!! Happy Mothers Day !!!
May 8th, 2008 at 11:12 AM
The males always show up after hatching. Very much in the interest of pair bonding, I would say – would that all human fathers took as much interest as Kaver!
Two within about 2 hours! Maybe hatching extremely close together is the new fashion, it happened in Cleveland, Indianapolis and Harrisburg this year as well.
May 8th, 2008 at 11:56 AM
Confirmation of first chick siting at 6:54, curled up under mama! Where do I send the still?
May 8th, 2008 at 12:00 PM
YAY!!
May 8th, 2008 at 12:23 PM
7:20 am: Mariah leaves the nest with two little ones visible, Kaver comes in and settles right down! YAY! Okay, so I’m impatient, but I have stills from 4 this morning through now… and I want to share them here! How?
May 8th, 2008 at 12:24 PM
Oh! 3rd egg has a pip!
May 8th, 2008 at 12:42 PM
I see an empy shell!!! HOORAY!! My family and I enjoy this site sooo much. Looking and waiting for the next hatchijngs. Tom
May 8th, 2008 at 12:45 PM
ezsha-I’m sure Jess will use our comments find the right times and browse through the archive to post an update!
By the way…for those who may be so inclined…if you go to the main Imprints page on the right side you’ll find a menu of Friends of the Falconcam…there are 2 forums listed there where many of us share our excitement & wonder at this miracle! Shaky’s Archive Viewer is also a fun place to explore.
May 8th, 2008 at 1:00 PM
Thanks Ei! I’ve had lots of fun capturing all the stills and going through them, but it’s nice to know that others have already automated that project! It will be interesting to see when #3’s shell shows up!
May 8th, 2008 at 10:39 PM
tHIS IS ALL GREAT..BUT I WONDER HOW DO YOU ALL HEAR THE SOUNDS THESE BIRDS ARE MAKING?