Nest Box Update: Riding Out the Storm
It’s not quite a scene from the Wild West, but there was a standoff of sorts in the nest box today.
The weather’s nasty here, and Kaver’s been incubating the eggs for most of the morning and afternoon. As you can see, Mariah would like a turn.
It’s no surprise that Kaver doesn’t want to give up his comfy seat. After all, it’s cold, wet and windy outside the nest box. Facing to the south, the nest box is protected from the winds in Rochester, which usually blow out of the west. It is getting a little bit wet inside the box, but that’s nothing compared to the messy slush of heavy snow and rain that’s been falling steadily all day in Rochester.
Mariah’s not one to give up, though. For more than two hours she stood next to Kaver in the nest box, moving closer as time passed. Without doubt she’s been vocalizing, using her “wail” to try to get Kaver to move off the eggs. She even got so close it looked like she might sit right on top of him, but Kaver’s having none of it!
She usually gets her way, but not this time. In the end, Kaver stayed on the eggs, while Mariah left the nest box. Look closely at the roof in the upper left corner of the picture below and you’ll see where she went…
-Jess
April 16th, 2007 at 3:39 PM
Thanks for the update Jess! I was beginning to wonder if something was wrong with Kaver, but I guess he’s the smart one…staying in the cozy nestbox! Hopefully Mariah comes back and is able to warm up and dry off too!
April 16th, 2007 at 5:01 PM
It has been fun watching Mariahs attempts to get Kaver to give up his seat on the nest. I too thought she might sit on him at one point. One of my co-workers said it was like watching a typical married couple with the male ignoring his wife. Currently she is outside the box on one of the camera supports waiting to make her move.
April 16th, 2007 at 5:06 PM
Thanks so much for this story – what a treat to know what these two are up to on a rotten April Day.
April 16th, 2007 at 6:47 PM
I was worried about Mariah. Thanks for the explanation. LOVE this website!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 16th, 2007 at 8:56 PM
I just found the “imprints” section today. Thank you Jess for taking the time to update and educate us.
April 17th, 2007 at 2:46 AM
Are there some unique markings on Mariah and Kaver that allow you to easily recognize them? I watched today with both of them in the box and wished that I knew the difference between them. Thank you.
April 17th, 2007 at 8:07 AM
I am so very pleased with Imprints. If I miss viewing M & K for a day or so, I can count on you for any updating news on them. Thank you so much Jess for keeping us all in the know. Eve in Rochester
April 17th, 2007 at 8:44 AM
I love these pictures of M&K!! Thanks, Jess for all you are doing.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:30 AM
I wonder why Mariah wouldn’t stay in the box, even if Kaver remained on the nest? Certainly there’s enough space there for both of them. I pass multiple osprey nests on my way to work daily, and it’s not unusual to see 2 adults in the nest. It was an interesting show, anyway — and it was wonderful to see that the the box was well protected from yesterday’s nasty weather. Thanks!
April 17th, 2007 at 9:38 AM
Good old Mariah & Kaver, just like any married couple, what a delightful pair!!
April 17th, 2007 at 10:21 AM
@Melissa- Check out the other articles in Imprints for more information about the falcons, including how to tell Mariah and Kaver apart.
April 17th, 2007 at 10:52 AM
There he is again this morning (Tues &:45 pst) warming the eggs. I couldn’t believe the times I logged on to the site and Kaver was not going to move. At one point it looked like Mariah may have pecked him and left one of his small white under feathers on his head. Thanks so much for everything….your site is my break time since I work at home.
April 17th, 2007 at 11:05 AM
Jess, thank you for your commentary. This is our 2nd year watching these birds and we really look forward to your updates.
April 17th, 2007 at 1:20 PM
Just wondering, is 4 eggs all what Mariah will have ? There has been a lot of time passed since the 4th egg. …….
April 17th, 2007 at 2:43 PM
Jess can you tell me why do birds come back to there nest ?
April 17th, 2007 at 5:49 PM
Its 5:45 pm and Kaver is still on the eggs. Mariah is sitting out on the railing, maybe she gave up and is waiting for kAVER TO GET HUNGRY AND LEAVE.
April 17th, 2007 at 6:30 PM
Do these birds have ears? When Mariah is having one of her agitated moments, she looks like an angry cat with it’s ears pinned back. There seems to be what appears to be little ears at the back of here head.
April 18th, 2007 at 7:59 AM
I have kept journal on falcons since 2000. What an improvement to site. I never get bumped even on dialup and info is wonferful. Thanks everyone.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:57 AM
I checked the journals and didn’t see a reply to why they don’t both stay in the nest box at the same time. It looks large enough for both of them, and it would be nicer than hanging around out in the icky weather.
April 18th, 2007 at 11:17 AM
@Debbie- It looks like 4 eggs is going to be it for 2007.
@Camus- We believe the falcons return to the Kodak nest box year after year because it is an ideal location for them to raise their young.
@Rick- Peregrines do have ears, but they don’t have external ear structures or feathers to indicate ears.
@Ann- The falcons don’t view the nest box as a home, but only as a place to lay and incubate their eggs. In natural settings Peregrines often perch in open locations such as cliff ledges, so they’re used to being exposed to the weather.
April 18th, 2007 at 2:32 PM
Jess-
On the last (Kodak) website for Rochester’s Falcons, there was a “graph” with the family history of Mariah, her mates and her babies. It listed all the falcon’s names and the years they were born, etc. I really liked to look at that and see in one graph, just how successful “our falcons” have been. Would it be possible to “add” that somewhere to this website? I know I would appreciate it! Thanks.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:58 PM
Melissa…you can tell them apart by looking right above their beak. Mariah has a little white spot right above her beak and Kavar does not. That is how I tell them apart.
April 19th, 2007 at 3:16 PM
It is easy to tell the two apart when they are together. Mariah is much bigger than Kaver. Can’t wait til the eggs hatch!
April 19th, 2007 at 4:01 PM
I second Terri’s request. (Actually that’s the information I was referring to in my 4/5 request, but I didn’t word it quite so well — thanks, Terri.) It would be nice to see the whole family tree. Thanks for all the education on these beautiful birds.
April 19th, 2007 at 6:33 PM
Dall’Italia, un caro saluto a tutti coloro che seguono Mariah e Kaver.
Anche io, e le mie due nipotine, Alice e Lavinia, aspettiamo con ansia la nascita dei piccoli
Ciao a tutti
[From Italy, a beloved salute to all those who follow Mariah and Kaver. I and my neices, Alice and Lavinia, are anxiously awaiting the birth of the little ones.] – ed
April 20th, 2007 at 11:57 AM
Ciao Renato a noi ci fa piacere che anche in Italia I nostri Falconi the Rochester sono conosciuti. Un saluto a tutti, ciao.
April 20th, 2007 at 12:57 PM
Jess, I have noticed Mariah has had her mouth open all day today….why? do they do that when they are hot, like dogs?
April 21st, 2007 at 12:34 PM
Good afternoon to all my bird watching friends!
I am so glad to be able to be a part of watching Mariah and Kavar again this year, having moved from Rochester to NC last fall I was hoping to be able to keep track of them. Thank you for keeping this website up and running Jess, you are doing a fabulous job!! Wish we could be there in person to watch their progress, always loved going to the RedWings games and catching glimpes of them flying back and forth with food for the little ones!
April 21st, 2007 at 9:45 PM
Thank you for the info re: telling them apart. I could easily see the differences once they were pointed out to me 🙂 Seems to be a problem with the main camera today, same pic for hours.
April 21st, 2007 at 10:06 PM
When can we expect the first hatch. Should we start a pool?
April 22nd, 2007 at 2:23 PM
I’ll take May 2 Susan, what’s your guess?
April 23rd, 2007 at 7:15 AM
I’ll say May 3, because it’s my daughter Renee’s birthday.
April 23rd, 2007 at 9:27 AM
Good morning. I have missed “my” falcons. I just had eye surgery and couldn’t visit for several days. I think I was going through withdrawls. Thanks for the update, Jess. I watched the standoff for over one and a half hours, and captured some wonderful images. Mariah & Kaver are now my wallpaper.
I was also wondering when the excitment might start up again. I’ve tried counting the weeks. Maybe May 5, as that is my Doxie’s birthday. Who knows, but I’ll be able to see them better now.
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:59 AM
Hi Everyone,
I’d like to take a guess at a May 8th hatch date.
April 27th, 2007 at 7:39 PM
hi
I have bet hatch date 11 may 10:37 am so dont let me down M&K…
May 1st, 2007 at 10:30 AM
Merci beaucoup pour toutes ces informations.
De Montréal
Fraden
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:58 PM
I would like to take a guess at the hatch date for M&K’s eggs. I am guessing on May 13th