Radisson - 2009 / Trey & Princess

[Loriann]

IN my house 'fluffing' is a polite word for an entirely different sort of , um, bodily function.  yes you needed to know that   

[The Peregrine Chick]

0918hrs (local) - just watched Princess pick up and then drop an eggshell and what occurred to me is that the cam was shaking, Princess was having minor "fluffs"* but the eggshells were not getting blown around inside the box.  Could mean that the sides of the box are providing some decent wind protection for little things (shells, chicks) in the box.  Princess was able to hold on and not get flipped yesterday and Trey has figured out how to get way low in the box so it looks like it could be helping everyone some!


* for our newer readers, "fluffing" = when the wind fluffs up the peregrines' feathers

[The Peregrine Chick]

Probably just make her really try to eat it!

[Eye-spy]

Some are more aggressive, some are more flighty, some don't eat their nestboxes, you get the idea.

I told you to put Tobasco to the box to stop her......

[The Peregrine Chick]

Three beautiful little chicks in the morning sun, little beaks reaching up for food.  Princess is standing in the northeast corner of the box, giving us a great view of the babes.  They look really big to me for such young chicks.  TPC, what do you think?

Nope, normal size.  The nest-tray is I think giving you a scale to work with.  They look bigger because they are contained in a smaller space.  Yesterday they were all in eggs about the size of a medium sized chicken egg - and you can only get so much chick in a space that size ...

2) the difference in parenting technique between Princess and the Elk River female. Princess is much more gentle at feeding time and more careful about placing food in the chicks' beaks (rather than stabbing at them). I am imagining this or is Princess just a more experienced caregiver?

Nope, Princess is very good at her job and no, I don't believe its a case of more experience, just different personalities/individuals.  Some are more aggressive, some are more flighty, some don't eat their nestboxes, you get the idea.

[Loriann]

what a great article.. the more the word gets out, the more people will care !

[dodobird]

Thanks Tracy.

[The Peregrine Chick]

For those of you who don't get a paper copy of the Winnpeg Free Press 

Peregrines nest on ledge again despite losses

[bccs]

Hey guys, check out page 1 in section B of the Free Press today

[jadoo]

the nestbox is getting a good workout from the falcons, the way it was being ripped at - if it survives it'd be a great tribute to rubbermaid products...

[maggieblue]

Baffled, I have noticed too that some falcons seem to have a better feeding technique with the new chicks, Princess and Aria in Rome come to mind.  Like Princess,  Aria was very gentle with her chicks, feeding tiny portions, making sure everyon got their turn, and "talking" to them all softly throughout.  Scout in Colombus, although she has had chicks before, and the Elk River mom seemed to have a much harder time.  Initially Scout wasn't getting close enough and was trying to feed big chunks that the chicks couldn't handle.  It all seems to work out though.

[Baffled]

What amazes me are two things:
1) how quickly the chicks grow. These little guys are still wobbly, sometimes have trouble holding their heads up, or pointing them in the correct direction, and are still working on using the chick pile for supporting themselves. The Elk River chicks, who are just one week older, have mastered feeding time and chick pile already.
2) the difference in parenting technique between Princess and the Elk River female. Princess is much more gentle at feeding time and more careful about placing food in the chicks' beaks (rather than stabbing at them). I am imagining this or is Princess just a more experienced caregiver?
Whoops! A couple of good face-plants during that feeding!

[maggieblue]

Three beautiful little chicks in the morning sun, little beaks reaching up for food.  Princess is standing in the northeast corner of the box, giving us a great view of the babes.  They look really big to me for such young chicks.  TPC, what do you think?

[maggieblue]

Feeding time again.  The chicks don't seem quite as keen this time, perhaps still full from the previous meal.  From the shadow moving off I assume that Trey left, his job done.  

[carly]

Second breakfast..9:17 am EST