I'm not sure how this whole mating/egg thingie works as last year by the time I discovered the peregrines the eggs had just hatched. TPC could probably give us a clue but from what I've read, this is how I understand it: every time they mate they make an egg, so mate, lay egg, mate again, lay another egg, repeat! This only applies in the Spring of course, if they mate outside the seaon then there are no eggs. From previous logs I've read, the Toronto area peregrines usually start laying eggs next week to the end of March.
Oh wouldn't that make it easy for researchers but no, I'm afraid the birds come home, do some courting - longer for some than others, can be quite short for some of the solid pairs. Princess and Trey were at "it" (PG-13 board and all that) within 48 hours of his return (I believe) last spring, but they have been rather quick getting started all along. So they court, display nest behaviour, partake in some romance etc etc etc. Copulations come in two varieties, the complete and incomplete, with the former beginning at least 2 weeks prior to egg-laying and normally lasting until the third egg is laid. The "act" lasts for between 5 and 10 seconds and they are quite frequent.
So, last year, Princess arrived home a 7-10 days before Trey, they were copulating within a couple of days of his return on the 31st of March. They use the JR sign on the Richardson Building frequently, particularly in the beginning, it lets them both have a separate spot to sit and preen in between loving (see photo gallery - grainy photos, but you can use your imaginations). Last year our first egg laid on April 19, second on the 21st, third on the 23rd, fourth on the 25th or later - usually they lay them much closer together, particularly three and four and it might explain when four was removed by the adults not long into incubation. Eggs didn't start to hatch until May 28th - a week later than usual for these two, actually for most of our pairs at the Radisson. Cold, wet spring.
Does that help with understanding what the TO birds are up to?
