MN / Great Spirit Bluff - 2016-22

[GCG]

UPDATE from today

"As The Bluff Turns 
March 8
Newman appears to be courting Nina
1 pm  Newman's been feeding her all day!
Who will lay the (first) egg ?

2 pm  both were inside box and SUDDENLY both flew out, feathers flying
One was kakking - who / what'd they chase?
That was pretty funny!

Here is his lady love

Female Nina M/04 - 2019 Milwaukee Biosci
https://www.peregrinefalcon-bcaw.net/viewforum.php?f=494"

[The Peregrine Chick]

Sounds like Hart last year ... without busybody Ella's interference.
Hope Newman has better luck with one of his lady friends.

[GCG]

2021 NESTING SEASON

I thought I would share an update on this site. Newman, the male has been busy "courting" what has been called a harem. The cam is live. Here is what I can share of the females from the Forum   https://raptorresource.org/raptorresource/forum/index.php?topic=2716.0

Peregrine Falcon Cam - https://www.explore.org/livecams/birds/falcon-nest-cam
Newman (male) a 6 females, including Nova from last year
Juvie - 02/25
Nova - 02/25
66/N - 02/27

Lisa 53/W - 03/04
Amhran 92/X - 03/05
Nina M/04 - 03/07

[The Peregrine Chick]

Cliff Nestbox
Great Spirit Bluff, Minnesota


Webcam Link - https://explore.org/livecams/falcons/falcon-nest-cam

Raptor Resource Project Blog - https://www.raptorresource.org/category/gsb-falcons/

[RCF]

Sometime in the last 24 hours, the GHO returned and took the surviving chick, Elise. On the Raptor Resource Project forum it shows screenshots of the encounter. It is a sad time at the Great Spirit Bluff site. 
https://www.raptorresource.org/forum/index.php?topic=2634.930

It is very sad! 

[GCG]

Sometime in the last 24 hours, the GHO returned and took the surviving chick, Elise. On the Raptor Resource Project forum it shows screenshots of the encounter. It is a sad time at the Great Spirit Bluff site. 
https://www.raptorresource.org/forum/index.php?topic=2634.930

[GCG]

  Sad news to share about this site. There were 2 hatches. 1 male and 1 female. They were banded a week ago. Last night, a GHO flew into the box and took the male, Floyd. Nova made an attempt to fight for him, but sadly, the GHO left with Floyd. The female, named Elise was spared, at least for now. The following was shared on their forum.


"June 6
An owl took Floyd
I cant believe how FAST it happened!
Owl approached on our LEFT, 2 kids asleep front left, Nova inside with them.
Nova sees owl jumps up, owl snatch n grab and is gone
Nova had one talon up like a kick boxer!
Nova got her talon caught in poor Elise"

"From Raptor Resource:
June 6, 2020
We are sorry to announce that falcon Floyd was killed by a Great Horned Owl last night. While GHO predation of peregrine falcons is well-documented, we are always sad to lose a falcon we know. We do not have a way to drive the owls away - the territory is huge, we aren't sure where their nest is, and it would be illegal to disrupt them - but we are working on ways to introduce an inaccessible-to-owls hidey-hole or space that nestlings can safely sleep and shelter in."

[GCG]

Nova appears to be getting antsy. Estimated hatch is May 3rd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN_gCsKu2k4&feature=emb_logo

[GCG]

Incubation continues at this site. This is the timeline of the 4 eggs.

"Egg Laying
Egg #1: March 26 @ 8:19 AM CDT
Egg #2: March 28 @ 3:16 PM CDT
Egg #3: March 31 @ 1:15 AM CDT
Egg #4: April 3 @ 7:10 PM CDT
One of the eggs was broken during a territorial defense response on April 13.
First hatch estimated for Sunday, May 3
Egg Hatching"

[GCG]

Apparently Nova laid egg #4 on Fri. April 3rd. As mentioned on their forum, there has been a GHO lurking.

https://www.raptorresource.org/birdcams/gsb-falcons/
https://www.raptorresource.org/forum/index.php?topic=2634.msg667894#new

[GCG]

There are now 3 eggs at this site. Nova is close by in view of both cams. Hopefully there will be another egg in the day(s) to come and incubation aka "watching paint dry" will commence. 

[GCG]

It has been confirmed by RRP on March 28th at 3.30 P.M. there are now 2 eggs! Nova is proving to be a diligent mother. There has been a GHO seen near the nest box. 

[GCG]

This site has declared that Michelle is unlikely to return. Newman is again/still the resident male who had been canoodling with an unnamed female they were calling New Lady. The RRP has named her Nova. This morning, Nova laid her 1st egg. 

[The Peregrine Chick]

I, for one, have a question pertaining to the state of the nestbox. There are still remnants of the debris left behind after the chick or chicks died from invasion of blackflies. Would this be one reason why NewLady will not go into the box? TPC? RCF?

Cleanliness isn't always a turn-off for these birds I'm afraid.  And Newman does have a part to play in where they choose to nest.  If he doesn't like making scrapes in messy nestboxes, he might be just as inclined/more inclined to make scrapes for her to choose from elsewhere.  Or maybe he just makes better scrapes elsewhere because of the mess.  Depending on how old NewLady is, it may just take awhile for her to figure out what is going on and what she should be looking for. 

And just a note about "natural habitat", I'd like to say that given a choice peregrines would choose a cliff over a building, but they don't, not even ones who were hatched on cliffs.  And to vice versa.  It may be that birds that hatch in nestboxes recognize nestboxes faster than cliff hatched birds, but can't even say that for sure.  Last year of our 6 nesting pairs, only 2 used nestboxes and all of the little terrors were hatched from nestboxes. 

All I can say is ... peregrines be peregrines

 

[GCG]

Newman is again the resident male. Michelle has yet to return, but for her, it is soon to come.

Newman continues to canoodle with an unbanded female the Forum has named NewLady. Unlike Michelle who nested in the box, "NewLady prefers the cliff ledge or her cubbyhole, not the box.
She spends her time cliffside, the natural habitat of falcons.
That cubbyhole would NOT be a good place to raise babies."
Those on the Forum are saying it is unlikely Michelle will return. She is 15.
I, for one, have a question pertaining to the state of the nestbox. There are still remnants of the debris left behind after the chick or chicks died from invasion of blackflies. Would this be one reason why NewLady will not go into the box? TPC? RCF?