Radisson - 2016 / Smiley & Princess

[burdi]

I was checking the cam when one little chick was trying to self-feed (at 1657h), sure wasn't expecting to see that so soon!

[burdi]

Happy to see how big those babes are getting! They don't seem to be starving, even if Smiley isn't bringing high-end meals.  

Just smaller and less frequent than we are used to seeing from mates of Princess - but they are very colourful (feathers) so he's certainly exposing his kids to a wide variety of "exotic" birds  

Appe"teasers" 

I can understand why Smiley might take a little longer hunting - as he must require extra time while carefully preparing those yummy exotic foods and appeteasers for his family. 

So it sounds to me that Smiley still has a preference for eating (and feeding) high-end exotic food?

[newchick]

3 chicks basking in the sun.  Looks like they've doubled in size overnight!

[GCG]

  Appe"teasers" 

[The Peregrine Chick]

Happy to see how big those babes are getting! They don't seem to be starving, even if Smiley isn't bringing high-end meals.  

Just smaller and less frequent than we are used to seeing from mates of Princess - but they are very colourful (feathers) so he's certainly exposing his kids to a wide variety of "exotic" birds  

[Liz]

Happy to see how big those babes are getting! They don't seem to be starving, even if Smiley isn't bringing high-end meals. 

[The Peregrine Chick]

Smiley have been good about bringing in small meals about every 4 hours through the night however the chicks are putting on a growth spurt - they are twice the size they were when they hatched now - so off when Princess at 0800h, Smiley moved in to hang out with the kids, sometimes with them, sometimes on the box edge (both fine, not raining or cold at the moment).  At about 0900h, Princess came in with larger than all three chicks combined and newly killed and fully plucked.  Big meal and then she flew off with the leftovers (and there were leftovers) ... well I say she flew off and that sounds much too graceful, she almost couldn't get a grip on it when she was on the box edge trying to take off!!  I zoomed in in hopes of maybe identifying her prey, I've been doing the same with Smiley's without success I admit.  Didn't fare any better this time though the legs did look suspiciously pigeon like.  I'm not going to post the image, still looks like a bird so might be too graphic for most?

[moka]

She is just an amazingly remarkable bird/mama.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Smiley just brought in another small bird - fat enough but pigeon torsos which is what Ivy and Trey were known for.  If he can provide these smaller birds on a regular, frequent schedule, that would work very well - but its a lot of work.  Maybe if just for the first couple of weeks and if the weather turns bad, Princess can help out though it would be nice if she didn't have to work so hard at her age.  No stopping her though. And two years ago when we banded the chicks, they weren't starving, just less hefty (Ivy's chicks were hefty).

He brought dinner to the ledge beside the nestbox and Princess left to get it from him.  Chicks fed, she took off with the leftovers (and looked like there might actually have been some leftovers).  That's when Smiley hopped into the box with the chicks.  He can't get them all under him anymore, but he can keep them warm now that the rain/drizzle has stopped.  Could be why he hasn't gotten to the chicks or tried hard to get to the chicks, Princess has always been velcro when it comes to bad weather and her babes - not a bad thing in a mother peregrine.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Princess and chicks at 0913h during 4th meal ... can't see egg anymore, but may just be on other side of pile-o-chicks

[The Peregrine Chick]

I think Princess has decided that until the chicks get older, Smiley is just going to have to wait until she's ready to give them up.  He's still not doing a great job with food - again that is relative but Princess is used to much better providers.  Also, when Princess does leave the box these days, Smiley's not jumping up to get in and see the chicks anymore - this morning was a good case in point, the chicks were on their own for 40 minutes and no Smiley.  In fact the 9 am meal wasn't a meal, it was remains from the 0730 meal.  Now if he's off hunting and just not a very good hunter so having to spend more time at it to keep the family fed, so be it.  If he's just not hunting much, Princess may well be starting to take up the slack.

Chicks are 6/7 days old so getting close to age when they can be left on their own in all but very wet/cold weather.  Fortunately they grow fast and Princess is a pro.  Not so cold, just wet today and they are well dry where they are in the nestbox so time uncovered isn't a problem unless the wind starts pushing rain into the box and that doesn't seem to be the case for the rest of today ...

[burdi]

I worry about Princess as well, and have noticed that she is the parent I find either feeding or brooding. She rarely gives Smiley a chance, so it appears to me that she's still her old self.

[moka]

I also worry about Princess. She spent days on the eggs and now on the chicks. She takes such good care of them but what about her nutritional needs... I hope she is getting enough, she is an older lady now.

[susha]

Another somewhat paltry-looking meal, but at least it was sans feathers...and dry!  The kids seem contented and full, so it must have been enough

[susha]

Once again, I'm so thankful that Princess isn't getting soaked as she keeps her babies dry!  And once again, we don't have to worry about water building up and putting the chickpile at risk