Other Peregrine Projects > Australian Peregrines
NSW - Charles Sturt University - 2017 / Xavier & Diamond
burdi:
Update by Scott Banks, August 31
Retirement of our old IR illuminator
Apologies for the lack of night vision again. We kick-started the 10-year-old IR camera the other day but it’s fallen over again. The new IR unit hasn’t arrived yet but when it does we’ll figure out a carefully choreographed method to swap it over without disturbing Diamond too much. No easy way to swap though, as the viewing hole has no cover and is open to the birds. It will have to be handled delicately, and probably with some disturbance, but we’ll need to see nightly activities from now on so it’s a necessity.
Please hang in there with us. It’s all reliant on when the new IR unit arrives now. In the meantime Diamond is probably enjoying some much-needed total darkness to snooze in, and no shenanigans in there!
burdi:
Cilla added a couple comments to her last update.
Cilla Kinross says:
30 August, 2017 at 12:16 pm
Xavier has really been pulling his weight and during the day has been doing at least half if not more of the incubating. Considering he wouldn’t go near the eggs or chicks last year, this is quite a turn around, but of course they are HIS this year (and isn’t he pleased to show off his talents at regular intervals!).
He is nearly a third smaller than Diamond. I regularly use a ruler to check length and width against the dimensions of the box to be sure I have the right bird as they often switch so quickly that i miss it (and with the light out again, it can be really difficult when they swap in the early morning gloom). It’s really annoying me, too, as I can’t tell what Diamond is actually doing in the night (or if she’s there at all sometimes).
Hopefully the light will be back up by the weekend, but unfortunately I can’t help Scott as I’m off to a conference in Brisbane tomorrow morning early (terrible timing, I know). I have a volunteer helping with the data recording, but he won’t be updating the website, so it will be a bit quiet over the next few days. I’ll be back today week.
If egg number three arrives before I have to leave this afternoon, I’ll put up a video. If it comes tonight, well too bad, I’m afraid.
Cilla Kinross says:
30 August, 2017 at 12:17 pm
Just to add – I expect Xavier’s efforts to tail off if we get three or more eggs as he is just too little to cover a large brood.
burdi:
Mornings are still rather chilly in Orange. The temperature today was -3.9°C at 0540 hrs, and Xavier could be seen on the ledge around this time. :)
He’s likely busy hunting right now.
Alison:
--- Quote from: burdi on August 30, 2017, 15:46 ---
Third egg arrived August 31!
I don't know what time Diamond laid that egg, but while she was moving around a bit (about 0612 hrs, and again at 0636 hrs), three eggs were clearly visible. :)
--- End quote ---
I don't know when she laid the third egg either. It was due some time late yesterday, but since the IR has been down completely for the past couple of days, there is no image after dark.
I caught a glimpse of the three eggs as Diamond settled on them, but only two are visible in the pic below. The new egg is the darker one just above her foot.
Alison:
--- Quote from: burdi on August 29, 2017, 23:49 ---
Today, I saw Xavier present Diamond with a whole bird at 0929 hrs. She immediately left with the prey, and Xavier began his shift. Diamond later returned at 1045 hrs to take over again. I believe Xavier is doing a great job! :)
--- End quote ---
Great catch on the food delivery, burdi! Xavier really is being much more helpful to Diamond this year, and it's good to see him doing his share. He really likes to incubate.
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