Other Peregrine Projects > Australian Peregrines

NSW - Charles Sturt University - 2017 / Xavier & Diamond

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Alison:
From where I am located, the Orange site has been pretty much down since late last night. Neither camera will load; only a black rectangle for each. The information page gives either "Can't be loaded" or "Cannot find server", depending on which browser is used.

I keep wondering what is happening with the third chick, who appeared to be stuck in the shell as of yesterday. I hope Diamond, Xavier or a human will provide some assistance for this little one.

burdi:
Update - Xavier is learning, I think

Published 5 October, 2017 | By Cilla Kinross

Xavier is clearly somewhat bemused by the notion of feeding the chicks.    Diamond feeds the older chick until it falls over full, then the little one gets fed.  That makes sense as it ensures at least one chick survives during hard times.  But Xavier hasn’t quite got it.  I think he is rather hoping that both chicks and egg will take the food if he just leaves it near them!   Last year, he wouldn’t go near the chicks, except to trip over them occasionally, so it’s an improvement.


Xavier gets closer, but no food actually makes it where it needs to be!


VIDEO  20171005 X almost feeding chicks

Not much change with egg3, but I’ll keep an eye on it.

Cilla

Source: http://www.gumtreecs.com.au/wordpress/xavier-is-learning-i-think/

I didn't include the video "20171005 X almost feeding chicks", but you can find it in the link above. Anyhow, after watching the video my impression was that Xavier did very well with the feeding! Hmm ... well, I am pretty tired, so maybe I’ll try watching it again another day.

burdi:
Update - Two down, one to go

Published 4 October, 2017 | By Cilla Kinross

Thanks for all your updates, videos and alerts. As usual I’m struggling to keep up with you.    I’ve been kept busy trying to record all the comings and goings and identify all the weird and wonderful lumps of food coming into the nest, including one with long red legs that I suspect is a water bird.  Others have included the usual starlings and possible rosellas and pigeons.  Very few whole birds, alas, making identification very difficult.  I’m thinking of simply categorising by size, using some type of image enhancer that will help with measurements of the body (assuming I have that, at least!).

I’ve read various estimates of incubation, worldwide:  26-32 days, 28-33 days;   Australia:  average of 33 days.    If we assume incubation started within a day of each egg being lain, as it did, then the first two took 35-36 days, which is already well beyond normal, but as Ingrid pointed out, it was the same as last year.   Perhaps Australian birds are slower cookers.  If no. 3 hatches tonight, it will be about the same time, assuming this egg was the last one lain (that was a little late, too).   And if the worst comes to worst, two is better than one and certainly better than none.

It does seem as if both Xavier and Diamond are trying to help the chick out, but I’m not sure if I’m reading too much into this.  Xavier was having a good peck!   He could just be hungry….sorry!



Xavier tries to ‘free’ chick?




VIDEO 20171004 X helping pip short

And then Diamond has a go.

Diamond’s turn

VIDEO 20171004 Di rolls egg short

By chance they have the same position in the box, so it gives you a good idea of the size difference.

I also have  a nice shot of the family.

Xavier greets 2nd chick




VIDEO  20171003 X meets 2nd chick

Scott is away for the next week or so.   I am around all of October apart from two weekends in Sydney, including the coming one, that I can’t get out of and means I shall get even further behind.  Thank goodness, at least the storage of video is working well at the moment.  In fact, I can go back over a month if I need to.

I’ll need to go soon, so will hand over to the night shift. Diamond hasn’t let me see the egg with its large crack for an hour or so, but maybe you’ll have better luck.

Source: http://www.gumtreecs.com.au/wordpress/two-down-one-to-go/

I've omitted the three videos as well as three of the pics, but you can find them in the link above.

burdi:
I’m still not able to clearly see what is going on with the overdue remaining egg, though (from what I’ve managed to see today) I’m thinking that much of the movement we’re seeing is simply from a small fluffy feather stuck near the opening....     

burdi:
Thank you for all the info, Alison.

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