State Capitol - 2018 / 19K & Alley

[burdi]

Alley has laid an egg in the nestbox!

It's very hot there today, so she's been panting a lot.

You may want to check it out! http://outdoornebraska.gov/falconcam/

[RCF]

According to Peregrine Falcons Lincoln Ne FB page, Alley and 19K are incubating eggs in a gutter high up on the building. They are not using the nest box.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/376667965721280/permalink/1775467299174666/

[RCF]

Joel Jorgensen  April 24, 2018

On Friday, I got up early in the morning to follow up on a Whooping Crane report in Polk County.  On my way up there, I encountered two Peregrine Falcons close to North Lake Basin Wildlife Management Area near Utica.  One of the birds was on a dead American Coot on a county road and the other took off.  The bird on the kill on the road remained and I was able to capture a few photos.

On the bird’s right leg was a standard silver USGS band and on its left leg was the auxiliary marker (color band).  The auxiliary marker was entirely red with white lettering.  This is a type of band we have not used in Nebraska during my tenure (which is twelve years).

http://magazine.outdoornebraska.gov/2018/04/near-miss/

[The Peregrine Chick]

Out-of-Towners - Alley (Radisson 2004) & 19K are back at the State Capital in Lincoln, Nebraska. No chicks last year, maybe this year will be better though they are a more mature pair at 14 and 19 years old respectively.

Please don't make 19/K older than he is, TPC! He was born in Des Moines in 2001; he will be 17 years old on May 10 of this year.

Oops typed too fast!!! 

[Alison]

Out-of-Towners - Alley (Radisson 2004) & 19K are back at the State Capital in Lincoln, Nebraska. No chicks last year, maybe this year will be better though they are a more mature pair at 14 and 19 years old respectively.

Please don't make 19/K older than he is, TPC! He was born in Des Moines in 2001; he will be 17 years old on May 10 of this year.

[RCF]

These two actually stayed all winter. 

[The Peregrine Chick]

https://twitter.com/mbperegrines/status/977331982450307072

[The Peregrine Chick]

Gearing up for Peregrines – 2018
Joel Jorgensen / 22 March 2018 / Nongame Bird Blog

It is officially spring and with it comes another year of Peregrine Falcons. We got things kicked off on Tuesday when we made a trip down to the Capitol to set up the live video feed set-up on the first floor, add a little bit of pea gravel to the nest box and clean off the camera lenses.


Jeremy Youngs (on ladder) and Brett Daugherty working on cleaning the camera lens.

For better or worse, we did not encounter any birds during our visit.  Everything I have seen indicates the same two birds that have been present for over a decade remain in control of the Nebraska Capitol (although there also has apparently been a challenger or two that have made their presence known).   Again this year, I am surprised by this development since both birds are both getting up there in age.  Alley, the female, was hatched in 2004 and 19/K, the male, was hatched in 2001.  This pair is the only one to successfully raise young at the Capitol.  However, they have had less success in recent years.


recent image from the nestbox

Last year, no eggs hatched. I (and others) speculated that their reduced fertility is associated with their age.   Any way you slice it, there is uncertainty what will transpire in 2018.  The first egg could be laid any day.  The good news is you can watch the drama unfold by watching our streaming video available HERE.  Frequent updates are also posted on the fan-based Facebook page Peregrine Falcons Lincoln NE.

Good birding!