NE / Omaha - Woodmen Tower - 2009-21

[Linder]

A news item from the site:
Melba, one of the five female falcon chicks born this year and named after Melba Pattillo Beals, (a journalist and member of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who were the first to integrate Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas), was released today after a couple weeks of rehab.

Seems she hit one of Omaha's downtown buildings located next to the Woodmen Tower, and was knocked unconscious. If you look closely, you can see the scar she has on top of her nose. Raptor Recovery Nebraska's Denise Lewis has been taking care of her and was there to release her from the roof of the Woodmen Tower. "She took right off and circled the building a couple of times," said Lewis. Denise was pleased with her flying and thinks she will be okay now.

Keep checking the camera, maybe you can get a glimpse of Melba sometime soon.

You can see the picture at this link: http://woodmen.typepad.com/falconwatch/

[Linder]

News from the Woodmen website:

Our five chicks are now officially Mae, Amelia, Rosa, Sally and Melba!

Congratulations to our 2011 falcon-naming contest winner, Becky Mae! Her suggestion was "Five famous women that made a difference in our world today".

Dr. Mae Jemison, Amelia Earhardt, Rosa Parks, Sally Ride, and Melba Pattilo.

Our five females are looking a little less white and a lot darker in their adolescent feathers! It's amazing how quickly they grow!

These five are certainly looking like they are about ready to leave.

[Kinderchick]

Thanks for posting this, LinderLou. I had forgotten about this site too. With so many wonderful nestsites, it's hard to keep up to them all.

[Linder]

I had forgotten about this site but checked earlier today and all 5 eggs had hatched.

[Linder]

Three chicks now and two eggs left to hatch. Latest pic at:
http://woodmen.typepad.com/falconwatch/

[Linder]

Two hatched and three to go.
Some cute pictures of the chicks at this link:
http://woodmen.typepad.com/falconwatch/

[Linder]

Latest check shows eggs still intact. They expect things to start happening in the next 2 or 3 days. 

[Helen b]

wow they will have a household to feed

[Linder]

Just checked in on this site and there are now 5 eggs.  
They project May 12 for a possible hatching.

[Kinderchick]

...1st egg laid Apr 6...

[Linder]

Missed checking on this nest and when I finally did, 1st egg laid Apr 6.
Report from the website:
In 2010 we saw the first of five eggs appear on April 1. Eggs two and three were here by April 6, the fourth egg was here on April 7, and by April 13 we had five eggs. Only four of the five eggs hatched last year.
Last year 5 days between egg 1 and eggs 2 and 3, so this weekend we should a couple of new eggs. 

[Linder]

Still no eggs at this site but they seem to be making up their minds on where they will nest.

[Linder]

According to the site these two don't migrate and have been at and around the nest boxes all winter. From info I could find, Zeus is banded and Hera isn't. Quite an interesting Family Tree posted on the site and I didn't realize that Zeus has been at this site since 1996. 

[The Peregrine Chick]

Do we know for sure it's Hera and Zeus back again this year? 

[Linder]

2011 NESTING SEASON

It has been reported:

Both falcons have started to hang around the nest more as they begin their annual shell game of picking a nest to lay their clutch of eggs. The Woodmen Tower has nest boxes on both the North and East sides of the 28th floor. In 2009, the peregrines used the East nest. Last year, they selected the North nest at the last minute. So, history says they should be back in the East nest for 2011.