Update from Nest Diary:
March 14: About one week ago, Diamond Lil disappeared. We do not know her current status, just that she has not returned to the nest ledge. A new female, dubbed "Cher," has been visiting the nest ledge but does not seem inclined to share in incubation duties. Dan has been doing all the incubation but he must also hunt for food to eat. The eggs have been uncovered during these absences and incubation has been uneven. The eggs need about 12 days more incubation. Will the eggs hatch? Will Dan continue to make a heroic effort at incubation? Will the new pair recycle and lay a new set of eggs? We will soon know.
April 1: The new female, known as "Cher" added an egg of her own to the 3-egg clutch on March 29. The new egg was added to the three-egg clutch laid more than a month ago by the prior resident female, "Lil." Dan and Cher are incubating the 4-egg clutch.
April 4: Cher laid a 3rd egg today bringing the total in the nest to 6 (3 are hers and 3 were laid by Lil and will not hatch due to long periods of non-incubation after Lil disappeared). The clutch of six eggs is receiving constant incubation. After Cher contributed an egg to the clutch she became a dependable participant in incubation.
May 9: For almost 3 months, this is the scene falcon-watchers have been observing on the camera--an incubating falcon. Now the second clutch of eggs (six total in the nestbox) has gone beyond the possible hatch window. Soon, we will collect the eggs and deliver them to colleagues who study emerging organic contaminants among sentinel species
