MN / Elk River - 2008-22

[deedream]

I just want to see if she can open her beak.  If she cant she is in big trouble, and Dad may not have a clue whats wrong.  She is very ruffled up.  If that is a can pull tab, she couldnt break that off she made have made it worse if she was pushing at it so now its way up her beak and stuck there.  I haven't seen her open her beak once.  

[Enraptured]

I really don't think it's a feather because it's so stiff and she's been tucking it under her wing and all sorts and it doesn't move at all. When she was facing more side ways, it almost looked like one of those metal can tab pulls, with the way her beak is going through it....bones maybe??  

[Enraptured]

Yup, at least 40 min. I've been watching her like a hawk (no pun intended!) and I was watching to see if she could open her beak and at one point I thought that I did see the beak open, but no sound came out. S/he's been really quiet, yet all its feathers are ruffled at the back and if you look at princess, she's completely unruffled, so I'm wondering if it's part of being agitated.  

Thanks for looking... I sure hope it isn't serious.

[Liz]

You're right, there is.  A feather stuck up her nose?

[deedream]

ohhhhh I see.  Its like a part of a bird or something stuck there.  Can she open her beak?  Doesn't look like she can.  That is really not good at all.  Oh my.  I wonder how long this has been going on?  You say you seen it over 40 minutes ago? 

[Enraptured]

Can anyone help?

I've just turned my computer back on and have both our cam and Elk River up and for the past 40 min that I've been watching this Elk River adult has something stiff and white or silver stuck to its beak! S/he goes back and forth between calm and what I figure is agitated, shaking its head, putting its head under its wing at the back and in front, and this thing doesn't flutter, bend, move...It seems to be hooked onto its beak...  I guess it's just wait and see, but I can't help but worry for this adult and how it'll affect it and the chicks.   

[deedream]

well I just watched another feeding.   :)This one was not as bad.  Or should say it seemed more fair, looks like they all ate. Mom stood closer too.  No sign of the egg, it was hard to see with the chicks all jumbled up.  I thought there might be 4 chicks for a moment or two, but don't think so.  Maybe they were all laying on and around the egg.  Hope so.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Monday, the others all hatched on Monday.  Peregrine Chick says it can take a few days for all of them to hatch.  More unusal to have a whole bunch in one day I think.  I would not think it would be good for much longer however.  Have a hard time catching up too as will be so much smaller.  They grow very very fast. 

Last year our chicks hatched Monday am, Tuesday am, and Wednesday pm and chicks from all three days survived and thrived.  Most hatch within 24-48 hours of each other.  The folks in Elk River, one of whom is a very eminent peregrine expert, were still hopeful when I spoke with them yesterday as the female is still incubating it.  As time goes by however, the chances for it hatching decrease.

[deedream]

Monday, the others all hatched on Monday.  Peregrine Chick says it can take a few days for all of them to hatch.  More unusal to have a whole bunch in one day I think.  I would not think it would be good for much longer however.  Have a hard time catching up too as will be so much smaller.  They grow very very fast. 

[Falconista]

How long has it been since the first egg hatched? At what point should we be worried that the last egg hasn't hatched yet?

[deedream]

feeding time in Minnisota.  Breakfast actually.    Still one egg not hatched.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Just spoke with Brenda who coordinates the falcon cam and the nest for Great River Energy at the Elk River Power Plant.  This is only their second year with peregrines and their first year with live-streaming video and audio on the nest.  They have three chicks hatched out (that's what you all watched yesterday) and another egg still being actively incubated.  Both the adults are unbanded so no details on where they came from or where they have been I'm afraid.  The upside of the pair being unbanded is that they are from a nest that we don't know about and that means there are even more peregrines out there!  This year's female supplanted last year's female earlier in the season and she is now at another site not too too far away.  The supplanted female's band number is 30 over B and I'll see if I can track down some more information as her band number is very close in the sequence to both our females, Princess at the Radisson and Holly out in Brandon.

Thank you Brenda for sharing the details.  Greatly appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions.  We'll all be watching and rooting your birds on!

[deedream]

Wow, another feeding in Minnesota!  My , my, frustrating to watch, one little guy didn't get anything, or maybe just one bite at the very end.  Goodness.   

[Pchemist]

Zoinks - this cam is well lit at night!  Not that birds will fly, but I assumed my cam window had frozen until I saw cars driving by!  That means you early risers will always have a great view.  I plan to be asleep (lord willing) when these birds wake up.  But it's neat to know that my normal insomina will have a distraction!
 

[Liz]

It appeared to come out of the mouth.  That's why I thought it was a spit.  I admit the cat comparison came to mind at the time, but it was in the form of hissing, not hairballs!  It went flying out prob 4 or 5 inches over the ledge (head level) and shot straight forward.  The parent didn't move much, as in flinging anything with wing or feet.  I thought maybe it was telling something else that got too close to move the heck away!