Radisson - 2010 / Ivy & Princess

[susha]

By the comments I've read, it looks like the chicks ate around noon, and just a snack.  Just saw Princess on the ledge looking for Ivy, now back on the chicks.  Has anyone viewed a feeding since noon?

I've been watching only sporadically throughout the afternoon and haven't seen any feedings since the snack before noon which Princess went out and brought back herself - (of course, we can't see what's happening outside the nest box.  Ivy could have handed it over to her and then hopped in to say "hi" to the kids before Princess returned to do the feeding.)  Yesterday afternoon, I was watching fairly closely and didn't see any feedings throughout the hours between noon and 3:30 when the internet went caput.

[ballywing]

POURING rain again, Windy, BLACK clouds everywhere - sheesh!!!  

[Stormy]

By the comments I've read, it looks like the chicks ate around noon, and just a snack.  Just saw Princess on the ledge looking for Ivy, now back on the chicks.  Has anyone viewed a feeding since noon?

[Stormy]

Another thunderstorm brewing.     And now, there's the rain . . .

[ballywing]

Those poor folks on the CBC comment page don't have a top notch leader & educator like we do, to teach, explain, update & keep them on track - Alot less assuming & false info would be circulating if they would just come on over here!! - Princess, Ivy and FOUR fluffies!!! What a season this will be!   

[GCG]

All of us thoroughly enjoy watching the progress of Princess, Ivy and the chicks. Until we hear otherwise from TPC, we should never assume anything negative. We know the breakdown of the word assume, |u|me. I, for one think the posters in this forum are great. Couldn't handpick a better group.   and a to all

[susha]

And is anyone else marvelling at how Princess is so obliging to her phans by facing the camera as she sits and broods?  Same with the feedings!  Always in plain view and not blocking the camera.  Such a considerate star...

[moka]

Well said, bev... sometimes when my eyes do happen to glance at the main CBC comment page, I find myself talking to my computer out loud, saying: " Read the Forum, read The Peregrine Chick Blog"... All is well.

Couldn't agree with you more! I don't read comments but sometimes I see one because it's just under the cam. It's enough to turn you off forever.

THANKS AGAIN TPC 

[susha]

TPC, I'll repeat myself - you're awesome!  You patiently share so much info about these magnificent creatures and it's clear that the "kids" and their parents are always being carefully observed and their every move lovingly followed.  I can't imagine why everyone, in Winnipeg at least isn't reading the details in the Forum and blogs...

[Kinderchick]

I am glad you came on here TPC.  I was going to make a comment that I never read any sort of chats.
If you did ,you would never watch a nest site again. some have some good comments but others, WEll......,read between the lines.
I will not say more in case some of them come here, but  

Well said, bev... sometimes when my eyes do happen to glance at the main CBC comment page, I find myself talking to my computer out loud, saying: " Read the Forum, read The Peregrine Chick Blog"... All is well.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Well, you just answered one of my questions, TPC, before I even posted it. I was wondering if there was any rain getting into the nest box, even though it is covered. Not that I was worried, just wondering. Wasn't sure how damp it could get in there, with all this rain we've had lately.

I have no doubt that the nest box is damp, no way it couldn't be with all that rain.  But there are about 25 drainage holes in the bottom of all our nestboxes to ensure that water doesn't collect and the gravel is 2 or more inches deep.  As for how well the roof is working, its got to be working well enough for the birds because we haven't seen them out from under there pretty much since the eggs were laid.  Keep in mind that this female has chosen the nestledge which has no protection anywhere for 3 of her 7 years at the Radisson.  At the moment not so much as a feather is visible with the spycam, she's tucked herself and the chicks completely under cover.

[bev.]

I am glad you came on here TPC.  I was going to make a comment that I never read any sort of chats.

If you did ,you would never watch a nest site again. some have some good comments but others, WEll......,read between the lines.

I will not say more in case some of them come here, but  

[The Peregrine Chick]

Couple of things for everyone to remember:

• in 30 years, none of our chick has every been underweight while in the nest (nestboxes, nestledges, wherever) -even Taku who had a cerebral aneurysm (and therefore affecting behaviour as time progressed)was a healthy weight and in good health when she died
• Princess has been doing this for 6 years, Ivy has been trying to do this for three years.  All of them have logged thousands upon thousands of kills, so lack of food is not an issue
• chicks are getting fed every 2-3 hours except in heavy rain and the middle of the night - some will eat more at one meal, and less at another - that is normal.
• from past observation (last 16 years at this site) adults work to put food in everyone's mouth at every meal, some chicks back off if they are full, so more will go to those who keep their mouths open.
• the difference in ages between 1st and 4th chick is well within the normal range - less than 36 hours between first and last hatch - not enough for their to be a big difference in development
• there is no way to know which chick is which at this stage of development and because the of the camera - it has a fish-eye lens so you can see the whole box, but it distorts sizes - like looking through the wrong end of a pair of binoculars, things look much smaller than they actually are the further away they are from the camera; right now the chicks are about the size of a man's closed fist.  At hatching they were about the size of a woman's closed fist.  Right now, the adults move around while brooding the chicks but so too are the chicks moving around under Princess and Ivy - a chick that was in the back last time will be in the front next mealtime and because they are closer to the camera, they can look much larger than their sibs.

Every year is of course different, with different adults, chicks, weather, locations, etc, so nothing is ever a given, but the birds have done well in the past and these two look to be doing a good job, so we are not anticipating any problems, but as I said, we keep an eye on them all ...

[Kinderchick]

Well, you just answered one of my questions, TPC, before I even posted it. I was wondering if there was any rain getting into the nest box, even though it is covered. Not that I was worried, just wondering. Wasn't sure how damp it could get in there, with all this rain we've had lately.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Sure Hope all the chicks are being fed...havent seen a feeding recently but then again I just logged on from yesterday evening.  Did anyone happen to see a feeding?
Someone posted on the main page they didnt see the smallest 'fluffy' being fed...

When you say "main" page - are you talking about the CBC comments?  If you are, take them with a grain of salt.  Sorry to say that but there are lots of folks there who a) don't read earlier comments, b) don't come and read what is going on here and c) unfortunately for all the rest who comment there, there are those who like to be troublemakers when it comes to posting things like there is a chick starving.

Dennis, Larry and I all monitor all the cameras (3 at the Radisson, 2 in West Winnipeg) throughout the day and if there is a problem we check it out.  So far, nothing looks amiss with anyone, well, other than Jules and Beau getting wet of course.  All the chicks look to be developing as expected and the adults don't appear to be having any problems keeping them dry or fed.