MN / Elk River - 2008-22

[Pchemist]

that may be, except all I can see right now is four chick pancakes.

[Baffled]

Just saw a reasonably well-behaved feeding. No squabbles over the food.

You can see their breast speckles coming in nicely now.

[LouLouBelle]

very funny scene just now. 3 flaked out sleeping and one sitting staring out while Mom is perched on the ledge. the one sitting is so tired, that it's head slowly fell all the way to the gravel but the chick remained sitting... too funny 

[Pchemist]

they really do look like little sumo wrestlers right now.  too funny!

[Pchemist]

WHOA!  mom is really into the cam right now!  talking to it and pecking at it!!!  amazing!   

[Pchemist]

heh.  three bird pancakes and one standing guard.  soooooooo cuuuuuuute!

[Pchemist]

dunno.  that chick has a big crop, so that may be another reason for being a loner just now.  the other three are clearly able to feed themselves!  what a frenzy!

[Liz]

I saw that too -- hilarious!  It was such a small biurd, no way was there enough for all of them! 

btw - based on last year and Lightning being the one that slept more, Im thinking maybe Bella is the loner in the back..

[Pchemist]

wow - mom came in with food and one chick stole it right from her beak and took it to the back corner.  The other chicks pecked at mom's beak like "where's miiiiiine??"

slowly they are realizing what happened and are moving to the corner toget some of the catch.

[Pchemist]

there's a whole lotta screaming going on.  Mom or dad landed outside clearly with a big catch.  Which I assume they are preparing but the kids don't want to wait, so they are screaming for delivery!

[Pchemist]

the cool thing is, the peregrines found it and used it!

thanks, kittenface.  I wish I had the ones from last year after the early fledge happened, that showed where that one juvie hung out safely for a while.  I think it was on that landing shown there though.

[kittenface]

Here are 2  pictures I got last year from the father of the boy who built the nest

 

[Pchemist]

this must be big sis at the cam, given the smaller one next to her must be a boy and there are three (!) boys.  or the fisheye lens is messing with me. 

oh, now she's gone to the back and in the sun.  little brother still by the cam though.  and one other brother sitting tall in the corner - that always looks so cute.

[Pchemist]

yikes!  that poop shot went just below the cam!  I really don't want to have an obscured view!!!

[Pchemist]

Those chicks are getting so big - makes you wonder how they'll all fit in there when they are all trying to flap their wings pre-fledging!  Could you imagine if there were FIVE like at some sites?

For the new folks to this cam, there are structures down below (couldn't find a decent pic on the site to show that) so even if there is an early fledge it's likely okay (like last year).