FALCON FLASH
Dateline: Cleveland, Ohio
April 29, 2013
Click here to read what happened earlier
The eyasses will grow and change very fast for the next 6 weeks. Check out a picture guide and information about eyass growth at The Canadian Peregrine Foundation:
Will the last 2 eggs hatch? Watch closely at: http://www.falconcam-cmnh.org/news.php
Our thanks to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for sponsoring the FalconCams and for the still.
Photos are courtesy of volunteers Mr. and Mrs. Saladin. They may be used in any non-commercial publication, electronic or print, but please give photo credit.
First there was one little eyass (the name for raptor young) ……
We have been waiting for the other two eggs to hatch, but it seems they may not. Last year only one egg hatched. Mr. Harvey Webster, Director of Wildlife Resources at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, tells us: “SW is 14 years old. Falconers that propagate Peregrines in captivity often report that productivity dramatically drops by the 14th year and they usually retire their birds from breeding at that time…….. SW is creeping up on that age where you might expect to see some egg failure”.
You may have noticed eggshells laying around - and then the eggshells disappeared. This is because SW has eaten them. They are rich in calcium, which is an important nutrient that SW needs.
Over the years Mr. Wright has reported that the male falcon (usually it's the male) has chased off interlopers much larger than himself who dared to cross the Falcon No Fly Zone. Mr. Wright remembers, “The first male falcon at this nestsite, Szell, actually flew out and tried to attack a Goodyear blimp one year, flying out quite close and vocalizing the entire time until a representative of the Ohio Division of Wildlife called the Federal Aviation Authority - then the blimp never came close again!” This incident occurred when the peregrine falcon was still listed as an endangered species and the birds were very rare. There were precious chicks at the nestsite just getting ready to take their first flight when the blimp flew by. In the early days of saving the species, the city of Cleveland was very proud of the nestbox at their landmark skyscraper. One summer, there was a fireworks display at the skyscraper, and 50,000 Clevelanders sang Rock-A-Bye Baby to 2 little falcons at the nestsite who were named “Stars and Stripes”. The nestbox is on the 12th floor.
Mr. Wright reports that when he saw Boomer at the nest he seemed to be nervous and looking up – there were turkey vultures flying overhead. Even though a turkey vulture is a very large bird with a wingspan of up to 6 feet while a peregrine is about the size of a crow, Boomer might have been thinking about chasing them away. A falcon fan described such a chase at this nestsite several years ago: “He (the male peregrine) actually landed momentarily on the vulture's back and I could see feathers falling to the ground. After the attack, the vulture flew faster than I have ever seen a vulture fly -- with the male right on his tail. It was quite an aerobatic show with both birds spinning and looping in the air”. The following file photo shows a peregrine chasing a turkey vulture at a nearby nestsite.
Volunteer nest monitors, Mr. and Mrs. Saladin, visited the nest and confirmed falcon fans’ suspicions – another peregrine falcon was near the nest. Here is the peregrine that was worrying SW and Boomer.For more information about turkey vultures go to: http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i3250id.html
Peregrines don’t like anything near the nestsite. In this picture, SW flies at the window behind which nest monitor Mr. Wright was watching.
Volunteer nest monitor, Mr. Scott Wright, visited the nest just after the first hatch and reported “SW is such a tender mother, making sure her new arrival has just the right sized bits to eat”.
Two days later, there were two eyasses ……
Peregrines are fiercely territorial and sometimes fight, if they must, to protect their nest. Twice at this nestsite, there have been battles between female peregrines that resulted in the deaths of the losers. Many times, the falcons have dive-bombed humans who came too close, including this window washer.
Boomer is very busy watching over his family and feeding SW and the eyasses. As Mr. Wright left the nestsite he saw Boomer hunting 35 floors up near the falcons’ skyscraper home.
Click here to read what happened next
