PeregrineCam

Hatching approaches?

2011-04-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
I wanted to update everyone quickly with a reminder that we expect the first falcon egg to hatch toward the end of this week. Last year the firs egg was laid on March 18th and the first egg hatched on April 23rd...that is our best estimate of a hatch date.

The birds have been so diligent I expect that we can anticipate a successful hatch. Please keep an eye on these birds and remind your friends that hatching is fast approaching.

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Caring for eggs in 2011.

2011-04-07T14:37:00.000-07:00

With all the excitement at the eagle’s nest, our very diligent peregrine parents have been nearly forgotten. What good parents they are! 'Mom' spends about 70% of the day on incubation duty. Generally, she will spend the night with the eggs while 'Dad' takes short turns during the day to give Mom a chance to hunt on her own. Whoever is on the nest will change position about every 30 minutes and may turn the eggs at that time. They turn them to ensure that they are equally heated and to ensure proper development of the embryo inside the egg. If the egg is not regularly turned there is a danger that the membranes surrounding the embryo will stick to one side of the egg. We also observe that the parents leave the eggs uncovered for short periods of time. This behavior also contributes to egg development by allowing increased oxygen to flow across the porous shells thus increasing the oxygen in the fluid inside of the egg.

Sometimes when the female returns to the nest she seems to be very anxious to kick dad off the nest and get back to business. Last week Thomas, a regular BRI Peregrinecam watcher, captured a great series of photographs showing the female returning to the nest. He posted these photos to BRI's online community.

Once back on the nest, ''Dad' or 'Mom' takes quite a bit of time settling back onto the eggs. You will see the parent with its tail in the air, working to settle its breast firmly on the eggs. Both the males and females lose feathers in the center of the breast to develop brood patches for incubation. The area becomes increasing vascular and swollen with fluid creating a surface that allows more efficient transfer of heat from the parent to the eggs. Generally the patch is not visible on peregrines because the remaining breast feathers in adjacent rows cover the area. If you have never seen a brood patch, go to Google Images and search for brood patches. Although I have not found an example of a peregrine brood patch there, there are many examples from other bird species. They are not a pretty sight but are interesting. Patrick first described them to me as looking like a large boil!

If you have questions about this pair or peregrines in general, please send them to us. We will do our best to answer them in the next blog.

Happy falcon watching,
Kate Rotroff
BRI Peregrinecam Ambassador

Eggs, Eggs, Eggs!

2011-03-31T13:28:00.000-07:00

What a very exciting week at BRI – four Peregrine Falcon eggs and, for the first time in two years, an egg at the eagle nest. Thank you to all the BRI Peregrinecam watchers on the online community for documenting each egg. You captured some amazing pictures of peregrine behavior.

This image of a nest exchange was posted to the BRI online community by Thomas.

This peregrine pair is very consistent. Two years in a row the female has produced her first egg on March 18th followed by three more eggs approximately 48 hours apart. This year the first arrived about 9:00 am. The second egg was laid about 3:00 pm on March 20th. The third and fourth eggs arrived in the early morningof March 23rd and March 25th.

Before each egg was laid, the female displayed typical egg laying behavior. She appeared to be somewhat agitated, laying down, standing up and laying down again as if trying to get comfortable. Peregrines, like all birds, can control each of their feathers and you rarely see them looking ruffled. Just before laying each egg, though, the female seemed to be sitting on her legs with her feathers puffed up.

As BRI Peregrinecam watchers have observed, the peregrines do not begin incubating the eggs consistently until the penultimate or last egg is laid. Last year many cam watchers were concerned that the eggs were left uncovered for long periods of time. I checked the weather for this week in 2010 found that temperatures during that week ranged from highs over 50 degrees to lows of 40 degrees. Perhaps last year’s warm temperatures explain why the adults did not spend long periods incubating the eggs until the last one was laid. This year the adults seem to be doing a fine job of protecting the eggs from this year’s cool temperatures (highs have been in the 40s with lows in the teens). Interestingly, early on in development eggs are relatively cold hardy and can withstand periods of exposure depending on the outdoor temperature. Later in the season as the embryo develops hot temperatures can pose a problem for embryo survival. One possible benefit of this peregrine pair's scrape location is that is well-protected from mid-day sun.

Now the wait begins. The eggs should hatch the week of April 27 (approximately 34 days after the last egg was laid). Let’s hope for another successful season for these wonderful birds.

Thanks for joining in the conversation and enjoying the BRI Peregrinecam. To keep up with daily activities please visit us in our online community by clicking here.

Happy falcon watching,
Kate Rotroff
BRI Peregrinecam Ambassador

Getting Ready For the Season!

2011-03-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

Excitement is growing among Peregrinecam watchers and those of us at BRI as our resident pair of falcons are making frequent visits to the nesting box each day. During their visits they are displaying typical courting behavior, bowing to each other with heads low and tails held high, and touching beaks. There also has been much nest preparation which entails one of the falcons lying on its breast and pushing gravel, dirt, and small stones out of the way with its legs, creating a bowl-shaped depression, also part of the courting behavior.

The activity in the nest box is only part of the courtship display. Peregrines have elaborate aerial rituals including high circling, diving toward one another as well as aerial “kissing” (touching beaks) and exchanges of food in flight.

Will all this activity lead to laying eggs soon? In the past two years they have done so during the third week of March. So the time is coming. Keep your fingers crossed!

For those of you who are new to the Peregrinecam, Peregrine Falcons have been using this man-made nest site since 2007. They do not build nests. They choose inaccessible areas, high on cliffs or on man made structures, frequently near water. These high, rocky areas are called eyries. The actual nesting area is often called the scrape, referring to the scraping of the gravel to create a nesting bowl.

Peregrines are generally monogamous. The male in this pair has had two mates. A new female appeared last year. This probably indicates that the previous mate died. This pair overwinters in the area, unlike many peregrines that migrate south. The nest is located in southern Maine. The exact location is not share in order to protect the birds. BRI works closely with Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in order to protect and study this pair.

Is there a way to tell the male and female apart? Not easily. Their markings are the same. There are only two features that differ in this pair - the male is banded and the female is heavier and longer than the male. Generally she is 15% to 20% longer and 40% to 50% heavier.

Question from the Peregrinecam community: Any word on the three fledgling from last year? This is one of those cases where it is likely good news that we have no news. There are only two scenarios that could confirm a sighting of the birds - if one was netted during migration or if one was found dead.

Enjoy the falcons,

Kate Rotroff

BRI Webcam Ambassador

Welcome back!

2011-03-31T11:48:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Greetings and happy spring. I am very happy to report that the falcon pair on the BRI Peregrinecam is currently incubating four eggs! The first egg was laid on March 18th which was, quite amazingly, also the date of the first egg laid last year.

I would like to apologize for being behind schedule on the blog but I am happy to announce that we have a new 'webcam ambassador' to help with this blog. I am happy to introduce Kate Rotroff. Kate is a wildlife lover and a skilled educator. She is a volunteer at BRI and has now volunteered to help direct the blog posts for the BRI Peregrinecam. She and I will work together to provide accurate updates and information about this nesting pair of peregrine falcons and falcons in general.

Many thanks for enjoying our webcams and please keep in touch.

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
Outreach Director
BioDiversity Research Institute

Falcons continue to visit! and bad news.

2010-06-16T11:39:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Bad news first: The Bird Banding Lab sent a note that one of the male falcon chicks banded on May 18th was found dead on June 3rd. Notably this coincides with comments by community members that a max of only three chicks were seen for a few days around that period. I will send any details when or if I get them. It is not uncommon. Birds do die and for falcons this post-fledging period of time is particularly difficult to survive through. I have read that survival estimates for falcon chicks through flegding to dispersal are typically very low, 15 to 40 percent.

Better news: Well, the falcons have been visiting the nest tray and have showed signs of pair bonding. While I am not sure exactly what this means it can only be good news for the pair and it is great for those of us who enjoy seeing falcons.

Many thanks for all the posts. FYI, I have responded to some questions regarign previous posts internally at those posts.

Until Next time,
Patrick Keenan
Outreach Coordinator
BioDiversity Research Institute

Falcons flying!

2010-06-05T15:47:00.001-07:00

Hi All,
Well, as many of you may be aware the falcon chicks have taken the leap! Following about a week or so of increased activity and wing flapping the falcons have flown for the first time. They will still maintain a presence at the site as they practice flying--indeed the adults will continue to care for them bringing them food for them to eat in the nest or near to it. These chicks still have along way to go. This is a difficult time for chicks, the probability of surviving these next few months is not high (probably < 40%). They have to become strong fliers and hunters and begin to fend for themselves. Let's keep an eye on them and wish them luck.
Until next time,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Banding Day 2010! A riveting experience.

2010-05-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

It is not everyday that one has the chance to band falcon chicks. Even for those who have banded 'many falcons' the opportunity is rarely passed up. Today a few lucky biologists and assistants banded the falcon chicks that are viewable on the BRI Peregrinecam...and what a successful morning it was! The chicks ranged from 21 to 24 days old. I awoke early with a jittery excitement because I was part of the banding team. I drank a cup of coffee, gathered the last few necessary items and set out to meet our falcon handlers Judy Camuso of Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and Chris Martin of New Hampshire Audubon, along with a few guests who would assist and observe the banding process.

We gathered briefly to discuss the strategy for capturing the falcon chicks and processing them. The plan emerged quickly and once we were set up to band we made our approach to the nest. Support staff held a shovel and a broom high to protect the falcon chick 'handlers' from the dive-bombing adults. Actually, only the male was diving at us in the beginning. The female was set at the nest in fierce defense of her coveted chicks. After a moment or two, Chris encouraged her to leave and swiftly but carefully loaded the chicks into a large cat carrier. Yes, a cat carrier is the perfect size and shape to carry up to five falcon chicks. We then sought cover from the adult falcons in an enclosed room. There was no mistaking the screeches and screams of the adults outside. They wanted their chicks back.

Chris and Judy set to band and I recorded data and band numbers as each chick was processed. The processing went quickly and I think that it is safe to say that all on hand were impressed by how calm the falcon chicks seemed to be despite what would generally be considered a stress inducing situation. The falcon chicks did not appreciate being manhandled but when left to themselves simply sank comfortably into the 'relaxed-resting' pose that we've been watching on our Peregrinecam.

Each bird received a silver U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service band as well as a coded color band (shown below) that was applied using rivets and is unique for any given bird. We used leg size to determine the gender of each bird--even at 24 days old female falcons are larger than males. Today we banded three males and one female.

Judy measured the wing length and bill length of each bird, gave each a good look over for any injuries and then set each bird aside to rest until all were processed. At the end we had a short opportunity for photos before returning the falcons back to the nest tray. The photo below shows the banded falcon chicks. The female is the lower left bird-note that it appears to be the youngest with the fewest growing flight feathers but the largest feet and legs. The entire banding process required just under one hour and could not have gone much more smoothly!

Also, because many parties are involved in this project I want to extend a sincere thank you to the individuals and agencies involved including Judy Camuso (Maine IF&W) and Chris Martin (New Hampshire Audubon). In the photo below Judy and Chris smile with a falcon chick just before returning it to the nest.

Please be in touch if you have questions about these falcons, the banding process, or why we band. This blog post was admittedly rushed to get it to press, there may be more to discuss. We are always happy to share and educate. Enjoy the rest of the journey.

All the best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Four chicks growing fast!

2010-05-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Many thanks for all your comments. I have been very busy these past weeks trying to keep up with our webcams and also making a number of presentations about our research. Notably last Friday I shared all of our webcams with students at the Dyer Elementary School in South Portland. It is always refreshing to learn that students are getting smarter all the time.

More to the point, these falcon chicks are growing fast and have experienced a very pleasant spring. After next week we should see them begin to become more active! They will move all over the nest box and platform and they will lounge in the sun on the "porch" looking like rocks. There is still a great deal to see as these birds continue to grow.

We've been able to post recorded footage to our youtube account. So if you want to relive some highlights please visit us on youtube you can subscribe to our channel and get updates when we post a new video.

Have you been able to identify any of the prey items that the falcons share with their young?

Many thanks for enjoying wildlife and sharing this experience with all of us. If you would like to support our work and mission please visit us at www.briloon.org and become a webcam member.

Have a wonderful day!

Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Four Falcon Chicks!

2010-04-30T06:05:00.001-07:00

Hi All,
We now have four falcon chicks being cared for at this site. All eggs hatched and we are watching these birds grow rapidly. In about six weeks they will be beginning to fly. It all happens fast for falcons.

In the meantime watch for these chicks to be fed regularly. Are you able to identify any of the prey items?

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Falcons continue to share incubation duties!

2010-04-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I am sure that many are enjoying watching these falcons bear the weather and protect their eggs. You have probably noticed that both the male and female falcons take turns at incubating the eggs. This allows the second bird to hunt for prey, drink water, and maintain their territory. What percentage of time do you see the female incubating compared the male?

One observation that many have made is that the female falcon is larger than the male. At times this size difference is striking, other times it can be less clear. Don't forget that birds can control each feather on their body to 'fluff up' or to compress their feathers against their body to be more streamlined. One artifact of the size difference between males and females is that larger females can take larger prey items to be eaten by the falcon "family".

I hope to be able to make a visit to the site to survey what the falcons have been eating of late. I will keep you posted when I am able to do that. In the meantime, be in touch with questions and share the BRI Peregrinecam with your friends. Observing the nest is likely to grow very exciting if indeed all four of the eggs hatch!

Until next time,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Four eggs! and update about banded male.

2010-03-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

The falcons are now incubating four eggs. Eggs were laid on March 18, 20, 22, and 24. Egg #5 could appear today! Last year these falcons laid only four eggs but it is not out of the question for falcons to lay up to six eggs!

Also, I am excited to pass on some additional information about the banded male of this pair. As you know the male at this nest has a black over green band (with codes B/S) on its left leg and a silver Fish and Wildlife band on its right leg. Chris Martin of NH Audubon has provided an update about the history of this bird--he hails from New Hampshire and is in his sixth year!

From Chris Martin, Senior Biologist, New Hampshire Audubon:

Black/green B/S was 1 of 4 chicks fledged from the Brady-Sullivan Tower in downtown Manchester, NH in Spring 2005. His mother was raised at the Throgs Neck Bridge in New York City and his father comes from Cathedral Ledge near Conway, NH. Black/green B/S has been confirmed to be associated with this (webcam site) breeding territory since 2007.

In 2007 the falcons at this eyrie fledged one chick. Breeding efforts failed in 2008 but last year, 2009, these falcons again raised one chick...the only chick to hatch of four eggs. This is the second season that we have monitored this nest with BRI Peregirnecam.

Detailed information about individually marked birds is uncommon and difficult to acquire. Although such information is limited, it can be critical for addressing certain questions that relate to the behavior individuals such as dispersal distance, site fidelity, territory size. Can you think of other questions that might be answered by marking individual birds?

Because we banded last year's chick we may have a chance at tracking multiple generations of falcons...we just have to hope for the stars to align so that last years fledgling might be observed again somewhere. So, be on the lookout for falcons!

As always please keep in touch with your questions and comments about what you see here. Help contribute to this blog!

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Falcons lay first egg on 3/18/10

2010-03-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
I am happy to report that the falcons on our webcam have laid their first early this morning between 1:30 and 3:30 am. This is a very exciting start to spring. Last year the birds laid their first egg on March 20th. Here is a photo of a falcon incubating this first egg.

Peregrine falcons are widely distrubuted in North America and show variation in the number of eggs that they lay--generally they lay 3-6 eggs. The eggs are typically laid at intervals of about 48 hours, give or take. So, we will have to keep an eye on these birds in the coming days to see how many eggs they lay!

Many thanks for all your posts and please be in touch with questions and comments about what you are seeing. Don't forget to share this project with your friends and family.

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
Outreach Coordinator
BioDiversity Research Institute

Webcam is down until Monday

2010-03-12T07:24:00.001-08:00

Hi All,
I am sorry to report that we are having an issue with our webcam system and we will be down until Monday. Unfortunately, we will not be able to access the site until at least that day. I hope that I can solve the issue and have us back up first thing on Monday...wish me luck.
Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

The male continues to prepare the site!

2010-02-25T10:53:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I hope that you have all been finding the time to check the webcam and see the male falcon that continues to make visits to this nest tray in preparation for the nesting season. As you can see from this photo this bird is banded. These leg bands are a small but critical piece of evidence that allows us to be certain of the individual identity of this bird. The birds bands have unique color and letter combination that allow observers to recognize individuals.

We have been able to identify this birds bands as...silver on the right leg and a black B over a green S on the left leg. We have several queries out to researchers to get more details about this bird and we will keep you up to date about the history of this bird in upcoming blogs...so keep checking back!

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Falcons persist at the nest site!

2010-02-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

Hi All, I am very happy to report about the frequent visits by the falcons to the perch in front of the nest and to the nest tray itself. Many are very eager for eggs to appear. Last year late March was the period of laying for these birds-the earliest nesting record for falcons in Maine! Let's keep our fingers crossed for this pair as the season progresses.

Here is an up close and personal view of what I believe is the male falcon perched directly in front of our inward looking camera.

Please be in touch with questions. My hope is to get a better dialogue going on our blogs and try to maintain posts each week or two.

All the best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Early season visits! What are you seeing?

2010-01-21T12:01:00.001-08:00

Well, many thanks for the great discussion and photos posted to our online community. I am very happy to see the falcons visiting the nest site and showing signs of pair bonding. This is a great sign that the birds intend to nest and use this site again this year. Here is a nice image of the birds bowing to each other in typical pair bonding ritual.

Laurad also posted this photo of the bird attempting to excavate the scrape where the falcons might lay their eggs. Not that his bird is also simulating its incubation posture.

I appreciate all your comments! Please see the comments in last weeks blog for details about the prey items, I'll post them tomorrow!

Until next time,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Camera Reinstall visit on Jaunuary 14, 2010

2010-01-15T10:28:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I am eager to report the details about my recent visit to the peregrine falcon nest site yesterday. It was very cold in the morning but warmed quickly as the sun rose. I was able to secure the camera back on its 'perch' to offer us, once again, an inward looking perspective on the nest tray. While tightening the u-bolts I was 'buzzed' by each of the falcons.

Needless to say, I worked quickly and was happy to have support from our collaborator who provided warning that the falcons were approaching fast (not that there was anywhere to hide!). I had tried to time the visit to avoid disturbing the pair, but given their persistent territoriality and presence at the site through the year, I had to settle with simply minimizing my disturbance. That is I visited during the period outside of the birds nesting season. Last year these birds became active at the nest in early February and laid eggs at the end of March.

Of particular interest to our project is what these birds are eating. I was fortunate to also visit one of the feeding 'stoops' where these birds perch and tear apart their food items. In addition to three very fresh rock pigeon carcasses (as well as a count of nine older, desiccated pigeon carcasses), I found the following items shown in the photos below.

Can you recognize these bird parts? It may be difficult to do so from the photos alone but I welcome any thoughts or questions that you might have about these prey items. I have identified them only after careful and cautious observation. I will post their identity next week in this blog...so be sure to check back!

PHOTO 1:

PHOTO 2:

Well, that is all that I would like to report for now. There is a great deal happening at BRI so please visit our website (www.briloon.org) to learn more. Until next time enjoy our webcams and your wildlife!

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
Outreach Coordinator
BioDiversity Research Institute

Falconcam turbulence?

2009-11-18T11:27:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I just want to make everyone aware of a few changes to the falconcam. First, we plan to return the inward pointing camera as soon as possible and regain our two perspectives of these birds. Second, for a number of reasons we will be changing our broadcast mode for this stream and using a free online streaming provider. Some of the drawbacks are that the streaming quality may be reduced and we may face other issues that we have not faced during our trial period. A second drawback is that now our stream will be subject to advertisements. This is disappointing to us because we have been able to maintain the stream without advertisements until now and we feel that ads change the experience.

Thanks so much for enjoying the BRI Peregrinecam and we are pleased to keep this exciting project going. Many thanks for all of your support.

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Falcons tend the nest box.

2009-11-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

In recent weeks the falcons, both male and female, have been visiting the nest. This continued territoriality is not common among all falcons. Some falcons have forsaken their breeding territories some time ago to begin an annual migration south before returning next spring.

The fact that the birds on the BRIperegrinecam remain suggests that they are finding ample food. I wonder what they are eating, I hope that we can uncover some feeding preferences of these birds throughout the year. What do you see the falcons eating?

Until next time,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute.

Visit to the Falcon Site: 10/15/09

2009-10-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

Hi All, on my recent visit to the Peregrine Falcon site I recovered this pellet. It is packed full of feathers, bones, and seed and berry casings--the regurgitated, indigestible morsels of a recent falcon meal. Although most people are familiar with owls producing pellets raptors of all shapes and sizes produce pellets. Given the number of seeds in the pellet and the size of the bones it seems likely that this pellet contains the remains of a seed-eating songbird. The photo below includes a ruler for scale and a different perspective. If you look closely you can see a feather arcing across the top and a bone just below the feather.

In this photo you can see the pellet sitting on the 'front stoop' of the falcon tray.

I'm very happy to be able to share this small discovery with you and provide these photos. I will keep this pellet intact and share it with students when it pertains to the subject of our many classroom visits! Please be in touch with your questions and comments and keep on enjoying the BRIperegrinecam!

Until Next Time,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

All photos are copyright of BioDiversity Research Institute

Falcons in October!

2009-10-09T08:49:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

I am happy to see all of your comments regarding the falcons and their visits over the past months.

To address some of your questions: (1)No, the blog was not abandoned but we have elected to devote our energies to other projects and priorities during the non-breeding season but are very excited about the start of next season which is right around the corner! (2)Yes, we hope to keep this camera operational throughout the year with at least one of our views. (3) As many have noted our 'inward' perspective has its struggles. I plan to address that issue next week. I truly hope that you can understand our need to prioritize amid various projects and limited time and funding.

I recommend two things to look for this October on our webcam. First, signs of nesting activity or increased activity at the nest tray. This is a good indicator of future nesting efforts and site use and often spikes during October as the day length stimulates breeding behavior and territoriality in a number of bird species. Second, keep an eye out for other falcons. We are approaching the peak of falcon migration in Maine and there is a chance of seeing other falcons in the area.

Have a wonderful fall and thanks for enjoying the webcams.

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Falcon Fledge!

2009-06-15T06:57:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
I am happy to report that our banded falcon chick fledged on Saturday June 6th. What a great event and success for this pair! Of late we have seen falcons visiting irregularly...this may be either of the adults or the chick herself. Thanks you so much for enjoying this birds journey with us and obviously we wish the bird good luck.
All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Falcon Chick Springs Forward!

2009-05-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Bruce Connery, Biologist, National Park Service.

Spring is edging closer to summer with each day and the chick is marking these days with amazing changes in development and growth. Almost three weeks have passed since hatching, and the slow changes witnessed in the beginning will soon be replaced with big daily changes in movements, behavior, and development. It helps to be the sole focus of your parent’s attention and to have been blessed with good weather this spring for Maine’s coastal areas. The eruption of feathers will become more and more apparent, beginning first along the wings and tail followed by the back and head and eventually everywhere. Soon the young chick will begin to actively take food from its parents and feed itself, matched with small forays around the scrape with bursts of wing flapping and hopping. All signs of a rapidly developing young falcon.

The witnessed changes on the developing chick suggest it is doing fine and suggests to biologists that the best time to enter the scrape to collect information is approaching. The chick’s development serves as a guide in determining the correct dates to collect the data and permanently mark the chick with identification bands with a minimal risk to both the chick and the adults. The bands provide a permanent tracking tool that is visible and not burdensome, allowing managers and anyone the opportunity to re-identify the bird throughout its lifetime without the need for additional handling by humans that is likely to be both stressful and an opportunity for injury. At this time, the unhatched eggs also will be collected as they will provide valuable information to biologists interested in learning of any embryo development and what contaminant burdens are present through chemical analyses. Combined, the results of these data will provide an inside view of some of the factors facing the adults and the young chick, being valuable information to biologists and managers trying to identify factors and conditions that are or can threaten these birds and their habitats.

Explanations of why only one egg hatched are abundant. The use of an artificial platform, or tray, as a scrape at this site is not unusual to falcon pairs in New England, as many have been documented throughout this region. However their use is less typical for most of the nesting territories found in Maine and for much of northern New England. Appropriately positioned trays often provide excellent nesting conditions on buildings and towers with their suitably-sized pea gravel substrate, superb drainage, and correct orientation to weather conditions. However, Maine and other northeastern states are blessed with numerous natural cliff faces that are found above rivers, lakes, coastal headlands, and on near shore islands. These natural cliff faces provide ample opportunities for peregrine adults to be highly selective in choosing the sites with the best drainage, protection from the elements, access and visibility, and foraging opportunities.

Bruce Connery
Biologist
National Park Service

Peregrine and Parenthood

2009-05-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

Peregrines and Parenthood

By Ron Joseph, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

“How very exciting and quite a relief”: a blogger’s response to Patrick’s announcement of a falcon hatchling summarized our collective feelings. I couldn’t have stated it better myself. Admittedly, as the days dragged past a projected first hatch date, I had my doubts that any eggs had survived the cold snap that coincided with egg laying more than a month ago. Trying times are still ahead for this youngster and any sibling(s) that may hatch over the next few days (don’t be surprised if an egg or two doesn’t hatch). As my father was fond of saying, “They’re not out of the woods yet.” But there is reason for optimism. Peregrines are very dedicated parents so we’ll see food deliveries increase especially as the young mature. The adult male has been busy off camera caching food in “cupboards” such as crevices or ledges on old buildings or bridges. Those prey items will be retrieved and delivered to the attending adult. She’ll tear meat from a bird (most likely killed on the wing) before feeding it to her young. Since the young will be nearly full grown when they fledge in six weeks (six plus a few days for females), you can imagine how much food will be delivered by both parents.

At one month old, the young will compete with each other for food delivered by their parents. The nestlings will aggressively strike at food with their talons. It’s during this stage of their young’s development that parents, not wanting to be “footed” by a hungry youngster’s sharp talons, will drop food off quickly before departing the nest box. Some young are reluctant to leave the comfort of the eyrie when it’s time to fledge (sounds like my 19-year old son!). I once watched an adult female peregrine in Bryce Canyon National Park fly close to her eyrie clutching a dead white-throated swift in an attempt to encourage one reluctant youngster to fledge. It was actually quite entertaining. The youngster’s siblings had already fledged. But this particular youngster had no intention of leaving the red sandstone cliff eyrie. Each time a parent flew close by carrying food, the youngster would open its wings and scream defiantly. Finally, as the nestling leaned forward again with open wings, a strong gust of wind lifted it sideways out of the nest. The fledgling soon discovered the value of wings as it awkwardly chased its parents. The adult female dropped the dead swift and the youngster caught it in mid-air.

Peregrines in Maine also prefer to catch birds on the wing. Experienced adults use the sun to their advantage during hunting forays. They “climb” high in the sky, positioning themselves between the sun and their targeted prey knowing full well that an unsuspecting blue jay, for example, won’t look up into the sun where the peregrine is making its stoop. Peregrines fly over 100 mph (and sometimes much more) in a dive; their talons form a loose fist until the moment they strike. When peregrines hit their prey, be it blue-winged teal or grackle, the feathers fly as the injured bird tumbles through the air.

I collected feathers from over a dozen different bird species (i.e. rose-breasted grosbeak, northern flicker, mourning dove, American robin, to name a few) in one western Maine eyrie in the mid-90s. The Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife sent the feathers to the late Roxie Laybourne of the Smithsonian Institute for identification. She was the world’s leading expert on bird identification from forensic evidence. I was privileged to work with Ms. Laybourne when I worked as a raptor biologist in Utah. She helped me identify lots of prey remains from many peregrine eyries. She could identify the age and sex of a bird based on one feather. Ms. Laybourne told me once that she helped the FBI solve a murder by matching the pillow feathers in a dead man’s nose with the pillow used by the murderer!

If all goes well in the weeks ahead, the young peregrine(s) should fledge sometime in mid-June. The nest box will become littered with small feathers, desiccated prey bones, and lots of white wash (falcon excrement). Be sure to turn on the volume because nestlings are quite vocal, especially when food is delivered.

Ron Joseph
Wildlife Biologist

Press Release--Falcon Hatch

2009-05-01T11:40:00.000-07:00

Peregrine Falcon Egg Hatches on Live Webcam

GORHAM, Maine, May 1st, 2009—BioDiversity Research Institute’s Peregrine Cam has captured the hatching of a falcon chick at 2:17 this morning. See the birds live at www.briloon.org.

Editors/Reporters: See the peregrines live at www.briloon.org. For still shots to print, reply to patrick.keenan@briloon.org or call (207) 839-7600, ext. 118.

“We are ecstatic about seeing this egg hatch” said Education and Outreach Coordinator Patrick Keenan. “We were starting to get worried as we expected the eggs to hatch last week. However we trusted the birds which have dutifully incubated their four eggs since March 25th. Now their efforts have paid off.”

The BRI Peregrine Cam is one of BRI’s fleet of wildlife webcams. BRI Eagle Cam2 features nesting eagles incubating two eggs that may hatch as early as May 6th. Ospreys on BRI Osprey Cam laid eggs on April 27th and BRI Finch Cam is featuring the rapid development of five finch nestlings. In addition to all this, BRI Loon Cam was installed on April 28th. Watch BRI wildlife webcams at http://www.briloon.org/watching-wildlife/.

The BRI Peregrine cam is a cutting edge research and educational tool. It offers two perspectives of the nest tray and is equipped with a camera that functions in extremely low light, allowing for monitoring night and day. In fact, this camera has documented the earliest case of nesting Peregrine Falcons in Maine. The first egg was laid on March 20th!

“We hope that this camera provides a new opportunity for individuals around the world to connect with wildlife and learn about the vast array of issues that wildlife face,” says Wing Goodale, Deputy Director at BioDiversity Research Institute. “People all over the world have been watching these webcams and joining our online community (www.briloon.ning.com) to learn more about the species that we feature.

The BRI Peregrine cam is provided free of charge by Gorham, Maine-based BioDiversity Research Institute in collaboration with and support from NextEra Energy Resources, Bank of America, Kids in the Nest, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and the Maine Department of Transportation.

BioDiversity Research Institute is a nonprofit ecological research group that supports global health by conducting collaborative ecological research, assessing ecosystem health, promoting environmental awareness, and informing science based decision making.

First egg hatches!

2009-05-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

Hello all,
We would like to welcome a Falcon hatchling to the world. The first egg hatched early this morning at about 2:17 AM. Be sure to check in to see these adults feeding this nestling! What an exciting morning!
All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Eggs to hatch any day!

2009-04-28T15:09:00.001-07:00

Hi all, just a reminder to check on the Peregrine Falcon nest. The eggs could hatch at any time A word of warning. Not every clutch results in viable offspring. There are a number of reasons that eggs do not hatch including poor incubation/exposure to weather, developmental problems related to genetics or contaminant exposure, and predation. So, cross your fingers for a successful hatch.
All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Peregrine Falcon Scrape Site Selection

2009-04-03T10:31:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Bruce Connery of the National Park Service has contributed this informative blog about falcon nest site selection.
Enjoy!
All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Peregrine Falcon Scrape Site Selection

The selection of a scrape, or nest site, for peregrine falcons occurs in tandem with other courtship activities and behaviors. The adults may visit several likely suitable ledges or structural platforms in the weeks leading up to the eggs being laid, seeking sites that have the right combination of factors such as aspect, exposure, and protection. Along with courtship activities such as pair flying and food exchanges, the adults often engage in ledge or scrape displays. These displays further strengthen the bond between the pair and also indicate possible nesting sites.

Falcons prefer scrapes that are composed of pea-sized gravels with small grains of sand or gravel and some soil, but where precipitation can drain away from the eggs, incubating adult, and eventually the chicks. Falcon scrapes may occur on natural or artificial structures but must be inaccessible from terrestrial predators and are often situated between vertical faces or walls above and below the scrape.

Natural candidate nesting sites can be open exposed ledges, ledges under an overhanging cliff, or raptor stick nests that the falcons claim for themselves from other raptors or from ravens that have an east to southern aspect. Scrapes on southeastern aspects provide morning warmth while protecting the adults and chicks from the hot mid- to late afternoon daytime temperatures that become common in late spring and early summer.

Artificial nest sites have good visibility and access and some protection from the sun and weather. Artificial sites may be the tops of bridge supports or structures, tops of buildings or on towers used in manufacturing complexes, but again must have a granular substrate that the adults can move around or hollow out into a depression to hold the eggs.

Nest boxes are often placed on towers, bridges, or other high locations were falcons have been observed at least perching and resting. The boxes can vary in size according to the dimension of the location they were they will be placed, however they must have sides that rise above and hold the granular substrate and have good drainage.

Bruce Connery
Biologist
National Park Service

Become a BRI Webcam Member

2009-04-02T16:02:00.001-07:00

Greetings all!

BRI is very excited to announce the launch of a membership program.

Please click here to become a member

Through this program and your support we hope over the nesting season to raise $65,000 to ensure that we are able to keep these systems running free for everyone.

There are seven different giving levels with the membership and they each have unique and exciting thank you gifts. All members will be automatically signed up for our electronic updates and will receive a BRI sticker--the e-updates will be free for all viewers. The membership levels are.

1. Fledgling, $25: this is for kids and students. Members at this level will receive an eagle mobile and a BRI sticker.

2. Finch, $35: with this membership level you will receive a BRI sticker.

3. Kestrel, $60: you will receive a BRI pin.

4. Osprey, $100: you will receive a 1G memory stick for your computer loaded with high resolution video footage from our webcams and a beautiful eagle screen saver for your computer. Once you have loaded the videos and screen saver onto your computer you can use the memory stick to transfer files and back-up files on your computer.

5. Loon, $250: you will receive a signed copy of Dr. David Evers (BRI's Executive Director) and and Ms Taylor's (former board member) book on loons.

6. Peregrine, $500: you will become one of BRI's top supporters with a Peregrine membership. You will receive a signed copy of Dr. Evers and Ms. Taylor's book "Call of the Loon", our webcam e-update, and BRI sticker.

and

7. Eagle, $1,000: Your exceptionally generous support allows BRI to conduct its cutting edge wildlife education and research. You will receive a quarterly letter from BRI's Executive Director, a signed copy of the book "Call of the Loon", webcam e-updates, and BRI sticker.

Please consider become a webcam member. Last year we were fortunate to receive several one-year foundation grants to expand our program.

We are working on setting up two more loon cams, and potentially a catbird cam. Today we were talking about potential plans to set up ten more cams in Maine as well as some in some tropical site.

Your support will ensure than we are able to continue our current work and greatly expand.

Thank you.

Wing

Caring for eggs

2009-03-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

Hi All, Ron Joseph a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service has contributed this very informative biologist journal about egg care and his experience with Peregrine Falcon recovery efforts. Enjoy!

CARING FOR EGGS AND EGG DEVELOPMENT

Both sexes develop brood patches or temporary featherless areas near the breast to facilitate heat exchange from adults to the eggs. Females perform most of the month-long incubation duties although males will spell females by incubating the clutch about 33% of the time. As a rule, peregrines are relatively quiet during this stage of the nesting season.
Males will occasionally call from a nearby ledge or other perch. And while the male is busy hunting for food (mostly birds) and stashing surplus food in caches, the female sits tightly on the eggs. About once an hour she'll stand up and turn the eggs with her bill to ensure an even distribution of heat in the developing embryos. In the late 1970s, when I began my career as a raptor biologist in Utah and Colorado, there were so few peregrines breeding in the west (none in Maine) we would not allow peregrines to incubate their own eggs. Peregrines back then still produced DDE induced thin-shelled eggs. The normal "wear and tear" of turning thin-shelled eggs by adults was problematic. Cracked eggs translate to dead embryos.
To avoid a potential reproduction loss, we fooled the adults by replacing a clutch of wild eggs with identical looking ceramic dummy eggs. The real eggs were transported in specially designed portable incubators to The Peregrine Fund's captive breeding facility in Fort Collins, Colorado. After the wild eggs hatched in captivity, the two-week old chicks were transported back to their home eyries in places like Dinosaur National Monument. I remember being stunned by the amount of damage to the first set of dummy eggs I collected after a month of incubation. The adults were stunned too in discovering loud, hungry young when minutes earlier an adult was incubating artificial eggs. We dropped many dead bobwhite quail onto ledges near the eyrie to help the adults feed their "surprise" family. Fortunately, peregrine populations today are recovering and the magnificent birds now reoccupy many parts of their former range, including Maine. Peregrine eggshell thickness has improved making it no longer necessary to manipulate the eyries with dummy eggs.

Best,

Ron Joseph
Wildlife Biologist
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
1168 Main Street
Old Town, Maine 04468

Peregrine Falcon Nesting Biology

2009-03-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

ll, what a great way to start spring with the peregrine laying her first egg. I have just posted a video blog talking about what we should see over the nest month. Click here to watch it.

So here are some things that we should be watching for. The bird will lay 3-4 eggs around 48 hours apart. So by next Friday we should have a full clutch. Before the female lays the eggs she become quite lethargic, and this is what we have seen this last week and I believe is what explains her behavior of just sitting in the nest over three nights last week.

The eggs should take around 33 days to hatch, so we should see our first chick around April 22nd.

The female will tend to the eggs about two-thirds of the time while the male will attend the nest about one-third of the time. Every half and hour or so you should see the birds stand up and rotate the egg in order to keep the yolk from becoming stuck to one side. This is very important to keep the egg healthy.

We will keep you updated on the latest developments!

Have a great weekend.

Wing Goodale
Senior Research Biologist
BioDiversity Research Institute

Peregrine Falcons Lay Egg

2009-03-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

Peregrine Falcons Lay Egg Before Live Internet Camera

GORHAM, Maine, March 20, 2009—Biodiversity Research Institute’s biologists confirmed that at 1:30 p.m. a peregrine falcon laid an egg before the live BRI Peregrine Cam.

Editors/Reporters: See the peregrine pair live at www.briloon.org/watching-wildlife/peregrine-ca.php. For still shots to print, reply to wing_goodale@briloon.org or call (207) 839-7600, ext. 109.

“This is amazing,” says Senior Research Biologist Wing Goodale. “We have all been watching with bated breath for the last three days. I haven’t been getting much sleep.”

The BRI Peregrine Cam is a new live internet camera for Biodiversity Research Institute and adds to the eagles, ospreys, loons, and finches that BRI monitors. Both the eagle pairs appear to be close to nesting.

Viewers from around the world are chatting live and capturing every event on BRI’s online webcam community, www.briloon.ning.com. This community site allows viewers to follow the events and post images and videos taken of nest activities.

BRI webcams are at the forefront of innovation, giving biologists and the public a cutting-edge way to research wildlife. BRI Peregrine Cam offers two views of the nest, one of which functions in full color in low-light conditions, providing an image 24 hours a day.

“In Maine, breeding peregrine falcons are listed as a threatened species, with only 23 known pairs nesting in 2008,” said BioDiversity Research Institute’s Raptor Program Director Chris DeSorbo. “These webcams serve multiple purposes-—they can inform us about the causes of nest failures and they vastly increase people’s awareness of the many threats facing wildlife.”

To support global health, BRI conducts collaborative ecological research, assesses ecosystem health, promotes environmental awareness, and informs science based decision making.

BRI webcams are possible through collaboration and support from dedicated viewers, Bank of America, Kids in the Nest Educational Society, Nextera Energy, and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

# # #

And it begins

2009-03-17T12:15:00.001-07:00

Well, all of the activity at the nest has been very exciting. In the past these birds have laid eggs during the first week of April. So, I guess we may have some time before we see an egg. All of this activity is sure egging us on though.
Other good news is that we will have regular contributors to this blog beginning next week. Charlie Todd of Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Ron Joseph of US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bruce Connery of Acadia National Park will be sharing contributions to help educate our viewers about the life history, behavior, and conservation efforts of Peregrine Falcons in Maine and New England. This is a great chance to learn about Peregrine Falcons from wildlife experts will many years of accumulated experience.
I hope that we have a lot to talk about.
Allthe Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Peregrine Flacons on the cam

2009-03-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

Well, all of the activity at the nest has been very exciting. In the past these birds have laid eggs during the first week of April. So, I guess we may have some time before we see an egg. All of this activity is sure egging us on though.
Other good news is that we will have regular contributors to this blog beginning next week. Charlie Todd of Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Ron Joseph of US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bruce Connery of Acadia National Park will be sharing contributions to help educate our viewers about the life history, behavior, and conservation efforts of Peregrine Falcons in Maine and new England. This is a great chance to learn about Peregrine Falcons from wildlife experts will many years of accumulated experience.
I hope that we have a lot to talk about.

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Falcon visits

2009-02-19T11:47:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
I am very happy to report that over the past week we have observed regular visits at the nest tray. This is a great sign that the birds are considering nesting. We'll keep you posted as we approach the typical nesting period for these birds. Also, check in at our online community site -- www.briloon.ning.com to view photos and video of the recent falcon visits. Have a great day!
All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute

Camera Installed

2009-01-27T07:50:00.000-08:00

We have istalled the camera and anticipate 'going live' on February 4th. We will keep you posted.
All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute