I’ve been re-reading about sexing Aussie peregrines. A methodology has been developed at earlier stage than normal so that a safer banding can be undertaken (less likely to jump). Sexes cannot be determined when the wing is less than 9 cm (about 15 days after hatching), but by taking measurements of body mass, tarsus lenth, head-bill length and tip-cere length (NB not wing lenghth, sex can be determined quite accurately after that (Hurley et al 2007, A morphological model for sexing nestling peregrine falcons….verified through genetic analysis). Interesting reading.
I thought I’d play around a bit with the video formats (my patient partner is getting very good at cooking as I’m home so late most days!).
Two of them (RLE and Microsoft YUV) didn’t seem to work at all and none seem to provide audio (although they are supposed to and I get it when I’m using the recording software), but I got an eight second clip down from 262 MB (Intel) (yikes) to 19 MB using Microsoft Video 1 (.avi) and 21,000 kb uisng MKVI. I’ll attach both if I can and you can see which you prefer. I seem to have to click on the screen to get the MKVI to appear. As you can probably tell, I haven’t tried to do videos before (Scott’s preserve). I still won’t be able to keep up with you lot, however as I can only do the work for a couple of hours a day, generally all in one sitting.
20161029-x-leapfrogs-chicks-ms-video-1-format20161029-x-leapfrogs-chicks
stills of a leaping Xavier (hard to see, sorry)
He’s a complete nutcase!!! Thanks for the video. I’ve just been watching the chicks on the night-view cam – is this a particularly bad year for mozzies out your way, after all the rain? I’m surprised they’re up so high – and they seem to make the chicks twitchy. I don’t remember them being an issue last year.
Vim appears a bit afraid of Xavier
On the First day of Christmas my true love sent to me
a Partridge in a Pear Tree.
On the Second day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Two Turtle Doves
3 French Hens
4 Calling Birds
5 Gold Rings
6 Geese a-Laying
7 Swans a-Swimming
8 Maids a-Milking
9 Ladies Dancing
10 Lords a-Leaping – XAVIER??
11 Pipers Piping
12 Drummers Drumming
😀
20:14 Diamond returns, youtu.be/KnJyuGLpH_0
Thanks Cilla, very interesting to have sound. 🙂
I’ve combined both videos in one, to compare them.
First the orginals with sound, then again delayed to 15%.
I choose for mkv, because it is smoother, has no blocks.
20161029 Xavier leapfrogs chicks, youtu.be/vU5Hdg9BxBA
Cracky, I have to rewrite this.
We band our young at 19- 27 days. the reason being as their legs will never get nay bigger after this. have to make sure band stays on. Our biologist has been doing this for a lifetime and he can just hold them and know weight, and he looks at feet. look at the difference between, male and female feet. And it is easier on youngsters to tell. He really examines their feathering etc. and checks for mites ad looks at their mouths
I love Xavier. There is nothing wrong with him. Diamond has obviously tuned him in and he knows who is boss. LOL He is acting as he should. Sometimes they will attempt a feed or two, but as long as he guards and hunts , that is key. And it is obvious he is. Just because you do not see him does not mean he is not nearby guarding.
I would ove to see him fly as he is probably a cracker jack. He is so much like our male , who came in under same circumstances, and has turned out to be a great partner, but at times, still has tug a wars over food LOL
great video Cilia and thanks to arjen and others for dedication I cannot watch as much as i would like.
So good to hear them! Thank you.
7:42 Feeding 1, youtu.be/1ZkVLdAL94E
8:39 Feeding 2, youtu.be/rRJt00n9CO8
9:40 Feeding 3, youtu.be/zU0oD415KmE
11:51 Chicks flapping wings, youtu.be/bCEyTQ9syLQ
Well, I’m amazed – I didn’t think the sound had come through. Will have another go as the chicks are calling now – must be hungry as parents have been absent for nearly 5 hours.
Haa that video is a classic Cilla.
Xavier hops and leaps.
Diamond hangs her head in shame.
Diamond breaks the fourth wall and looks at us “What have i done???” she asks!!
I’m a bit confused now; is Vim the youngest? Then who is the eldest (biggest)? They are all so hungry right now @ 7.15pm. I’m a bit worried that baby isn’t getting enough?!
Thanks to Arjen we can see the difference in the video quality of the two format, MKV being better – but it would be, it’s tons “heavier” and more difficult to handle if you’re trying to edit from long recordings. I always record in MP4, there being not a lot of discernible difference between that and AVI, and it’s easier again to edit from.
As Jeanette has said, the chicks have gone to bed hungry this evening. Not long ago Diamond brought in a tiny morsel, which one of the chicks nabbed and frantically hid with, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy it.
3m34s VIDEO = youtube.com/watch?v=XMww4YsML7E
SNAPS
Diamond with morsel:
i.imgur.com/WbjYIeB.png
Chick guarding it in corner, a hungry beak in the foreground 😉
i.imgur.com/y7mJwMz.png
(In case you don’t know, those links should be copied and pasted into browser address bar – the http://www has been omitted, to avoid the spam filter delay 🙂 )
Hey Cilla, thanks so much for the email. I’m down in Tassie and a Falcon and Eagle-holic, lol. Hopefully tomorrow, D and X can find a nice big fat juicy (poor) duck or something! So, we go with Shep and Vim is the small one. I agree…”thought” male and both siblings female. Anyway, off to bed. Hope you get a good rest too!! Thanks again 🙂
Can it be chilly on the ledge? Diamond has just, suddenly, walked to the back of the nest.