Diamond appears to be rationing her one kill from yesterday and she fed the little ones (both, as far as I could tell)
before dawn this morning. She then ate the remains and is now left with nothing.
As I write the chicks and the third egg (apparently trying to hatch) are on their own.
STOP PRESS. Diamond has jut brought in some more prey (I think another pigeon, which is good as quite a big feed). She had a quick feed herself and then started warming up the chicks, that are probably too cold to eat. She is certainly trying really hard. Hopefully the little ones will get something to eat soon as they must be very hungry (as is Diamond, no doubt). No hope for the nestlings if Mum gets too weak to hunt, so she must eat first.
Here’s the video of Diamond’s nice big prey – but there’s a problem with the recording, it suddenly goes blurry because somehow the recording mode changed to .3gp (for Android phones, I think?). Never mind, you can see the prey and what she does with it – she stashed it for later 🙂
1m21s VIDEO = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_oERpFGuN0
I shan’t be around when the next meal takes place but hope I’ll have it recorded – in the correct mode 😉
Diamond is feeding the chicks now, with her back blocking our view!
Yes she’s tearing into the feed now .. and is that another egg shell above her head?
13:52 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_bNS18mNlY
14:22 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvLvL-VX2Vs
Just now on the nest feed you can see the 2 chicks clearly and the third egg the head is trying desperately to crack through the shell. Diamond has stored the rest of the food in the corner again and back on the chicks for now .. You go girl!
Another thought … I wonder if the leftovers almost at the entrance are a form of lure?
After Diamond had warmed up the chicks for an hour, she has fed them. It’s difficult to see both chicks due the angle (very tempted to get up there and move them; only kidding!).
There’s good weather, sunny and fairly warm, forecast until Monday, so here’s hoping she can keep it up.
We can _just_ see the little chick moving inside the egg – 15:56hr:
31s VIDEO = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSEgTsYF17Q
Re: leftovers. I don’t think they are a lure. They would be hard to see from the outdoors, and from past experience, they nearly always stash them in the corner near the ledge.
Is there a facebook page? It would be good for sharing.
A single Mom and 3 chicks
October 5, 2016 Shepnotes
* 7.45 am Oz * 4.45 pm USA
They all ate something, egg has a big pip
Diamond left very briefly, I saw 2 beeks up and a big pip 😀
She flies out and around those trees and back from time to time
* 7.30 pm US edt – Cant get nest cam again
I did see Diamond at the door for the 3rd time this Oz morning
Oz overnite her back was to the wind which ruffed her feathers
* 6.37 pm Oz * 3.30 am EDT USA
I found Diamond eating and the lower corner of the nest cam EMPTY! After fearing the worst, a wee speck of white fluff moved, barely visible at the bottom of my monitor screen.
I checked bcaw and saw their notes and pics – VERY HELPFUL!
loza on bcaw pic – clearly #3 has hatched
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j416/lkrys/aa%20sokol/aa%20sokol002/bandicam%202016-10-05%2009-14-55-234_zpsbprnvs0h.jpg
Diamond feeds young – barely visible Oct 5
Arjen video – I saw BOTH chicks beeks open – AND movement of chick inside egg!
http://youtu.be/H2BvYyK4X_4
Bev on bcaw posted
if there are other falcons in area, Bula may be defending. We had this at Genesee a few years ago and we did nto see our male for a few days. We drove out to check and he was patrolling the area keeping it safe.
If Diamond gets no male takers, would human intervention be considered, i.e. dropping prey on a nearby ledge somewhere?
no patricia – any human intervention would spoil CSU research
At 18:05hr a new eggshell was revealed – but it could have been tucked out of our sight for days:
http://i.imgur.com/wzlfngo.png
The latest reveal was a poop just now, can’t see the chicks at all!
http://i.imgur.com/d6oLLYZ.png
A snippet of Diamond turfing out half-shell, and having a taste? @ 0306hr:
39s VIDEO = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF9Oq2YZUHY
Diamond feeding two chicks right now, I can’t see the other egg (chick?).
Feed going on right now. I have catching up to do!
I think i just caught a glimpse of #3. Crikey, poor Diamond – how on earth will she manage this?
That’s what I suspected, Shep. Thanks.
Saw another bird!
October 5, 2016 Shepnotes
7.15 am Oz * 4.15 pm edt USA
I SAW a BIRD flying OUTSIDE, then she has prey.
Now Diamond is eating and feeding chicks
I was so taken by surprise! 🙂
I cant tell you ANYthing else!
For several years I’ve watched many falcon nests
its so interesting
btw – she fed 3 chicks
Oh great stuff, Shep! I can’t “do” the ledgecam, am gutted to have missed it.
However, having spent HOURS trying to show #3 during the breakfast before daycam, daycam appeared and another feed started, and yay!
Here are THREE eyases 🙂
http://i.imgur.com/82DBPWG.png
There’s a second perry in the scrape. Aggression. Cam frozen.
It’s gone now …
Last night Diamond kept looking directly at the camera .. but I think she could hear something. She kept looking like she was about to leap up and without sound I’m not sure but it looked like she was calling. I looked at the ledge camera and I’m sure I saw something flying past. I was hoping beyond hope it was someone to help … but hope it’s not going to be someone to cause trouble!
Bula? tries to get a look at his babies, Diamond won’t have it, he’s evicted unceremoniously 😮
Huge freezes excised, small ones remain.
52s VIDEO = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcM65Df5klA
If you will POST my links I will include them,
otherwise I wont bother – others were never posted
bcaw
http://www.peregrinefalcon-bcaw.net/viewforum.php?f=357
RRP
http://www.raptorresource.org/forum/index.php?topic=2288.0
Im so excited I cant stand it!
I thot it brot prey – but I just dont know –
bcaw calls it an intruder
Hi Shep, sorry for the hassles with posts not appearing straight away. We have a fairly good spam filter running and if something has links in it (which spam invariably does as well) it requests approval, to weed the good from the multitudes of bad. I try to keep on top of it all (overseas right now) as soon as possible. And at such an important time with these falcons as well! Thanks for all your video clip links and comments though; we have an awesome group of close supporters and watchers now. Not much gets past anyone at the moment!
Deborah, I know how you feel – but that “intruder” was defintely male – and I can see his tail now!
… … …
I’m trying to record the ledge on the same laptop I’m editing etc on, so much be quick!
Dear Bula, forlorn on the ledge:
http://i.imgur.com/f4NBBhx.png
Managed to get his fly-off in one piece anyway – no elegant fade transition, but some of my YouTube recordings list does the job 😉
38s VIDEO = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1ECn25wgx0
So Bula is bringing food again.
Perhaps he’s been protecting, flying around.
It did seem Diamond was acting mad at him before he disappeared.
Bula is back on the ledge, quietly looking over his shoulder at the countryside around. Maybe ready to dash if he sees a meal passing by.
Is it Bula? They do seem a bit bedraggled.
Does the error message on the nest cam mean we’ve used up too much bandwidth?
I was wondering what the problem was Deborah, I can’t get the nest cam at all. Bula (?) is on the ledge though.
Every day about this time we lose the nest cam – for the past 3 or 4 days
I believe Diamond will accept this male – why dont we just call him Bula – regardless 🙂
He needs to fetch a meal for the family
I thought Bula’s breast was less streaky than that. Then again, I always have trouble telling one bird from another… Maybe Tardy has come back to help his mum *grin*
Let’s call him Fetch 😀
According to me the nestcam went down @ 09:24hr and I haven’t been able to get it back up since.
How comforting, therefore, to see Bula* on sentry duty.
*Or his would-be replacement – I am hopeless at IDs. Can’t wait for Cilla to shed light for us.
Have caught up again now & so relieved to know that Diamond has male help again … Many thanks to you all for your input!
Nestcam is back! Thank you to the Powers That Be 🙂
When I refreshed the browser, Diamond was just settling down on the (invisible) chicks.
The ledgecam had frozen, that one I’d refreshed to find “Bula” gone.
Who’s sitting on the eggs at the moment? Is it Diamond? I thought her beak was much more yellow (but maybe covered in blood?)
Apologies to miss all the excitement. I’ve only just got in as I have to take advantage of the good weather to spray my serrated tussock (this is a legal obligation, not optional) on our property. I have a teleconference at 2 pm ie now, but will start a new thread after I’ve had a look at the new bird, which sounds like really good news if she accepts him)
I’ve had a quick look at the male (during the teleconference, tut, tut) and it’s definitely NOT Bula, clearly younger.
Let’s call him Batman….after all Bruce Wayne was a guardian …. Or Horton (though a bit late to hatch an egg lol)