I went to have a look to see what was happening at Collins Street, but there is simply a notice to say that the 2nd chick has died. It may simply be that the heat stress just took longer to take affect in the other chick.
I couldn’t find a blog like this to look at the history of the season – is there one? There could be some useful collaboration between the sites.
I am currently in Sydney, but Scylla has put up an excellent video under the last heading ‘interaction’ on this blog, so if you haven’t already seen this, I suggest you head there next.
When the first chick died I did not find any information other than the facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/367collinsfalcons/)
The users in that group said that after an afternoon feeding the chick suffered discomfort and passed away in the middle of the night. They were trying to see if they can get the Victoria falcon group to run a post-mortem on the chick as some are concerned that the prey may be a poisoned pigeon. The next morning the feed was taken down so we could not see what was happening with the parents. The poor mother was brooding the dead chick and trying to rouse him in the morning for a feed.
I thought the first bird died as a result of heat stress but some users say that was the feed gone wrong too. A very sad season there. Hopefully, the pair will breed sucessfully next year.
Thanks, I’ll have a look at the Facebook page.
Incidentally, do you think that would be a better option for discussion than this blog, which bans so many would-be observers and commentators due to security issues? I’m not sure how videos would be loaded, but I presume it’s possible (I occasionally put short videos on my own facebook page, but they come from iphone).
It’s easy to upload videos and pictures to Facebook, Cilla, and to link YouTube videos to a Facebook page.
Jane, thank you for the information, sad and speculative as it is, from the Melbourne nest.
I’ve claimed here that Xavier delivered a Rosella(?!) but it was rejected (kids not hungry?!), then he brought it back again and Diamond took over. However, there were nearly 2 hours between the deliveries, maybe it was a fresh bird the second time?
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During the feed one eyas ran off with a not-large morsel and seemed to regret it when it couldn’t get a look-in later.
I had to do a slide-show, this was the judderiest ever footage.
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1m10s SLIDESHOW = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z9m5Hdjh5E
Some snaps here, taking us up to last feed not long before nightcam.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/wildlife/f/2543/p/193197/1150056.aspx#1150056
Facebook groups and pages are very popular with the nest cams I watch here in the US. You want to think about at least one of you moderating and ask for volunteers as people get very vocal and heated when things go wrong. I would suggest coming up with a disclaimer and intervention policy and keep stating that often.
I have not been able to watch a lot of the eyasses this week so I am very grateful to Scylla for the video updates and the blog updates so far.
Cilla, will Bali ever catch up to his older sibling in size when they begin to feed independently or when they become adults? Or is this a male female size difference ? Thanks !
Really loving what’s happening right this minute on the ledge-cam – the Blob is sitting up and begging, and having pretend food, while sibling is leaping about and flapping wings.
Although adult females are much larger than males, chick males grow faster than females, and it is not until they are about 4 weeks old, when they are usually banded (not here, alas), and measurements are taken that gender can be allocated accurately (when the females have caught up and are starting to overtake). So I’m always reluctant to allocate gender until at least 4 weeks. Bali is, I think, underweight. Having said that, he could well be male as well. Let’s suspend judgement for any week and see how they go.
I think the standard of comment on this site is of a higher calibre than on the Melbourne Facebook page, and I’ve learned a lot from your input, but I’m not really sure if that has anything to do with the media genre.
Volunteers (with some knowledge/experience) are not that easy to find, but I’ll bear that in mind.
Conference is just finishing – a bit early. Tried to book an earlier train, but fully booked alas!
Bali “ran off with” both the feet!
27s SLIDESHOW = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAhjAre29r8
Mealtime and other snaps here (may be rather disorganised, what’s new?!):
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/wildlife/f/2543/p/193197/1150216.aspx#1150216
Good to see Bali being so feisty – s/he may be small, but s/he is agile (like Xavier?)
Marragaay showing off feather development:
30s SLIDESHOW = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAE3C-mDExE
There were huge blackages on both cams during the past daytime, but here are lotsa snaps showing mealtimes:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/wildlife/f/2543/p/193197/1150270.aspx#1150270
At this moment one of the chicks is preening a wing – in a surprisingly un-glitchy-freezy episode 😮 Now it’s settled down to sleep.
I nearly forgot to post our evidence – if a body is found in the trees, maybe they can enhance this and get the number-plate of the perp !!!
23s VIDEO = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j7YyQiECSI
I probably mentioned this earlier, but we are developing an educational/research facility in the remnant woodland beneath the water tower. This will contain Aboriginal (Wiradjuri) cultural plants (food, medicine, tools etc.) as well as local native plants, especially if declining or threatened. So expect to see staff (including me from time to time) coming and going to work in the area.
I’m back from Sydney, accompanied by a cold (the joys of public transport) so had day off yesterday; will start new thread a bit later today when I’ve had a chance to see what has happened over the last few days.