At the Gulf Tower peregrine nest, Dori laid her first egg last night, Friday April 2, at 10:45pm. She laid it in the same scrape where Tasha, the former resident female, had laid her two eggs before she lost the site to Dori.
According to Birds of North America Online, for peregrines “completed copulations begin at least 2 wk prior to egg-laying.” Dori won the site on March 20 so my mental calculation had her first egg arriving two weeks later. This first egg is right on time — even a little early.
In the top photo, Dori is guarding the eggs. In the bottom photo, a close-up: two of the eggs are Tasha’s, one is Dori’s new one. Thanks to all who sent me snapshots.
And thanks to Jennie and Michelle for posting comments when they saw Dori lay her egg last night. Click here for a nighttime screenshot from Michelline, taken just after Dori laid her first egg.
(photo from the National Aviary webcam at the Gulf Tower)
Hi, We live in a semi-wooded area and seem to have a number of large birds, including our “very own” peregrine, a barred owl, hawks, a colony of turkey vultures, and many crows. Recently I have seen the peregrine and one or two of the crows swooping around the house in tandem, then landing in a tree across the yard, and then the crow departing, the peregrine staying on for a few more minute to survey the scene. Are peregrines known to “socialize” with other birds? Thanks. I realize that this isn’t the topic of your current blog but thought you might know the answer. shawn
Peregrines definitely do *not* socialize with other birds. They eat them!
Hi, Kate. This is mindysmom, and I got to see it live. Dori stood for the longest time over Tasha2’s eggs, then turned her back to the camera. At 10:45 she started straining, and at 10:47 she stood up and her egg gently fell away. She left it where it landed, next to the other 2 eggs, all in a row left to right, then laid down over all three. It was more like an exhausted sprawl. She closed her eyes almost immediately and appeared to go to sleep. I felt blessed to see it. The archives are running again. Is there any chance they can retrieve last night’s video?
Congrats to Dori…
Kate: is it possible that Dori will lay more than the one egg this year? I am wondering ? Since it seems that incubation is ongoing? Thanks for any of your insights. Regards, Gloria
Well, my goodness! Thank you Dori for the wonderful birthday present! The Rochester couple did not give me that nice present this year, so I thank you for taking up the slack!
Hi Kate. (I’m the “Michelle” who posted last night). Jennie (mindysmom) and I were in a chat room and watched Dori lay her egg together. We were thrilled. I took screenshots if you are unable to get photos from the archive. Thanks for your blog and attention to these incredible birds.
>is it possible that Dori will lay more than the one egg this year?
I certainly hope she does. Peregrines usually lay 3-5 eggs.
>Is there any chance they can retrieve last night’s video?
Alas, no.
Here’s a good closeup picture of the eggs. I uploaded it to my webpage as I didn’t know how else to do it. Here’s the link: http://picasaweb.google.com/djkeyphotos/MyPictures#5456056370770940930
Dori laid her 2nd egg at 01: 50 Apr 5, 2010. Good job Dori and Louie!
Hi again. I went to set a hotspot for Dori’s egg laying and the broadcast time for the event was 00:50. Is the camera clock out of sync? I’m on Pacific time and she laid at 10:50 (22:50). Pittsburgh is Eastern- should be 01:50. Who knows?…..
Check the 00:48 hotspot to see Dori lay her egg.
The cameras are on Eastern Standard Time (not Daylight Savings Time). They began archiving before the time changed. It would have messed up the archives to change the time zone.
Photo of 4 eggs at Gulf Tower this morning at 6:30am. Two are Tasha’s old ones, two are Dori’s new ones.
Dori is doing great, laying eggs right on schedule!
Thanks for the info about the cams being on EST. It will save confusion in looking for places to make hotspots.
I am so happy for Dori. She looks so content to be sitting on the eggs. All it took was for her to have her own under her.
Is it an optical illusion or is Dori huge compared to the other falcons?
Question, how can you tell that she’s trying to lay an egg? Today I saw her standing over her eggs, moving around, bopping up and down… she kept doing this for about an hour and then lay back on her eggs… was she stretching? Or was she laying an egg? Often she was facing the camera so I couldn’t see if she lay anything…
Dori’s size: I have heard from those who have seen her (seen her closer than I have) that Dori is a very large peregrine, larger than Tasha was.
Dori is probably gong to lay an egg today. The fact that she was standing over the scrape is the big hint.
Do we know how long an egg is generally viable after being laid? With little or no incubation? Yes this is directly related to Tasha’s eggs, but I was wondering if there were any statistics or rules of thumb on the subject. Also, how long was it between when they were laid and when Dori started incubating?
Oh! It kind of looks like there are 5 eggs now at the Gulf Tower… though it’s hard to see… even when I expanded the screen shot I took with Dori away.
I think I found the broadcast when Dori laid her 3rd egg. Check out hotspot 09:13 A5 minutes into the hotspot.
Katherine, I don’t have an answer about peregrine egg viability. I have a theory about Tasha’s eggs- specifically – but I am no expert. My theory is that those eggs stand a lesser chance of hatching because they were sporadically incubated in the beginning when Louie incubated but Dori did not. Louie raised their internal temperature for a while, then he got off them and their temperature fell. This is probably not good for them — but I don’t know for sure. It’s only a theory.
Continuing on with Tasha’s eggs, on the most likely remote possibility that one of them should hatch, what would Dori’s reaction be? Would she ignor or kill the chick since it wouldn’t be hers or would she still take care of it? Also, shouldn’t we be calling her Mary Cleo since that was the name given to her when she was banded? (I like Dori better though).
Dori’s reaction to Tasha’s offspring: If she notices (doubtful) she won’t care. Peregrines will foster chicks that they didn’t hatch. In the 1970s and 1980s the Peregrine Recovery Program fostered eggs and chicks with mother peregrines in order to raise more young for release into the wild.
Dori? Mary? Cleo? XXX? She has at least 4 names now. (XXX is the name Louie calls her by but we can’t pronounce it.) For a discussion of peregrine naming see: http://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/peregrine-faqs/question-how-do-peregrines-get-their-names/
If Dori continues to lay, will she be able to incubate more than 5 eggs in the scrape? Maybe its a good thing she is a big girl :)!
Hee, I was a bit partial to Mary Cleo myself, as one part is my first name & the other is the name of one of our pets. Dori/Dorothy — too easy to mix up. I think I’m counting 5 eggs down there now but can’t be sure unless they zoom.
Hi Kate: I don’t know but I don’t think there are 5 eggs at GT, there was a “shadow” but couldn’t be sure if it were a 5th egg. It’s after 10 pm now and no one is sitting at the GT… think I read somewhere on your blog that the mom doesn’t continually sit until her next to last egg is laid??? So, with this in mind, could there be more eggs forthcoming from Dori? Strange year the falcons are having at the GT…
Input appreciated.
Regards,
Gloria
I believe there are five eggs also at GT. Dori was on all of them except the light colored one. Then they switched and Louie gathered all of them under him. He’s such a dedicated daddy!!