Reporting egg counts is like reporting hockey scores, except the action is a lot slower.
First, a picture of Tasha this morning at 6:40am with two eggs (pink arrow is pointing to them). She laid the second one yesterday and spent a lot of time calling last night … or was that Louie making all the racket (see below). Who knows why!
When I tuned in this morning, she called again and I heard Louie answer from somewhere in the background. Then she left the nest. I’ll bet he brought her breakfast.
Next, is a photo showing Dorothy and E2 bowing over their four eggs at The Cathedral of Learning this morning at 9:00am. He was incubating while she ate. Now she’s returning to take over nest duty.
Back at the Gulf Tower, here’s a photo of Louie calling to Tasha to come to the nest at 10:10am today. I learned from Ann Hohn that Louie often sits in and around the nest and “he is VERY noisy. He calls for her all the time.”
And a CORRECTION! On Saturday night I said the following video was Louie & Tasha courting at the nest. I was wrong. It’s a video of Louie and his new mate, Dori, at the nest at 6:55pm Saturday, March 20. PixController made it into a YouTube video. Click here to watch.
(photos from the National Aviary webcams at the Gulf Tower and University of Pittsburgh)
Kate, was watching the webcam from the 6:37 AM time mark this morning, and noticed that down in the right hand corner of the nest, at the front, there seems to be some sort of L shaped bracket. My old eyes are not what they used to be, but, under that bracket it looks as if there may be a third egg. I’m just going on shape, and color of the object, but was wondering if you can see it, and what your thoughts might be on it.
Forgot to mention I was referring to the nest at the Gulf Tower.
Just around 10:15, both were in the nest box with lots of talking. Then one flew out (don’t know which one) and pretty soon the other one flew out also. All is quiet in there now!
Maybe the reason he calls for her is that she doesn’t sit on those eggs until she absolutely has too!! I’ve been working with the Gulf webcam up most of the day, and I swear neither of them has sat on those eggs once.
Last year, two out of four didn’t hatch, right? I’m wondering if that’s because of her age and the decline of viability of her eggs or because she basically ignores the first two eggs until the entire clutch has been laid, then incubates? 🙂
The differences between how each pair ‘parents’ is remarkable. Based on what I’ve seen, Dorothy didn’t spend this much time away from her eggs, after the second was laid. At least I don’t think so.
I think the difference between Pitt & Gulf this year is temperature. The high temperature was 43 degrees when Dorothy had two eggs. Today’s high was 68 degrees.
For those of you who’d like to see a good example of peregrine courtship, the Gulf Tower’s archived video has a nice segment with Tasha and Louie chirping and bowing at 6:55pm on Saturday March 20. PixController has made a YouTube video of it at: http://www.youtube.com/user/PixController?feature=mhw4#p/u/0/rm6VWqmjo2g
You can also go directly to the archives yourself. Here’s how:
Start viewing the live video at Gulf Tower
You will see black and white icons below the video (including volume control). To get to the archives list, click on the right-most icon that looks like a list.
Scroll the list back in time to the segment labeled 17:47 – 20 March 2010 (Saturday evening) and click to play it. {The archives are on Eastern Standard Time so the actual time is 18:47 = 6:47pm.}
Nothing happens until 8:20 (8 minutes, 20 seconds) into the segment. If you don’t want to wait 8 minutes, slide the video timebar to 8:20 and it will play from there.
Pixcontroller is doing an excellent job with the nest cam!
Ditto the comment from Cory above. Way to go Pixcontroller! I have been watching when they have zoomed in or out or moved the camera for the best view! Very impressive!
I am shocked, shocked I tell you! Tasha is finally incubating her eggs! Is it because it’s chillier today? Did she lay another? Will she actually lay more? What changed between the last few days and this morning? The weather seems to be the most valid factor.
Due to her age, will she lay more than two?
Even as I type this – she’s gone already. If it weren’t for web capture, I wouldn’t have believed she was even there. And I’m not sure it was her! It could have been Louie!!
I don’t know why I am so worried about those eggs. I know Kate says this is normal…it just seems…odd!! How long can those eggs stay viable without being incubated??
I was wondering the same thing Tracy is-everytime I look Tasha isn’t anywhere near the eggs or laying on them. I know from last year that they don’t usually lay on the eggs until the next to last one is laid but Dorothy started laying on the eggs from time to time after the 1st one was laid. Tasha just doesn’t seem to be interested at all in the eggs-could it be that she knows that they won’t hatch?