Sorry I’m late with this “All Clear” notice. I was out of cell range for several days, birding and looking for the Swainson’s warbler.
If you like to watch the peregrine falcon family on camera at the Cathedral of Learning you can do so now without fear that the mother peregrine, Hope, will eat her offspring.
Every year, on camera, Hope has killed and eaten some but not all of her young while they are hatching. Hope does not harm fluffy white chicks and she does not harm eggs that have not pipped. The only danger time is when the live chick inside the egg has pipped the shell and is hammering to open it. It takes the chick up to 72 hours to open the shell from pip to hatch. That period, and the wet-and-pink time just after hatching, are the most dangerous for Hope’s young.
It’s now evident the fifth egg will never hatch so it’s safe to watch the National Aviary falconcam at the Cathedral of Learning. Her two chicks are 8-9 days old today.
The coast is clear.
p.s. This year’s chicks are C11 and C12.
(photo from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh)
Thanks, Kate.
Thanks for letting us know, Kate.
Thank you Kate! What number are these two; C?? Thanks again for the warning, I was aware of the week hatching could begin, but it snuck up on me none the less.
off topic – Do Robin’s ever try to disguise their nest building? I have a Robin in a Mulberry Tree in the process of building a nest. Before I even noticed the nest I noticed these fallen largish white flowers laying on the ground underneath the tree. I looked up and saw the nest and lining the outer edges of the nest are more of the white flowers propped up like they are blooming flowers still. I’m pretty sure the flowers are useless nest building material but the nest does look fabulous with the floral theme. A lot of Blue Jays around my yard and my guess is maybe the Robin is trying to disguise her building project.
David, robins do try to keep their nests hidden. Perhaps that’s what the flowers are for. Here’s more info on robins’ nests: https://journeynorth.org/tm/robin/facts_nests.html
Finally we can breathe again. Thank you Kate for the update. It was very hard to check in & not get the final conclusion,, now we will enjoy watching the 2 little ones grow!!
Thank you for the update Kate! I have a question if you don’t mind. There were 5 eggs. We now have 2 chicks and one unhatched, we know what happened to ‘#3’. Did the same happen to #4?
I scrolled down your blog far enough to read that the fate of #4 was the same as #3, there’s no need to reply to my other comment if it goes through.
Kate, on a different subject….should we be seeing hummingbirds by now? I have not seen any yet.. my feeder has had no visitors that I have seen…I just want to know if they should be here..It is May….thanks for your answer…
Pat, hummingbirds tend to get to SW Pennsylvania later than the surrounding area. I saw them in WV last weekend — where it was 80 degrees while Pittsburgh had 38 degrees. Check the maps at this article for the latest hummingbird migration news: https://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2019/04/11/why-birds-get-here-last-2/
Pat Weber, I saw my first of year hummingbird today (4 May) in Schenley Park. !