26 April 2022
UPDATE at 12:20pm, 26 April 2022: This morning I thought 3 had hatched but as of noon only 2 of 5 eggs had hatched. I was mistaken because the chicks were draped over and hiding one of the remaining three eggs. See 12:20pm photo with 3 eggs at bottom of this article.
As of 7:03am two of the five eggs have hatched. In the photo above, the most recent hatchling is pink and wet. Today is Hatch Day at the Pitt peregrine nest!
The first egg hatched last night, 26 April 2022, at 12:38am. Before dawn I could tell at least one had hatched — even though I couldn’t see the chick(s) — because there was an open eggshell on the gravel. In fact there was more than one eggshell.
When Ecco came to relieve Morela at 6:55 I saw two chicks!
These two hatched on the same day because they were incubated for the same amount of time, as was the 3rd egg which is expected to hatch within 24 hours. The 4th and 5th eggs, laid later, will hatch later as well. Expect the 4th hatch around 28 April, and the much later 5th egg (the whitish one) around 3 May.
You will know hatching is a few+ hours away when you see a pip in one of the eggs. Here’s a pip seen last evening at 7:19pm.
Morela will be brooding the chicks for about a week.
Watch for more feedings and glimpses of the chicks on the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh.
(photos from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
Kate,
This past Sunday morning I observed the pair at the Sewickley Bridge mating. It being this late in the game for them I would assume that any eggs laid would not be incubated. Or am I wrong?
Jeff Cieslak saw the Sewickley pair mating on Easter Day. Either the nest failed or there’s been a change of adults.
Thank you Kate, it is so nice to three sucessful hatches. Congratulations Morela and Ecco! Looking forward to the 4th and 5th
Hurray! Three down and two to go. Thanks for the update, Kate.
Congrats to the new parents and all of us! Looking forward to the next few weeks. Thanks for keeping us posted Kate!
Wonderful post, Kate! Congratulations on the new hatches!!
At a feeding at 16:08 ish, I’m pretty sure that there were three hatchlings. I saw two little faces and what appeared to be a third white puddle with its face down. Morela is doing a great job of keeping us guessing, feeding with her back to the camera!