Questions About Eggs And Food

Nesting & Courtship, Peregrines
Hope at the nest, 20 March 2016 (photo from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh)
Hope at the nest, 20 March 2016 (photo from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh)

(You may have seen a bit of this on Facebook. Here’s more information.)

Since E2’s death many of you worry that Hope’s eggs at the Cathedral of Learning peregrine nest will not survive.

Some of you have even asked that we intervene to rescue and incubate the eggs ourselves, or that we leave food for Hope so she doesn’t have to leave the eggs.

Here’s why intervention is unnecessary, why “feeding” her will not work, and why either one of those attempts will wreck your viewing of Hope’s activities.

Why intervention is unnecessary:

Peregrine falcons delay incubation of their eggs until the female has laid the next-to-last or last egg. If the eggs are not incubated, but are protected from freezing and overheating (in other words, covered by the adult when temperatures are low or high), the eggs can wait several weeks for delayed incubation to begin and can hatch successfully.  I do not know the longest amount of time they can delay, but it is long.

We’ve seen this happen in Pittsburgh.  In 2010 Tasha laid two eggs at the Gulf Tower in mid March but Dori displaced her and became Louie’s new mate.  Tasha’s eggs waited three weeks while Dori bonded with Louie and laid her own clutch of three.  In the end, all five eggs hatched in May.

If Hope is delaying incubation, these eggs can wait a very long time.

And if she is not delaying:  Within the breeding season, peregrines lay a replacement clutch when they find a new mate or if the first clutch fails early in the season.

The bottom line is, you don’t need to worry about eggs.

 

Why leaving food for Hope will not work:

At the end of the last century when peregrines were endangered throughout the U.S. and Canada, they were so rare that wildlife officials tried to offer supplemental food to widowed females. It doesn’t work. Peregrines are not scavengers (bald eagles are) and we humans are the peregrines’ #1 enemy. It doesn’t matter where you leave the food.  Wild peregrines refuse food left by humans.

 

Why intervention of any kind will wreck your viewing of Hope’s activities:

Hope is at a first class “cliff,” a very valuable territory, so a new mate will find her.  If we intervened in any way, Hope and her new mate would decide the area is unsafe (from humans!) and would leave the Cathedral of Learning forever.  Then there would be no peregrines on camera at all.  Intervention would wreck everything.

 

Wild peregrines’ lives are often very different than we assume. It is a privilege to watch and learn from them.

 

(photo from Wikimedia Commons. Click on the image to see the original)

p.s. It is against Federal law to take birds’ eggs.  In Pennsylvania, peregrine falcons are managed and protected by the PA Game Commission. They make the decisions on peregrines and their welfare based on peregrine falcon biology.

 

For more information about peregrine falcon biology and family life see my Peregrine FAQs.

Stay up to date on peregrine news by checking this link.

Best Birds Last Week

Travel, Water and Shore
Purple Sandpiper at the jetty (photo by Anthony Bruno)
Purple Sandpiper at Manasquan Inlet, New Jersey (photo by Anthony Bruno)

Taking a break from peregrine falcons, here are some birds that made me happy last week.

On March 14-17 I went on the Todd Bird Club outing to coastal New Jersey, led by Margaret and Roger Higbee.  We started at Cape May on Monday March 14 and worked our way north to the Sandy Hook unit of Gateway National Park by Thursday March 17.

It’s pretty hard for me to get a Life Bird in the eastern U.S. so I was pleased to see a seaside sparrow at the Edwin B. Forsythe NWR, Brigantine.  Click here to see what he looks like.   Thank you for finding him, Margaret!

On Wednesday we had close looks at purple sandpipers (Calidris maritima) at Manasquan Inlet, above, and I finally learned why this brown sandpiper is called “purple.”  In good light his slight iridescence produces a pinkish-purple sheen in the middle of each feather.  Who knew!

It was a real treat to see the harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) at Barnegat Light. They’re fearless in rough water.

Harlequin ducks at Barnegat Light (photo by Anthony Bruno)
Harlequin ducks at Barnegat Light (photo by Anthony Bruno)

And every day we saw American oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus) and long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis).

American oystercatcher (photo by Anthony Bruno)
American oystercatcher (photo by Anthony Bruno)
Long-tailed duck in 16 March 2016, New Jersey (photo by Anthony Bruno)
Long-tailed duck, March 16, 2016, New Jersey (photo by Anthony Bruno)

 

Coastal New Jersey is a great place to visit in March. Thanks to Margaret and Roger Higbee for a great trip and Tony Bruno for these gorgeous photos of last week’s Best Birds.

 

(photos by Anthony Bruno)

Based On Behavior

Bird Behavior, Peregrines
Hope sitting on eggs, 19 March 2016, 7:43am, temperature 34 degrees F (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
Hope sitting on eggs, 19 March 2016, 7:43am, temperature 34 degrees F (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

We humans have been speculating about the peregrine falcons at the Cathedral of Learning — about E2’s death and Hope’s future — but the only way to figure out what’s really going on is to watch the birds’ behavior and write down the facts without speculation.

Using the facts, we can match what we see to typical species behavior and arrive at a general answer.  Long-time observers may also match facts to years of observing the individual birds, providing a specific answer based on the individual’s “personality.”  However, additional data may contradict our conclusions.  We must remain open to changing our minds. That’s how we learn.

Today I’ll tell you what I’ve seen at the Cathedral of Learning and will do some matching based on 15 years of watching the peregrines at Pitt and 8.5 years of knowing E2 as an individual.  Keep in mind that conclusions are always speculation, even though educated by long experience.

FACTS:

  • E2’s death and activities surrounding it:
    • E2’s last appearance on camera was at 12:37pm on Tuesday March 15.
    • Hope laid her second egg at 5:08pm on Tuesday March 15.
    • E2 always visited each egg as it was laid.  He did not visit Hope’s second egg.
    • E2 always brought food to his mates at dawn.  He has not been present at dawn since Tuesday March 15.
    • E2’s body was found on Wednesday March 16, perhaps at 4:00pm–5:00pm.  It was retrieved around 6:00pm.
    • E2’s body has a broken right wing and broken right leg and blood in mouth.  Blood in mouth indicates internal injuries.
    • When E2’s body was retrieved his wings could be opened, therefore no rigor mortis. Rigor mortis is temporary.  I am awaiting further data but the Backyard Chickens website says it sets in half an hour to 4 hours after death and ends 24-48 hours after death.  (Thank you, Donna Memon, for this link.)
  • Hope’s activities since E2 disappeared:
    • She has stayed close to the nest and laid a third egg.
    • This morning’s temperature dropped to 34 degrees F.  Under these circumstances peregrines cover their eggs to keep them from getting too cold.
    • Hope covered the eggs last night.
    • Yesterday afternoon when Hope was not on camera she was not at the Cathedral of Learning.  (I did not see her fly.)
  • Is Hope alone? Is there a new male present?
    • A second peregrine has not been seen on camera since E2’s last appearance.  An intruder male would begin courting immediately. There has been no courting at all.
    • Yesterday afternoon I observed off and on for 90 minutes from the ground at the Cathedral of Learning.  I never saw two birds — only Hope.
    • Hope and E2 were loud when they were near each other, lots of ee-chupping and calling.  I have not reviewed all of the audio archives but from what I have heard… there has been no peregrine noise since E2 disappeared.  (This may need to be corrected if additional data contradicts it.)

CONCLUSIONS (SPECULATION!) ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED:

  • Time of E2’s death: My conclusion, based on knowing him as an individual, is that he died on Tuesday afternoon before 5:00pm.
  • Cause of E2’s death: Based on description of his injuries, my conclusion is that he was hit broadside by something much larger than him.  These massive injuries cannot be inflicted by another bird.
  • Underlying cause of E2’s death: This is speculation on top of speculation!   My guess is that he was hit by a vehicle while swooping low over the road.  (I once saw him swoop low over Forbes Avenue. This 1 observation in 8.5 years merely means he was willing to swoop low over a road at one point.)
  • Did an intruder force E2 into a fight?  No. If an intruder had been involved, that intruder would be at the Cathedral of Learning and courting with Hope by now.
  • Is Hope incubating?  I don’t know Hope’s ways like I knew Dorothy’s so I don’t know.  I would have answered that question based on her continuous time on the eggs but Hope cannot incubate continuously because she must hunt for herself.
  • Is Hope hunting for her own food?  I don’t know.  I have not observed long enough on the ground.
  • Is there a new male at the site yet?   Not that we know of.

As I said above, conclusions are always speculation.

Keep watching and learning.

 

(photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ. of Pittsburgh)

Now That E2 is Gone: Many Questions, A Few Answers

Peregrines
Hope leaving the nest and 3 eggs at dawn, 18 March 2016 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
Three eggs now. Hope leaving the nest at dawn, 18 March 2016 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

Since learning the tragic news of E2’s death while his mate Hope is laying eggs, we have all wondered what will happen at the Cathedral of Learning nest.  The situation is more poignant this morning; Hope laid a third egg last night.

Many of you have asked questions about E2’s death, Hope’s present circumstances, and Hope’s future.  Here are your questions and a few answers.  As you will see sometimes the answer is, “We don’t know.”

  • What happened to E2?
    • First, if you missed the news of E2’s death, click here.  As I mentioned yesterday, his injuries indicate he was hit broadside on his right.  No one witnessed the accident, but based on his injuries and other clues my guess is that he swooped low over the street and was hit by a car.
  • I know death is a fact of life, but is it a norm that an entire peregrine family is wiped out in 8 months?
    • The death of Dorothy, E2 and last year’s chick is an unusual combination of age and accident.  Dorothy was elderly and likely to die within the year. Peregrine fledgling mortality is 60% (that is normal).  The last nestling died because he was handicapped at birth due to Dorothy’s advanced age at conception. E2’s death is a surprise at this moment but at age 11 he was heading for late middle age.  The family is bigger than those three birds.  Dorothy fledged 43 young, 21 of them were E2’s.  The family lives on in their many descendants.
  • Will Hope lay more eggs?
    • She will until her system is clear of them.  Egg laying is stimulated by courtship and the presence of her mate.  We do not know how many eggs she had in the pipeline up until E2’s disappearance.
  • When will Hope begin to hunt on her own?
    • E2 cached food on the “cliff” for the two of them to eat when hunting was precluded by bad weather. Hope will first eat the cached food. Then she will hunt.
  • Does this mean these eggs won’t be incubated?
    • They probably won’t but it depends on what happens next.  The answer is yes if Hope finds a mate very soon, re-clutches, and incubates all of the eggs.  Otherwise, the answer is likely to be No.  Peregrines “know” (ingrained species knowledge) that their young cannot be incubated and brooded successfully by a single parent.
  • Is it really possible for a ‘single mom’ falcon to raise her chicks alone?
    • Not at this stage in the nesting cycle.  During incubation, one of the adults must always keep the eggs warm.  Because a single parent must hunt for her own food and hunting takes a long time, the eggs will get cold.  If the eggs are not incubated but merely kept from freezing and overheating, incubation can start weeks later and the eggs will hatch.
  • Is/was there an intruder?
    • When a rival for a nest wins the site, the winner and the remaining adult begin courting immediately. No one has reported a second peregrine at the Cathedral of Learning and no one has seen two peregrines courting at the nest. Now that I am back in Pittsburgh (I was traveling this week), I plan to spend time watching the Cathedral of Learning for a second peregrine. I will let you know what I find out.
  • When Hope advertises for a mate, how does that action differ from other peregrine activities?
    • Advertising for a mate includes prominent perching and aerial displays described in the Courtship list at Peregrine FAQs.  Making the moves alone means “I’m available.” However, I’m sure there are additional actions and subtle nuances I don’t know about.
  • What are the odds of an unattached male peregrine being in the vicinity of the Cathedral of Learning in the near future?
    • The odds are good.  There are many males who want a territory and few territories available.

 

(Hope at the Cathedral of Learning nest with 3 eggs, pre-dawn March 18,2016.  The image is black-and-white and the eggs are white because of infrared night light. photo from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ. of Pittsburgh)

E2 Found Dead in Friendship

Peregrines
E2 at the Cathedral of Learning, June 2010 (photo by Peter Bell)
E2 at the Cathedral of Learning, June 2010 (photo by Peter Bell)

Sad news of the Cathedral of Learning peregrines at the University of Pittsburgh:

Yesterday afternoon, March 16, a woman in the Friendship neighborhood of Pittsburgh found a dead peregrine falcon face down in her backyard.  Because he was banded we learned he was E2.

E2 hatched at the Gulf Tower in 2005, the son of Louie and Tasha. He arrived at Pitt in November 2007 after his predecessor Erie had disappeared.  He was 11 years old.

Last seen on the Cathedral of Learning falconcam at 12:37pm on Tuesday, March 15, E2 died less than a mile and a half from home.  He had a broken right wing and leg and blood in his mouth.  We don’t know what happened but it appears he was hit broadside. (*)

When E2 last visited the nest there was only one egg (photo below shows his bands).  Hope laid her second egg 4.5 hours later.  Though she sometimes sits on the eggs, she may have not begun true incubation.

Last picture of E2 leaving the nest, 15 March 2016, 12:37pm (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ. of Pittsburgh)
Last picture of E2 leaving the nest, 15 March 2016, 12:37pm (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ. of Pittsburgh)

At this point in the nesting cycle — egg laying — E2 brought food to her every day, mated with her, and cached food on the cliff.  His custom was to visit each egg after it was laid.  He did not visit the second egg.

By now Hope has figured out that he won’t be coming home.

Hope will begin to hunt for herself again.  For a while, she’ll protect the eggs but not incubate them.  Eventually she’ll advertise for a mate by circling above the Cathedral of Learning.  If a new mate arrives in the next few weeks, the pair will bond and she will lay a new clutch two weeks later.(**)

There is no time to be sad. Peregrines don’t grieve, especially in March when their hormones are driving them to reproduce.  Between now and September they must defend a territory, mate, lay eggs, and raise young to self sufficiency. There is still time for Hope to raise a family if she finds a mate soon.

Goodbye, E2. I’m sad and unhappy about your untimely death but I know there’s no time to grieve.

My greatest wish right now is that Hope will find a new mate really soon.

We will watch and wait.

 

(photo of E2 at top by Peter Bell. Last photo of E2 from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ. of Pittsburgh)

(*) When a peregrine swoops low over the street he can be hit by a vehicle.  There are many reasons for swooping low including pursuit of prey and chasing an intruder.

(**) There is precedent in Pittsburgh for re-clutching with a new mate. Read about the Gulf Tower in 2010.

Many thanks to Art McMorris and Bob Mulvihill for keeping me informed while I’m traveling. And special thanks to Caitlin for reporting E2’s bands.

Which Plant is the Real Shamrock?

Plants & Fungi
Shamrock (image from Wikimedia Commons)
Shamrock (image from Wikimedia Commons)

We’re seeing a lot of shamrocks today because they’re a symbol of St. Patrick and the national emblem of Ireland.

The shamrock looks like a clover leaf and that got me wondering …  Which clover is the real shamrock?

According to Wikipedia, the answer goes so far back in history that no one is sure.  Some botanists claimed it was a clover species (Trifolium sp.), others said wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella).  The best answers came from the Irish themselves.

Two surveys were conducted in Ireland about 100 years apart, in 1893 and 1988, asking for the identity of the shamrock plant.  About 50% of the respondents said it was lesser clover (Trifolium dubium), shown below.  Imported to North America, we call it “least hop clover.”

Lesser or Least Hop Clover, Trifolium dubium (photo from Wikimedia Commons)
Lesser (or Least Hop) Clover, Trifolium dubium (photo from Wikimedia Commons)

About 30% of respondents voted for white clover (Trifolium repens) as the true shamrock.  This is the familiar clover found in traditional lawns (those not treated with broadleaf weed killer).

White clover, Trifolium repens (photo from Wikimedia Commons)
White clover, Trifolium repens (photo from Wikimedia Commons)

Don’t be fooled by four-leaf clovers.  They aren’t real shamrocks because …

St. Patrick used the shamrock’s 3 leaflets to illustrate the Trinity — Father, Son and Holy Ghost — and thus convert the Irish to Christianity.

So celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a three-leaf clover: least hop or white.

 

(photos from Wikimedia Commons. Click on the image to see the original)

Who is Who at the Cathedral of Learning Nest?

Peregrines
E2 and Hope: side-by-side comparison (photos from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ. of Pittsburgh)
E2 and Hope: side-by-side comparison (photos from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ. of Pittsburgh)

This comparison of nesting adults — E2 and Hope — no longer applies.  On the afternoon of 16 March 2016, E2 was found dead in Friendship.  By 23 March, Hope had found a new mate named Terzo.

Click here for a comparison of the new pair, Terzo and Hope, as of 6 April 2016.

Meanwhile …

… can you tell who this is?

Who is this? (photo from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ. of Pittsburgh)
Who is this? (photo from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ. of Pittsburgh)

 

Good luck!

 

(photos from National Aviary snapshot cam at University of Pittsburgh)

Evidence of the Anthropocene

Musings & News

If you’ve never flown over southern West Virginia on a clear day and looked out the airplane window you won’t have seen this stark evidence of the Anthropocene.

The Anthropocene is the proposed name for our current geologic epoch, the point at which we humans did not just leave traces of our actions but began to alter the whole earth system.  An international working group is studying the evidence to determine whether the new name should be formally accepted.

For evidence of humans’ earth-altering activity, mountaintop removal strip mining can’t be beat.

The video above from Kanawha Forest Coalition starts and ends at airplane height showing just one mountaintop removal mine in late 2015.  It is so large that the bulldozers are dwarfed by the site.

As the video description explains, “the original mining permit proposed stripping 3,113 acres, but was reduced to 2,265 after legal challenges. What you see here is fewer than 500 acres that have been mined so far.  Many of the surrounding mountains and streams will be destroyed if this mine isn’t stopped.”

We humans use bulldozers, explosives, drag lines and dump trucks to level mountains and fill nearby valleys.  To see this in action watch this 2006 excerpt from Bill Moyers Journal.

Recent research by Duke University says that “40 years of mountaintop coal mining have made parts of Central Appalachia 60 percent flatter than they were before excavation.”  Click here for a satellite view and zoom out to see how much of West Virginia has been touched by this activity.

The geologic alteration, habitat destruction, social upheaval and health impacts of mountaintop removal are deep and permanent.  All of it is caused by humans.  We ought to stop.

Do you think there’s enough evidence to call this epoch the Anthropocene?

I do.

 

p.s. The Spruce #1 Mountaintop Removal Mine is only 202 air miles southwest of Pittsburgh.  It is closer to us than Philadelphia.

(videos by Kanawha Forest Coalition on YouTube)

Mallards Make Ducklings

Nesting & Courtship, Water and Shore

Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) are common ducks in the northern hemisphere so their courtship behavior is easy to observe.  Here are tips on what you’ll see in March as they prepare for nesting next month.

Did you know that mallards are already paired up by now?  They start forming pair bonds in September and most have a mate by the end of the year.  This leaves some unattached bachelors however because their sex ratio is usually skewed — 1.33 males for every female.

Now that they’re paired up they get down to the serious business of making baby mallards.  The video above shows several characteristic moves and sounds of a paired couple:

  • Head bobbing: a pre-copulatory action that gets them in tune with each other.
  • Inciting:  The female (all brown) incites the male by dipping her bill in the water over her shoulder.
  • Leading: He turns back his head, then swims away from her to lead her away from the crowd; she follows.
  • Vocalizations: He whistles. She quacks loudly (only the females make the loud quacking sound).

The excitement went out of the pair shown above, but the video below shows head bobbing and copulation. Notice that the male always grabs the female by the back of the neck as he mounts her.  After mating the pair bridles (rears up) and steams (swims with head low).  Sometimes the male turns back his head and leads again.

Mallards are monogamous but Cornell Lab’s Birds of North America says that “paired males actively pursue forced extra pair copulations” — a polite name for what looks like gang rape.  Knowing this, the paired males stay close to their females to protect them during the egg laying period.

After egg laying their match falls apart.  Male mallards desert their mates during incubation and won’t pair up again until autumn.  They can afford to do this because the females incubate alone and the ducklings are precocious.

So it’s only once a year that wild mallards make ducklings.

 

(videos from YouTube. Click on the YouTube links to see the originals)