Hatch watch starts today!

Yesterday we thought we could hear peeping in the eggs. We kept checking in all day hoping to see the first hatch but it never happened.
This morning we were surprised when there was not one but THREE hatches!
One more to go!
Here's a video by Emmie of the first feeding.

We haven't updated this thread to include the hatching of egg #4! Lano! What is the meaning of this?
Here's a new video from Priscillash of one of today's feedings. I love to hear these little screamers.

Wow, compared to the relative quiet peeping of the goshawk nestlings, these guys are rock stars when it comes to being heard.

The little screamers act like they've never had a bite to eat. They are frantic when Michelle or Travis bring food and back their parent into the corner trying to get to the head of the line. Parents feed them as fast as they can go and make fast work of every meal. There are no leftovers.
I watched a feeding this morning and one of the little ones grabbed a big bite, turned it's back on the crowd and mantled!

GSBDweller said banding would be this Sunday, June 9, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. Central Time. It's fun to see this event so watch if you can.

Banding of the eyasses took place on June 10. Bluffy looks on as rapellers take the chicks into a carrier.

GSBDweller's Banding Pics.

http://s1249.photobucket.com/user/GSBDwe.../2013%20Banding

Priscillash's video of Travis feeding his 4 babies yesterday.

Today has been a very interesting and concerning day. Early in the day, the eyasses were flirting with the idea of getting up and out on the rail. At about 12:30 PM one almost fell between the box and the rail, catching itself with a wing and managing to pull itself up onto the rail. It's position was facing the South in that corner and a second eyas came behind it, up on the lip of the box and fell between the box and rail. The first one then managed to make its way back into the box. A short while later, that first eyas went back out to the rail and eventually fell/jumped to the south out of camera range. A third eyas came to the lip of the box and perched on it, eventually falling/jumping out without using the rail. The fourth eyas is contemplating the edge and has been out on the rail several times but has then gone back into the box. As of 2:50 PM, the fourth eyas is still in the box.

This is my account of what I watched today, so if there are other versions or corrections to my impressions, please post them.

The update from Bob below the cam feed is as follows:

Zitat

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All, In all of my years of working with peregrine falcons I have NEVER seen young falcons jump or, slip off to their death. I have seen falcons nest on 1,000 foot cliffs on a ledge the size of of dinner plate and they ALWAYS wait until they are feathered enough to fly. I am starting to wonder if we have a unusual hatch of parasites driving the falcons crazy. The only way a young falcon at this age could survive the fall is if by some chance it was slowed down hitting leaves or small limbs. Again, in all of my years of working with peregrine falcons this is new to me. We have had cameras on nesting falcons for twenty years and not witnessed this behavior.

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As of 4:40 PM the fourth chick continues to sit on the rail, preventing Bob and Dan from rappelling down to dust/spray the box for parasites. The fear is that their presence will cause her to jump/fall. One chick was found by searchers down below and is said to be fine.

6:30ish - The one they found below is Jonathan and the fourth chick (Toni) finally moved out to the end of the perch and lost her balance. She hung by both talons, then one, finally letting go and falling from the nest box perch. Michele and Travis both covered the skies around the area with calls, but we don't know if/how the chicks are at this point. They did manage to get down to the nest box and spray it to get rid of the infestation. Jonathon was taken to the Raptor Center and RRP will provide updates as appropriate. All in all, it was a stressful day for the falcon family and the GSB community.

Final post tonight by Raptor Resource Mod:

The team is done searching for tonight. To the best of my knowledge there is no search planned for tomorrow, as sometimes, it's better to try to let the parents find them, and care for them. The chances of finding the remaining three falcons were much greater when the search first began, than as time went on and they fell deeper into the underbrush below. We remain hopeful that Michelle and Travis may settle down now that the search has stopped, and possibly find the other three falcons if they survived the fall, and continue to feed them, but the odds are not very good for that to happen, per Bob. The falcons were about 10 days away from fledge.

One male eyas, Jonathon, was found and is considered to be ok. Bob does not want to risk putting the falcon back in the nest box, so Jonathon is being taken to the Red Wing Grain nest box, to be augmented/fostered into a nest box there where there are two other falcons almost the same age. This process has been successful in the past, and this is what Bob feels is best. While we continue to hope that Travis and Michelle can find them, we understand that may not happen. The nest box at Great Spirit Bluff was sprayed for insects tonight with a spray that is harmless to raptors, and has been used many times in situations where the insects were causing an issue. Bob still feels strongly that the falcon reactions today, is a result of the insects, possible causing additional agitation or restlessness for them. As Bob stated before, he has never seen this happen in all of his years dealing with Peregrines.

Thanks, everyone, for all your words of support at this difficult time.

~ RR Mod ~

Quote: Hiker wrote in post #17

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Yesterday RRP must have asked a few of the MODS from Decorah to help moderate at GSB to handle all the questions the chatters were having. ThinkingWoman mentioned that the nearest jut-out of rock looked to her like a Terracotta Warrior. Of course, I had to look that one up. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shaanxi/xian/terra_cotta_army/ Great things to know while I was waiting to hear from the little lost falcons.

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Bluffy always reminds me of the Native Americans that lived there before we did. Maybe they carved her! Who knows. p.s. I love this painting emoticon. Thanks Pop.