4/13/2005: "Peregrine falcon hooded and flying"
We have at least four new precision flying/killing machines today - each made in just about a month, without tax dollars, delays, red tape, technology, or engineering.
Three eggs hatched on Tuesday in the peregrine falcon nest on the 33rd floor of Pacific Gas & Electric headquarters in downtown San Francisco: one pre-dawn, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. The nesting pair (dubbed George & Gracie by their fans and observers) were busy all day taking turns flying off for food and bringing it back to the hungry chicks. There's one more egg in the nest that may or may not hatch.. though there was a lot of activity towards evening as one of the parents - Gracie, I think - was fussing with the clutch. Daylight and the experts will tell if there's a fourth chick.
George & Gracie greet their 3rd chick in the afternoon, and one (George?) heads out to hunt the evening meal:
Gracie seems to make sure we're watching, then feeds the hungry babies as dusk arrives:
Thanks to PG&E, the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group, and technology, the entire nesting cycle has been viewable on the web, along with answers to viewers' questions. Right now the chicks are usually tucked under whichever parent is with them, but the next couple of weeks should have some fun watching as they grow. Watch the peregrine falcon nest cam
Meanwhile on another bird cam in Massachusetts, the single egg of a pair of bald eagles hatched on Sunday. Parents and chick seem to be doing well there also. Coincidentally their nest and website is also being hosted by a power company (Northeast Utilities System). Watch the bald eagle nest cam
There are loads of other webcam-equipped predatory bird nests around - do a search and check some out. There are probably birds nesting in your neighborhood right now too.
We humans think we're so superior.. but we really aren't all that. This is an abandoned/"used" nest we found around here last year. It's middle-sized, about 5" inner diameter, packed with mud and moss on the bottom, with long flat dry reed-type materials woven into it for stability. It's surprisingly solid, with ever-decreasing sized twigs in the basket part, which is quite soft. I doubt if many people - if any - could duplicate it if given the raw materials and this photo. And the birds who built it didn't even have the photo. It's all truly amazing.
headline quote from Donovan Leitch's "Peregrine" - no, not the pop/movie star/brother of Ione Skye.. their dad. From the wayback machine. You old fogeys know who I mean.
