May 9, 2008
Today's report from Jersey City is one of mild concern.
Biologists visited the nestbox to administer medication helpful in preventing trichomoniasis, a disease which kills many peregrine chicks. Upon examining the chicks in the warm and dry rooftop engineering room it was found that one chick was not doing very well and the decision was made to transport it to The Raptor Trust for evaluation and appropriate treatment.
Our experience with The Raptor Trust has been that the facility deserves the excellent reputation it enjoys. Just last year one of the two-week old nestlings had an impaction in its crop which was successfully treated. We will hope for another happy outcome and monitor the three chicks which were returned to the nestbox.
May 5, 2008
Several feedings were observed yesterday. At one time, both adults were seen in the nestbox together. One arrived with a meal for the chicks and the brooding adult jumped out of the nestbox, hopped around on the roof, moved over to the ledge, and took off.
The brooding adult will occasionally leave the chicks alone in the nestbox for a minute. When this happens, you can get a good look at the chicks. You can see the four little heads. Sometimes they move their little wings. They are almost a week old and have doubled in size!
For this first week of life, the nestlings have not left the nest scrape – the original location of the eggs. That will change soon as the chicks start moving around a little more. They still need an adult to brood them, keep them warm, but they will soon gain a little strength in their legs to move about.
(Submitted by Susan Keiser and Kathy Clark.)
April 30, 2008 at 4:30 p.m.
All four chicks were observed feeding around 4 pm.
The next milestone will be banding the chicks in about three weeks. Enjoy your viewing - and check Nestbox News for information on any developments.
April 30, 2008 at 2:15 p.m.
The fourth egg hatched a short time ago - we were fortunate enough to see the female pull the broken eggshell out from beneath her at 2:05 and consume it. By doing so the adult replenishes some of the calcium she expended to produce the eggs in the first place.
April 30, 2008 at 8:00 a.m.
The eggs have hatched, and some peregrine watchers caught a glimpse of newly-hatched chicks yesterday!
One viewer (Edda Podleska) e-mailed us late yesterday that she'd seen that the "...chicks left the shells." This morning we observed the brooding adult get off the nest when the mate arrived with freshly killed prey. Three chicks fed enthusiastically on the pieces the adult gently offered each. It appears two eggs hatched yesterday, and we expect the other one to hatch later today or tomorrow.
Viewing will be much more interesting now as the parents go about the labor-intensive period of obtaining food and feeding their chicks, all the while protecting them from the extremes of weather often experienced this time of year cool nights and sometimes blistering daytime heat. The adult will continue to sit very closely as she broods the chicks and eggs both. With a chill in the air, the adults may keep feeding sessions short – just enough to satisfy the little ones and get back to brooding.
Keep an eye on the webcam for some great viewing of one of nature's wondrous shows - there will be much more action in the nest in the days and weeks to come!
April 24, 2008
There are only a few days left in the incubation period. Soon the peregrine chicks will start cheeping while they are still in their shells. The cheeping will get louder once they begin to hatch.
Hatching will begin as the chicks make a pip (hole) in the interior air sac. After that they will start the exterior pipping until they finally emerge from their shell. During this time the adult will be aware of the impending hatch, and she will look down often.
After the first egg hatches, the others will follow shortly. This gives each chick in the brood an equal start.
Make sure you check out the site often during this very exciting time.
(Submitted by Susan Keiser.)
April 15, 2008
Tax Day for some of us, but not for our dedicated falcons.
It's a bright sunny day in Jersey City, making it perfect weather for running to the post office to have those tax returns stamped before midnight. However, all of this activity goes unnoticed by our falcons, as their only focus is the life being formed in the eggs they care for so intently.
As we count the days in anticipation of the big day when news of the hatchlings arrives, continue to check in on our dedicated pair. Watch in silence and wonderment as we've been given this opportunity to see nature in action.
And you will see plenty of action when the hatchlings arrive with their never-ending quest to be fed. You will be in awe of nature as the hatchlings seem to grow from tiny little birds into fledging falcons almost overnight. You will smile as they seemingly try to figure out what these things are on the side of their body and as they begin to explore their environment. You will be proud, nervous and anxious as they learn to fly. You will be sad when they leave the nest, yet hopeful they survive and sit with dedication on eggs of their own. You will experience such joy when you hear that a falcon from Jersey City has been sighted somewhere in our area!
Keep watching and be prepared for a great experience!
(Submitted by long-time JC watcher Kathy Cregan.)
April 6, 2008
If you have been tuning in to the webcam, with rare exceptions you have seen an incubating bird. The endless hours and days of incubation can seem monotonous, but this period quietly demonstrates the commitment and perseverance necessary for "survival of the fittest." Peregrines must defend the nest area against intruders, provide food for the female performing most of the incubation duties, and attend closely to their eggs.
Through incubation, our peregrines are maintaining the eggs at approximately 96 degrees, allowing development of the embryos inside. They also turn the eggs three or four times a day to prevent any one portion from sticking to one side of the shell. During this period, the eggs are not left unattended; on a warm day we may see the eggs for a minute or two, but incubation breaks are brief and an adult usually returns quickly.
With March 27 as the approximate start of full incubation, we expect hatching to occur around April 28. Watch and wait.
March 28, 2008
Incubation is in progress!
Sometime in the past week the Jersey City peregrines atop 101 Hudson St. produced four eggs and began incubation. We know this because we resolved the technical glitches and now are streaming live video! Visit the live webcam page to follow the activities of the 2008 season!
March 20, 2008
Welcome back to Nestbox News! Since 2001 we've chronicled the successes and failures, along with the elation and heartbreak, of the peregrine falcons atop 101 Hudson Street in Jersey City.
Yesterday staff visited the building to activate the webcam for the 2008 season. Unfortunately, a technical glitch isn't allowing the live streaming video - we hope to have the problem resolved sometime next week.
We can report that two birds are present, and one spent time in the nest box. No eggs have been laid yet, but we anticipate egg laying and incubation to start soon. A few pairs elsewhere in the state have eggs and are just beginning incubation, signs that spring is really here!
We hope you will watch with us this season as the webcam offers us a window into peregrine nesting that is now happening statewide. Peregrines now range from Elizabeth and Newark, to the Palisades, along the Jersey shore to Cape May County, and along the Delaware Bay and River. They have come a long way, and are an inspiration to those of us who marvel at their speed and beauty. So look up, and look in on Jersey City.
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