Manitoba Falcon Cam Forum

Manitoba Peregrines => State Capitol, Lincoln, Nebraska => Topic started by: The Peregrine Chick on May 01, 2014, 22:54

Title: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: The Peregrine Chick on May 01, 2014, 22:54
They are back and have been on eggs for awhile - in fact, Alley is on 5 eggs, a first for her!!
Not sure when they are due to hatch, but it will be great to see how this very experienced pair handle a very full house.
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: The Peregrine Chick on May 04, 2014, 13:59
Went to check on the Alley & 19K and there seems to be problems with the server with the webcam and blog so no update yet ...
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: RCF on May 04, 2014, 14:47
It working now.  :)

(http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy320/Blondechik_2010/US%20Falcons/Lincoln%20Nebraska/Lincoln%20Nebraska%202014/LINCOLNNEFALCONS05042014.jpg)
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: The Peregrine Chick on May 04, 2014, 14:54
Excellent!
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: RCF on May 11, 2014, 17:02
Last egg was laid April 10th so we should be seeing a hatch soon.  I couldn't tell if there are any pips in the eggs.

(http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy320/Blondechik_2010/US%20Falcons/Lincoln%20Nebraska/Lincoln%20Nebraska%202014/LincolnEGGSMay11201402.jpg)

Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: RCF on May 11, 2014, 17:06
Here is a short video of a nest exchange.

Alley in 19K out  - http://youtu.be/NDx0WD2CBfE 

(http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy320/Blondechik_2010/US%20Falcons/Lincoln%20Nebraska/Lincoln%20Nebraska%202014/LincolnEGGSMay11201403.jpg)
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: RCF on May 16, 2014, 08:47
One of Alley's eggs hatched this morning.  :-*  The eyas is just under the parent's breast.
 
(http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy320/Blondechik_2010/US%20Falcons/Lincoln%20Nebraska/Lincoln%20Nebraska%202014/LincolnPip05152014011.jpg)
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: RCF on May 16, 2014, 09:30
(http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy320/Blondechik_2010/US%20Falcons/Lincoln%20Nebraska/Lincoln%20Nebraska%202014/LincolnPip05152014013.jpg)
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: Kinderchick on May 16, 2014, 14:42
One of Alley's eggs have hatched this morning.  :-* 

That's wonderful news! :D
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: RCF on May 16, 2014, 16:52
Second hatch this afternoon.   :-*

(http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy320/Blondechik_2010/US%20Falcons/Lincoln%20Nebraska/Lincoln%20Nebraska%202014/LincolnPip05152014017.jpg)
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: RCF on May 16, 2014, 19:03
There is one egg with a big hole and has possibly collapsed and may not have been viable.  It's been like that for at least a day or more.  

(http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy320/Blondechik_2010/US%20Falcons/Lincoln%20Nebraska/Lincoln%20Nebraska%202014/LincolnPip051520140190.jpg)
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: RCF on May 19, 2014, 07:54
Still only the two this morning.  It makes life a little easier for Mom and Dad to feed these little beauties.   :-*

(http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy320/Blondechik_2010/US%20Falcons/Lincoln%20Nebraska/Lincoln%20Nebraska%202014/LincolnTwo004.jpg)
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: RCF on May 22, 2014, 16:12
Nongame Bird Blog by Joel Jorgensen

Hatching round-up

As Peregrine watchers know, the hatching at the Capitol was a little disappointing.  Of the five eggs, only two successfully hatched.


Continue reading at this link.  http://neblandvm.outdoornebraska.gov/2014/05/hatching-round/
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: RCF on May 25, 2014, 07:57
(http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy320/Blondechik_2010/US%20Falcons/Lincoln%20Nebraska/Lincoln%20Nebraska%202014/LINCOLNNE05252014.jpg)  (http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy320/Blondechik_2010/US%20Falcons/Lincoln%20Nebraska/Lincoln%20Nebraska%202014/LINCOLNNE05252014002.jpg)
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: The Peregrine Chick on May 25, 2014, 09:43
These two are growing like weeds - hatched 10 days ago and they are already into that "growing out of their feathers" stage that makes them look like fluffy dinosaurs  :D
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: RCF on May 30, 2014, 11:10
Alley shading  the kids.

(http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy320/Blondechik_2010/US%20Falcons/Lincoln%20Nebraska/Lincoln%20Nebraska%202014/Lincolnmay302014002.jpg)
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: The Peregrine Chick on May 30, 2014, 11:45
Alley shading  the kids.

(http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy320/Blondechik_2010/US%20Falcons/Lincoln%20Nebraska/Lincoln%20Nebraska%202014/Lincolnmay302014002.jpg)

Holy cats they are big ...  :o
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: Doreen on May 30, 2014, 16:51
Those chicks are huge!
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: RCF on June 03, 2014, 19:04
(http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy320/Blondechik_2010/US%20Falcons/Lincoln%20Nebraska/Lincoln%20Nebraska%202014/LINCOLNJune32014002.jpg)
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: RCF on June 04, 2014, 07:51
There was a bad storm last night and there are no chicks in the nest this morning.   :'( :'(   If anyone has FB and wants to read more here is a link to the FB page.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/376667965721280/#_=_ (https://www.facebook.com/groups/376667965721280/#_=_)
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: Kinderchick on June 04, 2014, 08:36
Awwww!!! How very sad! I can hardly believe the chicks are all gone! Very sad to read that parents brought food for the chicks and they were missing. :'(
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: irenekl on June 04, 2014, 09:59
Oh dear God, very difficult news to hear.  Gotta wonder what goes through those parents heads when they discover chicks are missing??  PC, is it typical for the parents to go save themselves during a storm and not try to protect their chicks?  These chicks were pretty big already so hovering over them likely wasn't possible.
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: Moonstar on June 04, 2014, 10:07
This is so sad.  :'(   Is there any chance they could have landed somewhere and survived?
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: RCF on June 04, 2014, 10:53
This is so sad.  :'(   Is there any chance they could have landed somewhere and survived?

I just found out the building maintenance found the two chicks but they didn't survive. :-[ 
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: sparkster on June 04, 2014, 10:54
 :'( Such terrible news.
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: carly on June 04, 2014, 11:33
Oh dear God, very difficult news to hear.  Gotta wonder what goes through those parents heads when they discover chicks are missing??  PC, is it typical for the parents to go save themselves during a storm and not try to protect their chicks?  These chicks were pretty big already so hovering over them likely wasn't possible.


Not much you can do when you only weigh 1.5-2 lbs and you have 2 babies that don't have flight wings against 100 mph winds.  Just like Princess couldn't do anything to stop the rain all those years ago. 

Such a tragedy for everyone  :'(
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: The Peregrine Chick on June 04, 2014, 11:41
PC, is it typical for the parents to go save themselves during a storm and not try to protect their chicks?  These chicks were pretty big already so hovering over them likely wasn't possible.  

Oldest chick was 18 days old which means these two were about the body size of their male parent sans the feathers - we band them just at 21 days old because their feet have finished growing, so these two were teenagers.  Don't know how much protection the parents might have been able to provide - and any storm that is strong enough to get 2 almost banding age chicks out of the nestbox that is pretty sheltered and secure is a heck of a storm - and it was (Storms cause damage throughout Nebraska (photos & video) (http://www.1011now.com/home/headlines/Slideshow-of-Storm-Damage-261749721.html)) including at least one tornado ( Storms batter state with hail, high winds and heavy rain  (http://journalstar.com/news/local/live-updates-tornado-watch-extended/article_74122f5a-fd54-5ebc-a31b-877968f0df6c.html).

As for "saving themselves", yes that is normal evolutionary behaviour - if offspring dies but the adult survives there can be more offspring, if the offspring survives but the adult dies, the offspring usually dies too.  But to be fair to Alley & 19K it likely had nothing to do with saving themselves, they could very well have been in the box with the kids and the only thing that saved them was their ability to fly though flying in that kind of weather likely not a evolutionarily smart thing to do.  We may never know, it may have been a fluke gust of wind, chicks crowding into the wrong corner of the nestbox, chicks trying to find a more sheltered spot and remember, this is the boot-scoot period of development, they can't walk, they are just starting the waddle-stomp phase.  Unless someone was able to watch on-camera and reports, it's possible we will never know what happened, just that the two chicks were lost.
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: The Peregrine Chick on June 04, 2014, 11:47
Not the first storm this little family has had to endure this month ... this was Sunday (June 2nd) ... and this was probably what one or both of the adults were doing last night to, or for as much/long as they could ...

(http://neblandvm.outdoornebraska.gov/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/wetbird2.jpg)
photo from the NebraskaLand, Non-Game Bird Blog

more photos here:  http://neblandvm.outdoornebraska.gov/2014/06/stormy-sunday-soggy-birds/
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: The Peregrine Chick on June 04, 2014, 11:58
Storms Claim Capitol Peregrine Falcon Chicks
Posted by: Jerry Kane June 4, 2014   in NGPC News

LINCOLN – The severe weather that wreaked havoc across much of Nebraska on the evening and night of June 3 also appears to have claimed the two peregrine falcon chicks atop the Nebraska Capitol building.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission provides live streaming video of the nest box, and many falcon watchers awoke to find it empty early June 4. Game and Parks and Capitol staff, along with personnel from Fontenelle Forest’s Raptor Recovery, found the bodies of both chicks early June 4. One chick was discovered on the second floor roof and the other was found on the ground; both appear to have died instantly.

“Based on the evidence, it appears the chicks were simply blown out of the nest box by the severe weather,” said Joel Jorgensen, Game and Parks’ nongame bird program manager. “This is obviously an unfortunate and sad outcome, and we are disappointed.”

News media reports state that winds in Lincoln exceeded 70 miles per hour during the storms.

Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: Moonstar on June 04, 2014, 18:56
Just so sad.
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: Kinderchick on June 05, 2014, 08:30
I wonder if Alley & 19K will be able to have another clutch this year? Or is it too late in the season? ???
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: The Peregrine Chick on June 05, 2014, 09:40
I wonder if Alley & 19K will be able to have another clutch this year? Or is it too late in the season? ???

Not too late in the season chronologically, but biologically too late for them.  The chicks were almost banding age so 1/2 way between eggs laid and chicks being independent, that's a lot of resources expended by the adults to get them this far and they are hormonally set up for teenage chicks, not the start of the breeding cycle.  If the eggs had been lost up to perhaps half-way through incubation the pair could re-nest but then it would depend on the birds themselves.
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: Alison on July 10, 2014, 15:05
It was very sad to lose the Lincoln chicks in such a terrible storm. In fact, Alley and 19/K lost three chicks this year; one of the first two chicks who hatched lived only a short time.

The same storm also took the lives of the two chicks at the University nest in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was very sad to lose these chicks, too, since this was only the second time chicks had hatched in the area in the past 50-60 years.

Alley and 19/K were not seen at the nest for some time, but recently both have been spending time at the nest once again.

I would like to confirm that this is Alley; certainly looks like her to me, but she is listed as having a black band on the left leg, while this bird has a black band on the right leg.

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/July%202014/lincolnjuly98a_zpsb1c214ad.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/July%202014/lincolnjuly98a_zpsb1c214ad.jpg.html)

A closer look at the band; since Alley is ten years old, the band is worn and scratched, but I think I can see A/*Y. What do you think, TPC?

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/July%202014/lincolnjuly96c_zpsa1b15edc.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/July%202014/lincolnjuly96c_zpsa1b15edc.jpg.html)
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: The Peregrine Chick on July 10, 2014, 16:47
The standard in the US is for the coloured band to go on the left leg, we haven't always been so consistent - sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose.  Alley is one of "those" - black band on right leg.  Makes it easy to tell her from 19/K who's coloured band is on his left leg.

And yes, Alley's band is A over a sideways Y - that is partly how she got her name - her band number and that her favourite roost spot after fledging was only properly from a particularly nasty back lane or, drum roll please, alley.  Not all of the names I give the peregrines involve hours of sober reflection and research, some just happen.
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: The Peregrine Chick on July 10, 2014, 16:49
As for Alley and 19/K being back in the nestbox, that isn't particularly unusual.  After their chicks have fledged and are on their own, the resident pair renew their pair bonds by going through what looks like courtship behaviour - bowing and food exchanges even scraping in the box.  Looking at when they lost their chicks and the age of their chicks, I would suspect that their hormones are now at post-fledging, chicks-are-on-their-own levels which could be why they are back at the box this early renewing their partnership.
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: RCF on September 27, 2014, 16:23
Peregrine Falcon after hours rescue

Joel Jorgensen rescued 19K who was trapped on the 14th Floor observation deck on the Capitol Building on Friday.  19K was unharmed.  :)

Article with photos at this link.
http://neblandvm.outdoornebraska.gov/2014/09/hours-peregrine-rescue/
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: The Peregrine Chick on September 27, 2014, 22:32
Peregrine Falcon after hours rescue

Joel Jorgensen rescued 19K who was trapped on the 14th Floor observation deck on the Capitol Building on Friday.  19K was unharmed.  :)

Article with photos at this link.
http://neblandvm.outdoornebraska.gov/2014/09/hours-peregrine-rescue/

Well done Joel!  19/K and Alley have been a great pair over the years, hate to break up a winning team before their time!
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: Kinderchick on September 30, 2014, 22:23
Wonderful news that 19K was rescued & released unharmed. :D
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: RCF on December 17, 2014, 17:32
A Nebraska Peregrine Falcon appears in Texas

This individual Peregrine Falcon hatched in 2012 at the Nebraska Capitol building.  We banded the bird, along with his brother.

 Article and photo at this link.

http://neblandvm.outdoornebraska.gov/2014/12/nebraska-peregrine-falcon-appears-texas/
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: Alison on December 19, 2014, 12:43
Lewis (10/R) has travelled a long way from Lincoln, Nebraska to The Woodlands, Texas -- about 849 miles. I wonder if he is spending the winter there.

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/November%20-%20December%202014/lincoln-nebraska-to-the-woo_zpsdc90cd26.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/November%20-%20December%202014/lincoln-nebraska-to-the-woo_zpsdc90cd26.jpg.html)

Lewis is a handsome tiercel. I think he looks like his Dad, with his solid dark hood:

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/November%20-%20December%202014/lincoln-lewis-3a_zpsc082dcee.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/November%20-%20December%202014/lincoln-lewis-3a_zpsc082dcee.jpg.html)

Lewis and his brother at banding:

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa393/falcoperegrinus1/November%20-%20December%202014/lincoln-lewis-and-his-broth_zps748df85e.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/falcoperegrinus1/media/November%20-%20December%202014/lincoln-lewis-and-his-broth_zps748df85e.jpg.html)
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: irenekl on December 20, 2014, 09:21
Lewis is really a perfect looking bird. 
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: The Peregrine Chick on December 31, 2014, 01:52
Lewis (10/R) has travelled a long way from Lincoln, Nebraska to The Woodlands, Texas -- about 849 miles. I wonder if he is spending the winter there.

If he is like most of his cousins, he will continue south into Mexico either following the coastline or by hopping across the Gulf then start to work his way back north to Texas again in mid to late January.
Title: Re: State Capitol - 2014 / 19K & Alley
Post by: The Peregrine Chick on December 31, 2014, 01:57
Lewis is really a perfect looking bird.  

He is and he looks more like his grandfather Trey with that white breast, most of Princess' kids have more speckles that come up higher.  I admit to liking the white breasts more than the speckles.  Looking at the birds mentioned in the article RCF found, I'm going to have to see if I can track down some photos of the other three if they too have whiter breasts. (thanks RCF)