Bird Cams Around the World

Re the loss of last year's brood: On Monday May 18, 2009 Craig Koppie (USFWS), assisted by Kim and others, banded 4 healthy chicks (3m, 1f) that appeared to be about 19 days old. The following weekend (May 23-24) the building superintendant noticed that two of the chicks were dead in the box. They disappeared and could not be studied. On Thursday morning, May 28, I found a live chick on the sidewalk by the Brandywine Building but around the corner from the nest. I drove him to Tri-State Bird Rescue where the vet pronounced him a healthy male. Kim and another put him back in the nest box the next morning, Friday May 29 (I was having a root canal). Tragically, the female chick was found on a sidewalk even as Kim was ascending to the nest with the male. Kim drove her to Tri-State where she was euthanized because of spinal injuries. The parents fed the male chick until some time between 7:00 and 10:30 am Tuesday, June 2, 2009, when he disappeared. I hope they do better this year.

Thanks Greg, for the details. Such a heartbreaker. So the female intruder from last year that most likely caused the deaths of the chicks might be the same one seen at the nest this year and could have possibly killed mom, or the resident female? Ooh boy, it can't be easy to warm up to her I bet.

A bit easier for those of us, like me I would think, who are really new to the nest.

Hi ljames. It really was a heartbreaker. It really seemed that the brood was stalked by a continuing malign presence. A jealous, Maleficent-like strange falcon seemed to fit the bill. I should say, however, that I was and remain skeptical of the hypothesis, even in light of recent intrusions. At the time that the chicks were lost I never saw more falcons together than one male and one female. I never saw two falcons fighting in the air, unlike observations this month and last Fall. I don't know that anyone else did either. Actual observations weren't related to me, or if I read Kate S. Johns' blog correctly, to her either.

The old female was magnificent. Subject to any further information about her remains, I am convinced that she died in mortal combat with the new female. But that's OK. The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen.

Yep, no doubt died trying to defend her nest and her way of life.

Sorry, I haven't had time yet to go through the video. (Our daughter and family are in the middle of moving house )
I'll try to get some shots as soon as possible, maybe later tonight.

Thanks to Greg and Kim for all the reporting. SO SAD about the female. Will someone report on her condition? So much to read about this nest sight. Hoping for some peace among the Falcon's now.

Thanks, Greg, for your perspective on the events of last summer. I'm so glad that you were there to rescue the male chick from the sidewalk and take it to Tri-state Bird Rescue; but it must have been really heartbreaking for you when the chick was returned to the nest and then just disappeared. Such a puzzling chain of events!

FYI - I think the resident male just paid a visit to the nest. (I don't think it was the new female because I didn't see a wayward feather on the falcon's back when it was turned the other way.)

I just saw the visitor too but not even close to seeing the bands. They also sat on the ledge but all I could see was the tail.

Two falcons were just in the nest box! I think I saw a red band on the right leg of the falcon on the left, but I can't be sure.

They were there for 4-5 minutes and didn't appear to be fighting. The one on the right kept moving closer to the other falcon and then finally flew away.

Lots of bowing in the nestbox just a little while ago!!! And it's still our male!!!

Kim - I'm glad you could ID the male! It was nice to see a friendly encounter for a change.

After watching the video a few times, (while editing it) I'm confused. Was it the male that left? Or the new female . . . I'll leave it to the experts.

Video:
Screenshots:

I'm glad you got the video DEF. I was having dinner and missed the whole thing, figures. I don't know, I thought the male left first. So many bands, the original pair had red bands on the left legs, and the new female has red band on the right leg, and the male intruder has green band on the left leg. Was there more than one male intruder? I had it all straight in my head yesterday.

One less pigeon in Wilmington today, judging by the feathers.

And that is why we need more falcons in the city

Lots of bowing going on this morning!

Our male working on the scrape!

One falcon back for a visit to the nest box just now. I couldn't see any bands, so I don't know if it's the male or female.

The female was just in the nest box - I actually saw the green band on her left leg. (And now she's back again, I believe.)

Fresh mourning dove feathers on the sidewalk below the nest box this morning. I wonder if the male gave it to the female.