Comments on: All Gone, But Not Flown

By: faith Cornell

faith Cornell — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:36:06 +0000

8:35; those kids are still hanging around nest, flapping, sitting & looking. The smallest crow or whatever bird, but was really black & small was gobbled pretty fast. Maybe a lazy Friday AM for them, its cloudy here in Bridgeville. Faith.

By: faith Cornell

faith Cornell — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:49:52 +0000

7:45 somebody brought food/3 chicks in nest, 1 was sleeping in nest, 1 sleeping on rail & 1 looking & rooting thru feathers looking for food I guess & all looking so since the delivery came they are busy. Faith.

By: faith Cornell

faith Cornell — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:12:36 +0000

7:10 6/5 4 chicks 1 parent in nest, flapping & eating. Ready for a busy day I hope for the am audience.

By: Joann

Joann — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 22:52:06 +0000

I’m watching either Tasha or Louie with one of their daughters at the GT-one of them brought food to the nest & the one daughter was trying to get at the food but the parent didn’t seem to want to share & flew to another part of the nest & she followed. It looks like they are still feeding them though. The daughter seems to be screeching at her parent as if to say “feed me already or give me some”.

By: Kate St. John

Kate St. John — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:05:25 +0000

The babies may take a long or short first flight. It depends on how much they flap, where the wind takes them and where they decide to land.
If you were watching this morning at 8:30am, you probably saw Dorothy & E2 soaring and flapping. E2 was flying around the building, very upset because he perceived danger to his babies. While he was doing that Dorothy flapped out and back to the nestrail so that she could be close to her babies to guard them. The babies were on the nestrail at that time.

By: Rosie

Rosie — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:23:57 +0000

Hi Kate, Just wondering when a baby takes it’s first flight is it usually a short one and they return to the nest area or do they just keep on flying? This morning mom and dad were doing a lot of soaring around the COL and at one point we caught a bird doing a very small circle with lots of flapping and then right back to the rail. So much fun watching them in person!

By: Elspeth

Elspeth — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:41:54 +0000

There is a lot of wing-stretching and flapping going on at the Gulf Tower – looks as though they are getting ready for a take-off

By: Nancy

Nancy — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:46:37 +0000

Kate: I just watched one of the girls at GT “baby flying” from ledge to ledge across the Tower, while her sister sat at the nest box watching. Mom/Dad was perched on a railing a couple of stories above – it almost seemed like this little adventurer was trying to get to mom – or maybe mom was encouraging her to “go for it”. Thanks for all your insights and information! Nancy

By: Kate St. John

Kate St. John — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:57:48 +0000

Joann, thanks for your question about their color difference. I just now put the answer in the Peregrine FAQs at http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/peregrine-faqs/
See Question#16

By: Judi

Judi — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:32:28 +0000

This has been so exciting. I had checked in on the falcon nests when the eggs were first laid. Then I got sidetracked by numerous other things of life. So I have made it back just in time before they fledge. I have been enjoying your observations so much as I, too, love the birds. We have recently moved to the country and one of the things we first noticed several years ago was the abundance of thistle and milkweed on our property. Having a feeder for goldfinches for several years we were thrilled to know that they would be a part of our future home. Well, now we are seeing them daily and listening to their wonderful sounds at their feeder outside our dining room window. We also have a kildeer on eggs where we were planning to try growing corn in a vegetable garden. The corn planting is on hold, needless to say. Three robins fledged the other day from a nest (left from last year) under the deck steps and three other robins are fledging in our barn. Other daily visitors include a pair of pheasants, a mockingbird, and meadowlarks. Last night a yellow-shafted flicker was having great fun taking a dirt bath in the lower driveway. Nature is so wonderful and amazing. I consider the birds and flowers blessings in my life. I have added your blog to my favorites so I will be checking in on a regular basis. Thank you again.