WILMINGTON ~ MAY 2014

Catbird · **Posted:** Wed Apr 30, 2014 11:20 pm

Please continue your Wilmington posts here.

Cam link:

Wilmington Falcon Project link:

Wilmington Falcons on Facebook:

Catbird · **Posted:** Wed Apr 30, 2014 11:22 pm

In case you missed it, this sad news was posted by Carly late on April 30.

carly wrote:

From the Wilmington Facebook page: :sorrow:

It's with a heavy heart that we have learned the Chick #5 was unable to survive.

Although Craig worked very hard to keep its health up, it's condition started to deteriorate late last week and #5 was taken to Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research for evaluation and diagnosed with a condition called metabolic bone disease. The tissue and muscle were developing from the food consumed but due to a lack of critical elements and minerals, that were not likely available inside the egg, impaired future bone development. The skeletal system of the falcon was dramatically compromised with irreversible damage and required euthanization.

Shepherd · **Joined:** Mon Apr 28, 2014 3:10 pm **Posts:** 6560

R.I.P #5

Thank you for posting #5's obit - I copied it to the other blog with this poem.
Occasionally a falcon lays a 'strange' egg - and is known to eat it.
Am I the only one who wonders as to the health of the remaining 4 chicks after 2 crossed over?

:tissue:

Here is the 2nd half of their fb post

Craig reported that clutches beyond 4 or 5 potentially have reduced levels of essential vitamins and minerals necessary for proper development of the embryo. Unfortunately, this was the case for the last two eggs laid by this female. Peregrine nests with 5 eggs are infrequent but six eggs laid (and hatched) from a single incubation event is rare to unknown. In the Chesapeake Bay peregrine falcon population, Craig has witnessed only one other nest site with 6 eggs but one egg was very small. Oddly, the outcome was never known because the eggs mysteriously disappeared. With regards to falcon pairs with 5 egg clutches, Craig is only aware of three others between 1990 and 2014. Only one pair (not counting Wilmington) hatched and fledged all five.

Faith · **Posted:** Thu May 01, 2014 7:45 am

Shepherd, the remaining 4 are acting like normal Falcon chicks, showing no signs of illness. When the Biologist Bands them, he will look them over, and sometimes dust them for mites. He saved the 4th one last year, and she fledged beautifully. Orange Girl!

Jane · **Posted:** Thu May 01, 2014 8:09 am

I learned of this sad news last night also, but didn't know how to create a link to the information on the Facebook page. I also wondered about the health of the remaining four. Three of them are currently huddled in the bottom part of the screen view at the moment.

Shepherd · **Joined:** Mon Apr 28, 2014 3:10 pm **Posts:** 6560

May 1 Thursday
6.20 am I caught them on the move, and grabbed a snip
LQQK how they have grown during their hiding!!! One is really wingercizing, one stayed hidden.
One adventured on down to the cam side of the nest from the far side.
The little bums appear to be foraging about the nest - are they sort of self feeding?

7.15 am Feeding time, parent is there cleaning prey
- she is feeding the 2 chicks near cam, 2 chicks far side - cmon down peeps, 1 came
Sam Snoozy stays in the upper corner while 3 eat, o good, he came down - and got a few bites
9.15am I got all 4 in a little train, ... well .. sort of

Jane, thank you for saying that! I wish they had been more forthcoming with us when chick 5 began to fail.
They gave us such a hopeful report I figured he'd have . . nevermind.
BUT .... Nature is not cruel, it is simply Nature - survival of the fittest.

Snoozy Sam got his breakfast!

snip - leg sticking out

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 64402

I love the Rainbow bridge...thanks Shep...and thanks for the coverage...

Feed going on when I arrived...

#4 starting to make his move...

Hanging back...and waiting for the right moment..

moving in...

...and Contact!!

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:41 am **Posts:** 12730

CAME IN JUST AS PARENT HAD HOPPED ON LEDGE TO LEAVE AND GOT TO SEE ALL 4 CHICKS! WOW! THEY ARE GETTING SO BIG, IT REALLY GOES FAST DOESN'T IT.

heida · **Joined:** Sat Aug 01, 2009 10:24 am **Posts:** 2872

Sorry to hear about the little one. But these guys look absolutely very healthy. :flirty:

ljames · **Posted:** Thu May 01, 2014 12:02 pm

Rest in peace dear little chick. You were so sweet.

ljames · **Posted:** Thu May 01, 2014 12:07 pm

I watched that feeding, maybe here is one you didn't post. These two appear to be in a tug of war. Possibly even a three way tug with parent.

I think 2nd chick from left may have ended up with it as he/she turns around and two chicks are looking on with envy.
:egg11:

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:41 am **Posts:** 12730

Shepherd · **Joined:** Mon Apr 28, 2014 3:10 pm **Posts:** 6560

LOL falcon-tug! That does NOT look appetizing! I'm eating lunch!

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 64402

ljames..there was also another tug-o-war during this feed that I missed...a very long "string" just between two of them..wish I had gotten that pic...LOL

Faith · **Posted:** Thu May 01, 2014 3:28 pm

Wow! Thanks for all the wonderful coverage this morning. They certainly grew while up in that corner!! LOL!

Greg Inskip · **Joined:** Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:47 pm **Posts:** 1081

Prey remains on the ground this morning: woodcock, mourning dove, flicker.

Faith · **Posted:** Thu May 01, 2014 3:32 pm

OH! My Greg! What a variety! Thanks for sharing!

Jane · **Posted:** Thu May 01, 2014 4:53 pm

Red Girl popped into the box a bit ago and was doing some house cleaning. She didn't have food, but found a pretty decent sized piece of leftovers up there and started feeding it to one chick. Two others came over right away. Couldn't tell what the one had in its beak, but Red Girl didn't want him/her to have it and was trying to take it from the chick's beak. The chick wouldn't let go, and ended up rolling over on its back. One chick was totally unconcerned about the whole thing and stayed up against the building the entire time.

bev. · **Posted:** Thu May 01, 2014 10:53 pm

I am sorry about the fifth chick but I reiterate what SGB said. I am glad that this site has Craig. He gave them a chance . that is all I ask for. thank you so much Craig for what you do.

the 4 remaining chicks look great :eggthumbup:

Shepherd · **Joined:** Mon Apr 28, 2014 3:10 pm **Posts:** 6560

May 2 Friday
6.40 am Feeding time, how cute they are - lined up.
After the feeding they went back to the NE corner

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WILMINGTON ~ MAY 2014

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