Bird Cams Around the World

someone at box on edge at 22:00 tonight

Outside My Window Blog post by Kate St. John about our lovely aging Dorothy and her fertility.

Thank you for bringing that article here, Gigi! Very good information & much to consider. I was hoping Kate could explain to the woman who asked about whether Dorothy could be given "a peaceful" place to retire that wild animals have different needs & desires than ours. To a peregrine, dying by protecting your territory is the best way to die. She did a great job of explaining that Dorothy wouldn't be happy in captivity.

it really breaks my heart when they age. I love to see them anyway, but I fear for them

she earned her right to be here and so here she is.

Having volunteered at my local wildlife rehab center, I know that the wildlife we are rehabbing do not appreciate being captive, despite our altruistic motives. They want nothing more than to be free to do what they were meant to do. It energizes us to release a rehabilitated animal, just as it breaks our hearts to see a once-vital animal struggle as they age. Such is nature.

I love Dorothy for what she has taught me over the years - just as I loved our Tasha-2 at the Gulf Tower. Good memories. All Hail Dorothy!

Well, I am about 99% positive I just heard a canoodle!

E2 was in box. Dorothy was up above, calling for him. He finally went up and the rest is audio history.....

Was surprised to see Dorothy in the scrape for so long earlier today in a "familiar" position. I know that everyone is afraid for her to lay eggs, but she's just doing what comes natural. Maybe it is just taking a little longer for her this year, especially if her hormone levels are lower?

I don't know what to think of this. I'm also worried about her becoming eggbound again & don't want to see her go through that. But if she could have a last chick & remain healthy, I'd love it!



Edit: She is moving. Just don't want anyone to worry about that like I did for a few minutes.

SGB - you are so right about the night vision. Maybe they let this cam go while they upgraded Gulf (only to have no falcons there this year). It's 1:03AM ET. Dorothy is still in same spot. Her tail is pointed down and she's sitting up. I don't know if she's working on an egg, or sleeping. I can't be 100% sure that she doesn't have her head tucked in, but I don't think so.

With this cam quality, the pixels move and it makes me think she's moving her tail down/pushing, but that could be my vivid imagination.

I guess we will see how she is tomorrow.

She just twirled around, so she is not asleep, or just re-positioned. She does look puffed up.

She's perched on the edge of her nestbox this morning. Does that stuff in the front corner of the box concern anyone else? To me it looks like it could be remnants of a broken egg. It wasn't there on the 23rd, so it appeared sometime in the past week. Geez, I hope she's going to be OK. (Other than straining like she was trying to lay an egg, she seemed OK last night--preening, etc.)

I think the white stuff is poop. That's what she did last year. She would poop in the box. It's the first time I had ever seen that behavior, until I watched Durand and Beauty lay eggs and do the same thing - poop out the box minutes (1-3) before going into active labor and laying an egg.

If I remember correctly, the egg she expelled when she was bound, she dropped/laid that in the right front, but closer to the side rail area. It was yolky with some blood mixed in and the shell almost looked to me as if it was not correctly formed - seemed on the soft side. I think of the gelatin shell similar to what you would find in a Vitamin E or fish oil capsule.

More canoodling....

I tuned in to find E2 in nest and hearing Dorothy calling for him.

Bonding - an idea of Dorothy's back end



Dorothy after E2 left:



She's in the box/scrape. She's scraping a little, lays down, pebble picks, then up and in position. All puffed out.

I really didn't think we'd be posting this this year, but Dorothy laid an egg! I believe it was just this morning.