HARRISBURG, JANUARY-DECEMBER 2022

Jane · **Posted:** Fri Apr 22, 2022 7:01 pm

Nancy, the bird I am thinking of is not Blue Girl. The one I'm thinking of we affectionately called him Little Peanut. Sadly he lost his life over at the train station. And at the moment (7:00) Niecey is not with the chicks.

Jane · **Posted:** Fri Apr 22, 2022 7:26 pm

Just watched a feeding. I don't know if #5 got anything, but was right in front. My picture was freezing and I had to refresh several times. Niecey took the rest of the meal out of the scrape.

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:41 am **Posts:** 12734

Came in on a feed in progress at 7:15 pm. The 3 tallest chicks got the bites. The chick that possibly didn't get any bites was squeezed in behind the 3 that did and could only poke its head between the others which made it even shorter. She did reach down to give this one a bite, but then my view was blocked by the others and I couldn't tell if it got it. Initially #5 was not in position, but when it was with its beak open it was not turned directly toward her always and many times its beak was in the backside of 1 of the ones that was getting bites. So #5 did not get any bites and possibly #4 got 1 bite if any. The feed was over at 7:22 pm. As I leave at 7:56 pm, Niecey is shielding the chicks and 85 is not on any of the cams.

catwoman · **Posted:** Fri Apr 22, 2022 8:02 pm

I know birds are programmed to feed the strong and healthy chicks first, a matter of only the healthy survive. Mom and Lil Dad and various pairs don't do that, Red Girl among them. A few years ago, she went and searched for the little one who was at a bottom the pile. If 85 were to get with the program and stop being lazy on the point, Niecey wouldn't have to do that! There's plenty of food in Harrisburg! :tantrum2:

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:41 am **Posts:** 12734

85 just brought breakfast to the ledge and Niecey grabbed it and flew. She'll be right back shortly to feed. Nope she came back within a couple minutes to brood. Guess she took it to their stash. They must have already eaten this morning before I came in.

catwoman · **Posted:** Sat Apr 23, 2022 11:03 am

SWINWK wrote:

85 just brought breakfast to the ledge and Niecey grabbed it and flew. She'll be right back shortly to feed. Nope she came back within a couple minutes to brood. Guess she took it to their stash. They must have already eaten this morning before I came in.

I saw online that she fed the oldest 3, but the youngest two weren't visible. :tissue:

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:41 am **Posts:** 12734

Yes, I just saw that. I leave this tab up continuous and come in when I hear them or their chicks. There apparently have been 2 feeds this morning with only 3 of the 5 getting bites. Actually they reported #5 not seen for either feed and the other 1 was only seen popping its head up once during the 1st feed this morning. Unfortunately, my sound wasn't on, so I missed the 2nd feed. Can hear the adults and chicks now and going in to check.

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:41 am **Posts:** 12734

The 3rd feed just finished up. To make a long story short, they remained in a cuddle puddle for the entire feed and heads were pointing in all different directions. All 4 did not remain up for the entire feed. but would poke up their heads and be in and out. Eventually the 4 visible all got plenty of bites and Niecey had a few. The 5th chick did not appear till toward the end and came out from behind #1 and the cuddle puddle facing the wrong way with its beak open. Niecey did not seem to see #5 as her focus was on the center of the cuddle puddle and it was not fed. So, #5 has not been fed in any of the 3 feeds so far this morning. And the 4th chick has been fed once.

Jane · **Posted:** Sat Apr 23, 2022 1:12 pm

I have not seen a feeding at all today.. Not sure if that's good or bad. Have not seen 85 at all today. Most interesting thing I've seen all day is a pair of Mourning Doves mating on my deck right outside my window.

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:41 am **Posts:** 12734

Heard Niecey vocals, went in and she is gone maybe to return with food. She returned wailing without food. Saw #5 lying on the nest floor in front of the others before she returned and covered. She wailed once more after they were covered.

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:41 am **Posts:** 12734

Came in to a feed already in progress. From cam 2 it was a partially blocked feed as I could initially only see 2 chicks, then 3, but not the other 2. Went to cam 1 and could see chick #5 in front of the chick pile where you could see the dramatic difference in its size from the one it was by. And I mean dramatic! Still could not see the other chick. Went back to cam 2 and could see that all 3 chicks visible were getting fed. Then finally I saw the 4th chick and eventually it was getting bites too.

Once I saw that the 4 oldest were getting bites, although not equally necessarily, I went back to cam1 to keep an eye on chick #5 to see if it would get any bites. It finally turned sideways to face toward Niecey, but there was no way for her to see it. It even laid down for awhile and when up again you could see a siblings wing partially in front of it and could tell it was partially inside of the chick pile. Niecey finished feeding the chicks and herself then gathered them to brood. So far, chick #5 has not been fed today and who I suspect is chick #4 has eaten, but not as much as the oldest 3.

Jane · **Posted:** Sat Apr 23, 2022 2:43 pm

Long feeding ended about five minutes ago. Four were definitely fed. The one that hatched last Monday is much smaller than the other three, but got its share. I really don't don't know if #5 got anything, for my computer has been acting up and the screen kept freezing. From what I could tell, I don't think so. :-(

Jane · **Posted:** Sat Apr 23, 2022 2:47 pm

You are right about a dramatic difference, swinwk. The oldest chick is about twice as big as #5.

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:41 am **Posts:** 12734

At 2:45 pm real time, I heard both 85 and Niecey, went in and the chicks were alone, went to the ledge cam and made it in time to see 85 standing on the ledge with a bird clutched in his talons, then saw Niecey come out and snatch it from him and fly out. When she returned in a couple of minutes, she no longer had the bird, so when she flew out she had taken it to their cache. The 4 cams are not in sync nor are the times. The times given are also incorrect. So I go with my PC time.

:15heartbeat:

Jane, I was thinking 3 times larger, if not more...a horrible disadvantage if not impossible for it to overcome and for Niecey to be able to see its open beak to feed...

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:41 am **Posts:** 12734

At about 3:07, you could tell from Niecey's reaction she heard something (that I did not) and stood up and rushed out of the nest and flew out. Not a peep from her. Back at 3:12 to brood. Don't have any idea what that was all about.

Jane · **Posted:** Sat Apr 23, 2022 3:22 pm

Well, if fed #5 will grow, but so will the others. I am not sure where the current stashes are, but one had been behind 333 Market across the street, and another in front of the U Building. We have dubbed that location as "the refrigerator". The times on the four cams have been out of sync for a while. Sometimes the view on my phone is different from the computer. I have no idea where that loud music is coming from. There are no restaurants right in that area. Am getting away from the computer for a while to calm myself down.

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:41 am **Posts:** 12734

Currently, Niecey went pebble-pecking within the nest, then outside onto the ledge to do so. Chick #5 crawled a little away form the pile. Then, Niecey went back into the nest, next to the top of the front wall and is wailing at intervals. Has stopped wailing, then back down to brood. Chick #5 remained out, but she just turned a little and extended her wings some and it looks as if chick #5 has been corralled and back within the fold.

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:41 am **Posts:** 12734

Jane wrote:

Well, if fed #5 will grow, but so will the others. I am not sure where the current stashes are, but one had been behind 333 Market across the street, and another in front of the U Building. We have dubbed that location as "the refrigerator". The times on the four cams have been out of sync for a while. Sometimes the view on my phone is different from the computer. I have no idea where that loud music is coming from. There are no restaurants right in that area. Am getting away from the computer for a while to calm myself down.

Right, even if #5 is fed, it would remain much smaller than the others even for the near future. And the disadvantage it has to overcome of not being seen by Niecey during the feeds with an open beak as currently is happening, would be to be seen by Niecey during the feeds with an open beak. Probably impossible for it to overcome unless it and we get lucky and some of the others fall into food comas and don't cover #5 up in doing so and she sees it finally. It's very hard to watch, I cried during the last 2 feeds and the whole time yearning with all my might that she would be able to see #5 and feed...

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:41 am **Posts:** 12734

Could hear the chicks, came in and found Niecey atop the front wall and chicks in a pile with #5 lying on its back and feet sticking up wiggling while lying on the edge of that pile. Niecey back down to brood.

SWINWK · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:41 am **Posts:** 12734

85 just brought another meal to the ledge that Niecey took and a feed is in progress. I did not even pay attention to the feed. I knew they were in a cuddle puddle with beaks all in different directions and getting bites.

:15heartbeat:

My concern was with chick #5 who laid beside the pile with very, very, little, movement. I was concerned when I posted above in my previous post with it on it's back, but not sure. When the feed was over, Niecey tried to brood, but #5 was outside the chick pile, so she regrouped and brought #5 within, but it had little reaction. She kept pulling it in further under her or readjusting up to 9-10 times. She seems to be aware something is not right and reached down and very lightly, pecked its head once during this time. But, there was little reaction from #5. It is covered and barely visible under her on cam 2. Will monitor.

Bird Cams Around the World

HARRISBURG, JANUARY-DECEMBER 2022

Who is online