Thursday, June 29, 2017

Peregrine Falcons

We have our yearly crop of Peregrine Falcons growing up on top of one of the vessels at the plant where I work security. This years hatchlings number 4. It is amazing how fast they grow. I have been told that they will be flying in about 2 weeks. This photo is from a few days ago, the birds were banded at that time. The white down on their bodies seems mostly gone now. I watch them all night on video in my guardhouse, they look very eager to get flying. They flap and flap their wings and peer out of of their nesting box with much curiosity and interest. They generally look ALMOST ready to go.

Beautiful animals!

Update* This morning just before I left my shift the mother/father falcon brought the babies breakfast. A big black bird body!! I think it might have been a dead crow as it was quite large. The parent falcon had a hard time dragging it into the nesting box but eventually did. The young ones went to town on the corpse. No wonder they grow so fast, with meals like that everyday. I wonder if they will start flying before Sunday night my last shift this week. I would love to see them fly.

4 baby, semi baby! Peregrine Falcons