Peregrine Falcon Project Observation Log 7

4/28 Still 3 little ones at 7:02 AM ... High 50s and low 60s overnight.
It looks like Mom is having a bad hair day (6:21 AM).	"The look..." 8:22 AM SW's position has changed ~ you can see her arched back and wings are spread out to protect the eyas.
At 1:30 PM Mom sent a call to Dad help.	And at 1:41 PM Dad was there to baby sit.
1:46 PM lunch is served ~ yum!	We notice there are new things to observe: The temperatures reached 72° F briefly today, but was in the mid to upper 60s most of the day. SW is the primary "brooder", however Buckeye does come and baby sit while mom goes to the food stash and gets the next snack for the kids. They seem to be eating every 2 1/2 to 3 hours ~ the length of each feeding varies ~ see chart below. With the warmer temperatures today we noticed the eyases were left exposed and alone for small time periods ~ see chart below. Check the Baby Album for more pictures.
The many looks of SW ~ all captured within a few minutes of each other the evening of 4/28.
4/29 It was 70° F at midnight and by 1:00 AM had dropped to 52° F! It was mostly in the 40s overnight, and upper 40s - low 50s today. SW continues to be the primary "sitter and feeder", but Buckeye is there, hunting and watching over the nest. He comes and baby sits for a minute or two while SW is off selecting which tasty morsel she is going to offer the chicks for that feeding ... will it be a sparrow, pigeon, wren ..... We are not sure WHAT that is in the picture below / left that she brought in at 3:37 for snack time ... a little later SW took a much deserved rest.

We are a bit concerned about egg #4 ... Last night we thought we saw a slight pip in the shell, but no hatch last night or all day ... Then tonight at 8:09 we got another look (shot has been cropped and enlarged). Although it is a bit fuzzy, it looks like there might be a pip in the wider end of the egg next to the eyas. We anxiously await tomorrow ...
"Nope, not going to show you yet..." 4/30 6:25 AM	4/30 Mid 50s over night with mild temperatures all day today, ranging from 48.9° F to 72° F. The warmer it is, the more we see of the babies. Sometimes we can see SW barely covering them as though she is letting air circulate under her body, yet protecting the eyases. They are left completely alone in the nest box for a few minutes before getting fed (while SW retrieves the food that Buckeye continues to provide), and about 1 minute after meal time during "clean-up". The 3 eyases are getting bigger and stronger every day. Sadly, we are beginning to think the 4th egg is not going to hatch ... We will continue to hope ...
4/30 8:19 AM "Do I see lunch in the air?"	SW "preening" her feathers.
Something or someone was attracting SW's attention for several hours during the afternoon of 4/30.
4/30 7:14 PM SW bringing home the bacon ... ah, bird.	5/1 Temperatures in the 50s - 60s overnight, fluctuating 20 degrees during the day. There were storms forecasted for the area with lightening spotted, thunder heard, and light rain during the late afternoon. The eyases continue to eat on a regular schedule and SW and Buckeye are great providers. They are getting big, their eyes are open, and they are beginning to show some curiosity looking around their surroundings. The 4th egg has not hatched, and hope is fading. There could be many reasons ~ it may not be fertile, the baby may have stopped developing at some point, or it may have been too weak to make it out of the shell. Often this is nature's way of keeping the species as strong as possible so they have the best odds of survival.
"My beautiful brood."	"Gonna fly now ..."
5/2 Over night weather was nasty ... rain, fog, thunder, mist - not a night fit for little eyases! It remained in the upper 40s / low 50s all night, and didn't get any better during the day. SW spent most of the morning covering the babies in the damp weather. We caught a few glimpses of them when she left for a minute of two to retrieve food from the stock pile or take care of business ... birds will not "go" in their nest box. Feedings were somewhat limited today ~ Maybe the weather kept "meals" in their own roosting places and SW was trying to "stretch out" what they had. The eyases don't look like they are starving ... Despite conditions, the 3 eyases look like they are thriving ~ getting bigger, stronger, and more curious every day. We are anxious to see them exploring the nest and ledge. The 4th egg is still in the nest and close to the rest of the babies ~ SW has not pushed it away from the others yet.
SW protecting the babies from the rain in the early morning.	"Hey, it's my birthday! Did Mom go to get the hats and balloons?"
"This weather is NOT fun!"	"AAGGGHHHH!"