Falcon Watch 2005 observation log 21

5/26 8:05 AM	5/26 8:57 AM	5/26 11:19 AM
5/26 3:18 PM	5/27 8:00 AM Early morning stroll	5/27 8:17 AM They like the corners of the ledge
The babies are gone most of the day now, spending their time walking around the building on the ledges. They do however return to the nest box in the evening.	5/27 8:37 PM	Looking at the picture to the right, they do not look like babies anymore! Their juvenile feathers (dark brown and tan) have all but completely replaced the fuzzy white down. They are definitely growing up!
5/28 6:26 AM	5/28 6:27 AM FLYING??	5/28 10:51 AM "Humm, can't go any further this way."
5/28 8:06 PM "Watch this guys..."	5/28 8:07 PM "Opps ..."	5/28 8:08 PM "OK. I'm trying again..."
5/28 8:10PM "My big moment and they missed it!"	5/29 6:03 AM "I'm telling 'ya, I flew last night."	5/29 6:13 AM Up and out early
Busy walking the ledge during the day, it is hard to catch the babies at the nest except for the early morning and evening times.	5/29 7:14 PM All home safely	5/29 7:23 PM Just like Dad, they like to sit on the edge of the box
5/30 7:34 AM SW proudly watching from above	5/30 7:34 PM All back safely for the night	5/31 8:00 AM
5/31 9:26 AM	5/31 4:10 PM	5/31 6:33 PM
The eyases, no longer babies, are becoming very independent. They stay away from the nest box and out on the ledges of Terminal Tower most of the day, making it more and more difficult to pick them up on camera. Before long they will be spotted hunting, soaring high above the Public Square following the expert trainings of SW and Buckeye. In another 4-5 weeks they will "fledge", leaving what they know as home and making a life for themselves. Peregrine Falcons can live as long as 17 years, but the first year is the hardest - especially living in an urban city. Statistics show that only one out of every two falcons live past their first year of life. Thank you for being a part of our project for the 2005 nesting season. As our observation log ends we hope that Ontario, Prospect, Superior, and Euclid beat those odds and all live long and healthy lives.