Play or prey?

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch

Observation date: 9 June 2015

June gloom is upon us some days, making observations somewhat difficult during those days. Warm air rising inland draws in the Pacific marine layer into the coastal areas leaving us with heavy overcast skies or fog. For a few days we could only hear the falcon chicks but, when it does clear up, the flying circus begins again.

"The Rock" seen in the marine layer fogginess.

“The Rock” barely visible                               Photo by Heather O’Connor

The young have shown more interest in chasing prey birds like swallows and swifts, although, I have not witnessed one being caught as of yet but, it has probably happened.

A few years ago, Cleve Nash and I saw a young bird just out of the nest on its third day of flying catch a house finch. The young still chase each other around the rock but, have not ventured across the inlet to the sand spit which is normally their next stop. Then it will be over to the estuary, a large tidal area on the southern end of Morro Bay. Birds of every description are found here at different times of the year. When the young falcons are able to make a kill, this place will be their “candy store,” at least until the end of summer. Then the parents will feel it is time to chase them off completely.  “You’re on your own, son.”

Happy trails, Bob

Item: Gordon Robb and I saw a chick do an inside loop within the length of its body, much like a tumble pigeon does. This was first for me.

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Hav’n fun…

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch

Observation date: 2 June 2015

After a week of flying, the three young falcons on the north side of Morro Rock are having more fun than a litter of piglets in a mud hole. It’s hard to describe, first two chase one, then one chases two and all the time they are doing maneuvers they could not do yesterday.

peregrine juveniles at Morro Rock, Morro Bay CA

Photo by Cleve Nash

It’s nonstop tag, “You’re it!”

I forgot to mention there are two males and one female. She is the one being chased most. It’s 9:30 AM and all the young are squealing. They have spotted the tiercel, incoming over the bay delivering breakfast at 60 + mph. He has a tail wind and is carrying a very small prey item. All three launch off the cornice, while he is still 300 yards out. They pass over me in the parking lot, but don’t venture too far out over the water.  As the tiercel passes, they turn and give chase. One of the male chicks makes a pass with open talons to snatch the prey and misses completely. Next the big female tries, but collides with the adult dislodging the prey. And the third bird, a small male, dives after the falling prey, catches it mid-air and heads back to the cornice.

Needless to say the two others are chasing him.

It’s like watching a flying circus. A few minutes later the adult female arrives with nothing that I can see.  The two remaining chicks chase her any way  thinking she has something.  She then makes an abrupt wing-over into a stoop and deftly picks off a white crown sparrow sitting on the dirt parking lot.  The two chicks try to follow her. They could not keep up, but they saw what she did.  Now they know where these meals come from.

The last chick had to wait another hour before he got fed.

Happy trails, Bob

Item:
At Piedras Blancas Light Station in San Simeon, there are three chicks and at Shell Beach, four chicks.

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Today we fly…

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch

Observation date: 26 May 2015

A great day for the three young falcons, for they took to the air today sometime before we arrived at the north side of Morro Rock. Looking up toward the nest site, there were no chicks visible.

Gordon Robb was a few minutes ahead of me and said, “It looks like a chick on the shark fin.”

After setting up my equipment another one popped up from behind the same fin-shaped rock. The rock is located at the far left end of the north face, high up jutting into the sky line.

Juveniles peregrine falcons on first flight

Silhouette of the young fledglings                                     Photo by Gordon Robb

After watching the two for a while, we started looking for “peek-a-boo,” the one that seems to be a little behind on everything. Our best guess was that he was still in the nest site, out of sight. Upon further observations, we noticed a Western Gull making repeated swoops near some brush about twenty yards to the right of the shark fin. Within a minute, the adult female came screaming in on the gull at Mach 7, raking it with the hallux* talon. We knew then the whereabouts of “peek-a-boo.” He was not left behind as we thought, but had crash landed in the bushes behind the rocks. His only mistake was that he crashed too close to the gull’s nest.

We didn’t get to see the actual first flights that day, but when we did see them, they were a 125 yards away and no lower than the elevation of the nest site. This was pretty remarkable for all three on their first attempt on flying.

Juveniles peregrine falcons on first flight

Lift off                                      Photo by Gordon Robb

We stayed there for a total of six hours watching the parents bring food to each. The young ones making several more flights, never lower than the first.  Except there was  one that a chick made when he dove on a gull and surprised himself that he could stay with a gull for a few fast sharp turns.

Payback time is just down the road.

Happy trails, Bob

Item:
The south side falcons have started breeding again. So maybe a second clutch is in the making.

*hallux – The toe which faces backwards on most raptors. It is the hallux that rakes the flesh or pulls feathers.  In hawks, this is the talon most responsible for puncturing the vitals of prey.  See Glossary for more information and the archived article with photos dated May 2014.

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A rare peek at “peek-a-boo”…

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch
Peregrine chicks

North side female with two  of her peregrine chicks                           Photo by Cleve Nash

Peregrine chicks

Female with her peregrine chicks                           Photo by Cleve Nash

Observation date: 18 May 2015

Gale force winds with gusts up to 45 miles/hour does not make viewing very enjoyable, not to say what it does to the equipment. Although all three chicks on the north side were visible, they are spending much more time outside the the nest site the last couple days. The young bold one took to climbing up the sloping rock where the adult female perches. Today there were two young up there and both were being fed by the mother who had previously brought in a large white prey item. It could have been a gull chick. I couldn’t make a positive identification. The head had already been dispatched.

They young don’t seem to go back to the nest site much, but rather crouch down in a crevice  of the sloping rock where it backs up to the rock behind. When you don’t see them at all, they are in that crevice.

All three peregrine chicks looking out

Three curious peregrine chicks                                      Photo by Cleve Nash

Peregrine chicks

Peregrine chicks looking around at the world of Morro Bay, CA                             Photo by Cleve Nash

The third chick who we referred to as “peek-a-boo” has made it half way up the sloping rock, but is still is only partially visible staying true to his moniker.

We will be able to determine sex of the young more readily when they fledge in another ten days or so.

The south side is still an unknown as to what has happened. both parents are still there and close to each other. It is possible they could breed again, but it is very late in the season and doubtful, but we’ll be watching keeping them under observation.

Happy trails, Bob

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One chick a day…

Posted on May 12, 2015 by Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch

Observation date: 11 May 2015

Since my last posting, more young have been making appearances at the north side eyrie of Morro Rock.

peregrine falcon chick, Morro Rock, Morro Bay, California

Appearance of first chick                                             Photo by Cleve Nash

Yesterday, we observed two young; today, there were three. It seems as though the female takes prey into the eyrie, after a few moments she will leave and perch outside, then one or more chicks will venture outside while whomever got the prey is eating. They don’t share the prey, but mantle* it to keep it away from the other chicks. Only when he is full will he give it up.  They all get their turn. The last one that fed will be too full when the next prey item arrives. Prey items seem to arrive about every 30-45 minutes.

Two of the young are very bold and come all the way out. The third is “peek-a-boo” who barely shows himself at the left corner of the hole. This makes us think, there could be a fourth chick feeding in the back. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but you can never tell.

Since 2001, between the two pair of falcons north and south sides, they have produced four clutches of four chicks each. One clutch on the south side and three on the north.

Speaking of the south side, things are pretty sketchy. No chicks have appeared and the parents don’t seem to go into the nest. This is very unusual behavior. The few of us that watch are all baffled as to what is going on over there.

Happy trails, Bob

Item:
*mantle – To cover the prey with spread wings to hide prey and fend off others.

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Gordon’s view…

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch

Observation date: 7 May 2015

Watching the south side nest site for chicks to appear has been trying to say the least. For the last few days the adults have left the nest unattended for sometimes up to and hour, but yet still take food into the nest site daily. Still no sign of young, not even a wing flap.

Upon arriving at Morro Rock this morning, my friend and cohort, Gordon Robb, is parked on the north side observing the other pair of falcons which we thought to be about a week behind the south side pair. This was because we had seen them breeding when the south side had already begun incubating. Several minutes before I got there, Gordon had already shot a video of a young chick coming to the edge of the nest site to defecate.

nest site on north side of Morro Rock

North side eyrie                                            Photo by Bob Isenberg

Needless to say, I went no further. I set up there, next to Gordon, and didn’t bother to go over to the south side.

“What the heck. At least, there is something to see over here!”

I believe one reason we have not seen the young on the south side is because the nest is situated in a hole that goes down into the rock, rather than straight in level like the north side.

This making the south side more difficult as they have to climb up to the opening. Time will tell. In the mean time, I will be observing the north side chicks with a smile.

Happy trails, Bob

Item:
I believe this nest site called the “dome” as been used at least four times in the previous fourteen years that a pair of falcons has nested on this north side.

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Let it fly…

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch

Observation date: 23 April 2015

peregrine on Chimney Rock

A favorite place the peregrines bring prey to eat                                    Photo by Bob Isenberg

Soon after I arrived at the rock this morning, within minutes the tiercel careened into the nest site carrying prey. I could hear squealing coming from inside the hole where he landed. They should be six days old today and becoming ravenous. He had brought in three prey items in 4  1/2 hours. Sometime after the first hour of observation, I was watching him as he launched off a high perch then across the bay at speed towards where the south jetty meets the sand spit. As he stooped to a flock of shore birds, I lost sight of him in the dark background of vegetation, then caught sight of him again as he swooped up into the grey sky.

I had my back to the nest site overlooking the bay when someone yells, “There goes the female.”

I look up to see her going over my head out to meet the tiercel as he is incoming. A food exchange takes place 300 yards out over the bay. I thought she might eat it herself, but instead went straight to the nest site for a second feeding.

On the tiercel’s third foray, he made it all the way back to the nest site with no exchange. Within seven to ten days we should see one or more chicks make their debut at the edge of the eyrie to defecate. This first sighting never ceases to amaze me, as they are totally fearless, just inches away from death, teetering on the lip of a hole with nothing below, but a sheer rock face 200 feet down.  They then turn around, bend over and let it fly! If we were to try this, most of us would be experiencing the “pucker factor.”

Happy trails, Bob

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Timing is everything…

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch

Observation date: 16 April 2015

Bob Isenberg, listening device, Morro Rock

Bob  Isenberg using the listening device to catch the sounds of chicks                     Photo by Heather O’Connor

And because timing is everything, for the last three days I have spent 23 hours trying to observe food going into the nest site, but with no success. I have seen other indications which you would consider consistent with live chicks in the nest, (i.e., where the tiercel has been very aggressive towards gulls and vultures venturing anywhere near the nest.) This behavior is normally seen during courtship and breeding, such as “showing off” for the female or when young are present.

According to my calculations, today would be the 34th day of incubation. If I was close, they should have hatched within the last couple days. But seeing that I have only been right once in fourteen years, I’m right on track.

Today we did have a nice surprise for visitors and friends of PCPW in the form of a single Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus). These we observe in Morro Bay every couple of years.  Although the peregrine didn’t chase him, he had tangled with at least six Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) in three days and many Western Gulls (Larus occidentalis) to the cheers of the many onlookers as the feathers float down from above.

Tomorrow I will set up a listening device to see if I can hear anything in the nest.

“Til then.”… (Decca 1944)     😉

Happy trails, Bob

Item:
Visitor: “Well, Bob, it’s past the fifteenth of April.  Where are the chicks you said would hatch?”
Bob: “You want to see chicks?  Come back in May!” Sometimes I think that is what I should do.

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Patience, please…

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch

Observation date: 8 April 2015

Morro Rock falcons, Bob Isenberg, Morro Bay, CA

Visitors to see the nest site at Morro Rock                             Photo by Heather O’Connor

As of today, we are in the 26th day of incubation and all is well. Two years ago, she abandoned her first nesting after 18 days of incubation and the second nesting after 16 days. I don’t know the exact time the parent can feel movement of life in the egg, but she will discard one or more if broken, cracked or infertile. Let’s hope what ever she has under her is doing well so far.

Incubation exchanges occur every two to four hours. The eggs are only uncovered for a minute at most on any normal day. However, twice I have seen both parents off the eggs while chasing another falcon and a Red-tailed Hawk. The duration lasted two minutes 40 seconds for the falcon and one minute twenty seconds for the hawk. For the last week observations have been very tough due to high winds and blowing sand. By noon, I’m ready to pack it in. Gusts above 35 mph are treacherous on equipment.

Only a week or more left before the excitement begins then I will have something interesting to write about.

Those of you who follow the falcons with me can see the times of boredom and the times of sheer excitement by how often I post these little updates.

Happy trails, Bob

Item: The .33 inch of rain yesterday has had no adverse effect on the birds. Incubation continues.

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Semi-educated guess…

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch

Observation date: 23 March 2015

Today was the tenth day in the new nest site. It is very strange to see them in this new eyrie they have never used before, although they have used it as a perch and a napping site in previous times.

Incubation has been very regular with only a few glitches. The tiercel after bringing in prey for the female has neglected to immediately return to sitting on the eggs. He has been sternly reprimanded by the female.  Once after a mid-air food exchange, he landed in the grassy hole.  This was a big mistake!  The female while still carrying the prey item dove on him, screaming vociferously and drove him back to the nest site for his turn on the eggs.  Maybe he was a bit forgetful flying on this crisp spring day.  Because he does all the hunting at this time, incubation duties are about 65% female and 35% male. By my calculations (and these are only from my daily observations) the young should hatch around April 15th. We will know for sure that the chicks have hatched when we see food go into the nest site. The parents never eat inside the eyrie, but only when they are feeding their young chicks.

peregrine, prey

Bringing in prey for the female                                            Photo by Cleve Nash

Happy trails, Bob

Item: Incubation time 31-33 days. The first sign of incubation was March 13th. Approximate fledging time is 44 days from hatching, around May 31st. Just a guess… what’s your guess?

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