I got a lot of questions from my last posting, “Cuatro Falco.” I’d like to thank all of you for your interest.
Question: When do you think they’ll fledge?
Answer: My original thoughts are based on my observations. These dates may be off on various incubation and hatching days. Based on my estimated incubation date, when the male starts sitting on the eggs which could happen at day or night possibly when I’m not there. With that in mind, fledging would be around June 1, 2020. My guess now is that they are now 32 days old today. They normally fledge at 44 days old. So add 12 days and that would bring us to May 25.
Question: Any thoughts that might favor a four chick brood?
Answer: None, all conditions seem to be normal.
Question: Do you think they will all make it?
Answer: Yes, they all look very healthy at 32 days old. Young are usually lost in the first week of life.
From May 4th when the first chick was observed on the north side of Morro Rock until this morning at 11AM, we have been watching three healthy peregrine chicks. At 11:10 AM a fourth one appeared making his debut with a splash of fecal material on the side wall of the cave. I had been watching the other three through the scope standing out on the lip of the nest site when I saw movement between them and splash! He or she made a couple more appearances in the following hour. Only three of us were able to see this fourth bird. He/she’s very elusive, never coming more than half way to the edge of the eyrie.
Gordon was happy and said, “I told you so!”
This is the third clutch of four chicks that I have seen in thirty years at Morro Rock!
Happy trails, Bob
Item: Many of my friends got the word by noon and came to the Rock to see the fourth chick, but he/she never made another appearance.
The first hour of my morning, I normally stop on the north side of Morro Rock and set up by the Rock Monument hoping to get a look at the chicks that haven’t made their appearance yet, but all I ever see is the adult female standing at the mouth of the “Cathedral Hole” looking back into it. So I get bored and go over to the south side to watch the new young pair. They’re usually more active.
After an hour of nothing there, one of my cronies, Jim Zuur, shows up and says, “I just saw a downy chick come to the edge of the “Cathedral Hole” and defecate!’
“Are you sh…ting me?” Right then I packed up and headed back to the north side. Twenty minutes and nothing, but the female in the same place. Two more of my compadres show up, Gordon and Mike, and I relay the chick sighting.
Gordon says, “ I’m going over to the back of the parking lot so I can see farther back into the hole.”
I said, “Give me a call if you see anything.”
I’m about 250 yards from the hole. They are about 550 yards from the hole, but can see back into the nest. Fifteen minutes goes by, no call, no nothing. They’ve got to be seeing something. I pack up and head over to where they are. Gordon has an 8x monocular and Mike has 8x binoculars.
“Put up the scope, Bob! We’ve got chicks,” says Gordon.
With the Swarovski 95mm on 70x we have three downy chicks. Gordon is hogging the scope looking for the fourth chick that he had predicted in January.
At Morro Rock, I observe the falcons every day. I just don’t write every day and a lot of times I write, but don’t post every day. I do this to make sure that what I wrote was actually happening.
Taking turns Photo by Cleve Nash
Here’s today’s example: The north side pair of falcons started incubating on Friday, the 13th of March. Therefore hatching should occur on or about the 15th of April. However, this is not etched in stone. Chicks would be visible the first of May.
Happy trails, Bob
Item: You can see that I delayed the incubation date to make sure they were into hard incubation and not just egg laying. Hard incubation is when you see there are incubation exchanges between the tiercel and the falcon. They will be taking turns sitting on the eggs at this time.
At Morro Rock, constant attention is being shown in and around the “cathedral hole.” The female has visited two or three nesting sites, but only briefly and with not too much enthusiasm. Copulations continue about every hour or so, mostly near the “cathedral hole” and occasionally on the skyline. Most couplings occur after the tiercel makes high speed dives after other raptors including Harriers, Red-Tails and Vultures, etc. In a normal year, egg laying starts on or about the second week of March. My guess would be a little later or soon after I see breeding occurring every thirty minutes. I’ll stay on top of it and report back. ’Til then…
Happy trails, Bob
Item: For those who are not familiar with the north side nest site, here are a few hints. On the northeast side of Morro Rock near the public bathrooms, find the Portola Monument, stand with your back to it, facing the rock with your cell phone compass, look at 246° WSW and 23 ° in elevation or two thirds up the rock to a large dark hole arched in shape. This is the “cathedral hole” approximately 2 feet in height and 3 feet in width.
Normal courtship and breeding at Morro Rock begins around New Year’s Day, sometimes a week on either side. This year, however, has been anything but normal. The first copulation was observed February 6th with little or no bonding or courtship observed. This north side pair has been together for eight years. Is the glow fading or the dew off of the pumpkin?
Peregrines breeding Photos by Cleve Nash
Like other wildlife, they probably know something we don’t. Anyway, it’s nice to have something to write about even if it’s late.
Happy trails, Bob
Item: The female, “Sierra,” has been frequently visiting the “cathedral hole,” last year’s nest site.
Alon teaching students how to track condors with radio telemetry
Just recently, we found out who received our CalPoly scholarship which you contributed to by visiting Bob at Morro Rock and chipping into the jar your change and dollar bills, making a donation on line via our DONATE button or by using smile.Amazon.com .
He is Alon Averbuj who had just graduated last December 2019 and had gone to San Diego. We caught up with him and chatted via FaceTime one evening last week. Below he’s written up a bit to tell you about himself.
“I chose to study Biology, specifically with a concentration in Ecology, because since I was little I was completely captivated by David Attenborough films. I knew that I would never get bored studying animal and plant behavior, their interactions with each other and their surroundings. I began studying birds because my brother had recommended the ornithology class at Cal Poly to me. I immediately fell in love. I adored the process of learning bird calls, the intricacies of identifying different species, and the comfort of seeing a familiar bird in a new location. My initial goals were to become a researcher so that I could uncover the remarkable behaviors I used to watch in those movies and spark a passion for conservation in others.
Back yard birding
Hummingbird at feeder
I hope to extend the passion I have for birds and conservation into other taxa so that I can draw connections between more species. While I still want to study those behaviors, interactions, and conservation, I’ve decided that I want to become a professor in order to inspire students they way my incredible professors inspired me. Next year, I will be applying to PhD programs so that I can continue to feed my hunger for learning, and to eventually become a professor.
In my free time, I am an avid rock climber and surfer that loves chess, yoga, music, and friends.
I want to give so much thanks to the Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch, and all the donors who were able to make this scholarship possible. It reassured me that I am on my right path.”
Alon, a rock climber too!
Bob and Heather know he’d be a super teacher to share his love of Ecology, birds and any other animal he finds he’s drawn to. Now we wish him well going for his PhD !
We look forward to the time when he visits CalPoly again and hopefully wanders out to Morro Bay so we can chat with him again.
Those of you who donated or may become donors will be pleased to meet our most recent California Polytechnic State University Scholarship Biology student, Waverly Davis. Both Bob and I were on a FaceTime call with her last week after she got off work. She’s in her first job as a Wildlife Biologist in Durango, Colorado after graduating on March from CalPoly in March 2019.
Below she’s written up a bit to tell you about herself.
Waverly birdwatching in Durango, Colorado
“I first became interested in Ornithology after taking the course offered at Cal Poly. As my first zoology course in my Wildlife Biology major, I was really passionate and excited to learn all about birds. The first time I went bird watching on my own was when I knew I was truly invested in the avian world. After that class, I joined the sensory ecology lab at Cal Poly and am currently a field technician helping to work on one of the lab’s many projects. We are studying the effects of anthropogenic light and noise on avian communities in New Mexico, and so far I’ve been enjoying the work immensely. This is my first job after graduating and I am incredibly excited to be entering the scientific community and continuing work as a biologist afterwards.
Waverly measuring an Ash Throated Flycatcher
My passion going forward into the research world is to study the impacts of human beings on natural communities, whether it be urban sprawl, pollutions, pathogens, or climate change. Although birds have become my first passion as a wildlife biologist, I hope to expand my studies into other animal communities and continue to learn as much as I can about other ecosystems and taxa.
Aside from biology, I enjoy hiking, backpacking, and rock climbing as well as playing music and cooking. My goal is to continue fostering a life in the outdoors through both work as a field biologist and through my hobbies.
Waverly holding a Great Horned Owl at an outdoors school
Thank you to everyone and anyone who contributed to the Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch. The educational contribution was wholeheartedly appreciated. Best, Waverly “
Waverly’s love and enthusiasm for the out of doors is contagious
In our phone call, we picked up her enthusiasm and appreciation for the scholarship that you contributed. She’d “been aware of Bob and his knowledge of the peregrines at Morro Rock” and had “heard about him and his work from fellow colleagues. It’s so wonderful what you guys are doing and I admire Bob’s dedication with the peregrines.”
We need many more people in the world just like Waverly. Our planet is desperately in need of close attention by scientists who will ultimately then educate us. Thank you, Waverly!
After my last posting of May 15, a week and a half went by watching only two young falcons. Then a third one appeared with a little more down.
Three youngsters
Fast forward to June 1st, the first of the three chicks takes its first flight and is extremely good. Flapping, then soaring gently into the westerly breeze and making a great landing. He looks to be male by sex and by his size and destined, in my opinion, to be a great flyer. This was accomplished in 40 days from hatching rather than the normal 44 days. Two days later on the 3rd of June the other two chicks fledged within three minutes of each other at 42 days old.
Flight
I believe determination of sex can best be seen when all chicks are flying together. This should be 4 to 5 days. However, the consensus by all that come out to Morro Rock to observe these magnificent birds is two females and one male.
Exploring the rock
Happy trails, Bob
Item: As of today’s date, June 10, we have confirmed after further observations that we have two females and one male. The public has agreed on the names, Orville, for Orville Wright, Amelia, for Amelia Earhart, and Sally, for Sally Ride, the first American woman in space.
For the past couple of weeks, I have been spending more hours daily than usual in anticipation of seeing the young falcons. On average they show themselves at about twenty one days old. The previous day, we saw fresh droppings at the edge of the cathedral hole that had not been there the day before and knew it would be soon.
Today ten minutes after arriving, Steve Schubert and I saw two white fuzzy falcon chicks come out to the edge of the eyrie next to their mother. By the time I got set up with camera, two tripods, spotting scope, solar powered monitor, table, chair and binoculars, they were gone. However, later that day, I did get a photo of one of the chicks.
The first visible chick with its mother Photo by Bob Isenberg
Although we’ve only seen two, there could be more that haven’t shown themselves yet. My next quest is to find out how many there really are.
Happy trails, Bob
Item: This year’s debut of young falcons took twenty four days from hatching.
South side of Morro Rock-During breeding season through fledging: Late December-July. (Sometimes the CA State Parks closes the gate and makes it impossible to take Bob's truck out to set up during the winter. Call first.)
If you wish to find Bob Isenberg check the north side of Morro Rock, where he photographs surfers many mornings.
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