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.
The first signs of the peregrines hatching is seeing the adult falcons take food into the eyrie. When adult falcons make a kill, they will take the prey to one or more sites that they use as a “butcher block” where they will puck and consume the prey. The only time they take food into the nest site is when the chicks hatch. This happened on Monday, the 22nd of April, Earth Day. Today the 24th of April, we observed three prey items arrive at the nest site by the tiercel between 8:30 and 11:45AM.
Tiercel returning with prey Photo by Cleve Nash
The attitude of both parents has also changed dramatically towards other birds coming close to the nest site. There were numerous attacks on gulls and vultures, with one ferocious confrontation with a young red tailed hawk being grounded, then being drove upon many times. The foray lasted over ten minutes.
During a normal year, we will see the downy white nestlings in two to three weeks. This eyrie is a great place to watch the young as there is a flat surface much like a veranda in front of the large “cathedral hole” opening. It is narrow, but a place where chicks can perch.
Happy trails, Bob
Item: I will post again when they make their first appearance and will let you know how many chicks have hatched. Better yet, you can come out to the rock and see for yourself.
Today, as close as I can figure, we should be in the twenty first day of incubation. Normal incubation for the peregrine falcon is 31-33 days. However, it is difficult to discern when egg laying is incomplete and incubation begins. When I have observed incubation exchanges, the tiercel spends 1 to 1 1/2 hours incubating eggs. The female 2 to 2 1/2 hours. This is due to the male having to bring food for both. In the early stages of incubation during exchanges, copulation has been observed which is normal during egg laying, but not so much during incubation.
The cathedral hole, nest site
A good guess would be egg hatching occurring around April 23rd and chicks should be visible two weeks later or first week in May. All of these dates and times are approximate and only done by observation from afar, since we are unable to see directly into the nest. So it is just a guess and don’t take it as gospel.
Happy trails, Bob
The cathedral hole is high up on Morro Rock, Morro Bay, California
Item: Forgot to mention, they are not nesting in last years nest site, but have chosen the cathedral hole first used in 2001. That arched shaped hole was used by the newly arrived second pair of falcons to arrive at Morro Rock in 2001.
In a normal year, breeding starts around the first of January. I have spent three to six hours a day, every day, since November of last year and not seen the birds copulate. Not until February 21, did I see the first coupling. Not to say they haven’t, but I have not observed it which is unusual. However, they are back around the eyrie most of the day and can be observed perching near each other, breeding (twice today) and being protective of the north side of the rock. The tiercel is bringing token items to the falcon and in return she expresses conjugal joy.
The tiercel is on the left and the falcon on the right. She’s 1/3 larger.
This photo was taken with an iPhone 8 through a 95mm Swarovski Spotting Scope.
This photo shows the bonding at this time as spring nears. In a normal year, she should start laying eggs around the second week of March, but this has been anything but, a normal year! Stay tuned.
Happy trails, Bob
P.S. In the past, Bob usually returns home around 12 noon to catch up on the news and then heads back to the rock around 3PM, but just the other day, he returned after 4PM which meant something was going on. We’ll keep our eyes open for any new developments.
Bob will be writing his observations in a little when the falcons become a bit more active. They have been occupying the rock near the nest site recently, but as far as he’s observed, no copulating going on yet. It could be happening around the far side.
After a long season of no falcons at the rock, yesterday was the turning point. After the two 2018 chicks were run off in September, the adults no longer frequented the rock. I continued to visit the rock every day, morning and afternoon and some days I might catch a glimpse of one or the other passing over the bay, but never landing on the rock.
As seen through the spotting scope and iPhone
At times, you would see them on the smoke stacks of the power plant, the estuary and around the bay, but yesterday December 11 at 11:11 AM they landed on the rock near the eyrie. The tiercel made a clumsy try at copulation, more of a touch and go.
Today, December 12, they arrived at 11:12 AM. Both days, they stayed for 3 to 4 hours.
Happy trails, Bob
P.S. I haven’t seen them since. So much for a new season.
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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