If you want to see these "chicks" while they're still on the nestbox,
you'd better do it this week. WAMU, at 3rd and University, has monitors
on 24 hours a day, indoors or out. Tomorrow, Weds. June 7, from
Noon-1:00PM, a Falcon Research Group person will be talking to the lobby
crowd about the Peregrine family.//Last chance for a t-shirt there, too!

This weekend, all three eyasses were flapping wildly, and running...
well, really waddling... up and down the ledge at leisure. To the
frustration of viewers at the monitor, the birds would occasionally
settle at the north end of the ledge, out of the strange winds of
late--and directly under the camera, so they could not be seen at all.
It's Belle who feeds them mostly now, perhaps because they're nearly as
big as Stewart and VERY aggressive. Stewart hunts a lot, of course.
During the recent rains, Belle fed them cached-prey. All three pick at
prey items in the box and on the ledge. They have the talon-and-beak
routine down pat!

They show each other a lot of attention, too, when there's no food to be
had. They still sleep in a clump. The two young females are seen
"billing" or rubbing their beaks together on occasion. (Tough not to get
anthropomorphic about this activity; it just looks so *sweet!*)
Next minute, when food arrives, they're fighting over it!
****************************************************************************
These two falcons/females and one tiercel/male should all leave the nest
between June 13 and June 17. LET THE SHOW BEGIN! If you haven't been
involved in all this before now, you may want to join in. Observers will
be watching.... chasing.... these fledglings for many days after that.
The young falcons could hit windows (though we hope not, of course!) They
could find their ways into chimneys or air-ducts. [Remember the zoo
Peregrine who fell into a 4-storey condo courtyard?] If you are up to the
chase, remember the hotline number: 517-7363. If you have access to any
tall-building offices in Seattle, watch for Peregrine strays.

So far this year, this family has had a lot of good luck, certainly way
better than 1994. This is Stewart's second year of training his young to
fly and hunt. And Belle is a more mature bird than the ill-fated Virginia
(worthy bird that she was--). But some statistics to keep in mind: the
mortality rate for a Peregrine clutch, whether in the wild or in an urban
setting, is about 70%. That is to say: about 1/3 survive. Lousy odds. But
we have a great start, with three healthy birds in 1995.

Keep looking! --EB

Ellen Blackstone \HIV vaccine research by trade
8203 - 38th NE \Nature-lover for fun
Seattle, WA 98115
Day:206/621-4179 \\Aldo Leopold said: The first rule of tinkering
Eve:206/522-8099 is to save all the parts.