Dave,

Many thanks for the update. Always nice to read what you see there.
Interesting observation on the male's changed behavior vis a vis incubating.
Is there a way to tell if this is a different male form previous years?

I know form my observations of Bald Eagles back in the late-80s early 90s that they did show individual differences in behavior (like reactions to crows for instance).

Martin Muller, Seattle
martinmuller at msn.com


From: dave templeton <crazydave65 at gmail.com>
Date: March 22, 2011 5:33:27 PM PDT
To: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Subject: [Tweeters] snofalls peregrine update


hi:

my notes from this afternoon:

stopped by the falls this afternoon shortly after 1300. falcon was brooding very tightly. never got off eggs to look at them. 1445 female becomes agitated and leaves scrape. three eggs revealed, perhaps four, but three for certain. falcon perches on branch near scrape. 1455 -1500 falcon remains on perch. at about 1500 hen leaves perch and pursues tiercel to pt near falcon point observation area (puget sound energy terminology). food transfer appears to be made. hen lands on branch and bends over something as if feeding. follow flight of male presuming he will go to scrape, but he lands on perch at or near place hen previously was. after a couple minutes finally locate falcon who is perching on another branch further away. does not appear to be eating. after about 5 minutes lose sight of both birds. female finally returns to scrape a few minutes before 1600. off eggs for a bit over an hour. hen immediately resumes brooding.

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i don't know if it's common for an egg-laying bird to brood tight and then leave the nest for over an hour in cool weather. in other years this bird often left the eggs when there were only two or three, but once she got to four and started sitting she did so with only short breaks, ten or fifteen minutes max. also, in past years, the male was always desperate to brood eggs, but this year, at least this early in process, he was totally uninterested in the eggs and left for other places when the female did.

don't know what any of this means for the future of the clutch, but for what it's worth, there it is.

regards,

t

--
dave templeton
fall city, wa

crazydave65atgmaildaughtcom

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today; it's already tomorrow in Australia." Charles Schultz