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Redwood Shores Nest Diary 2002:

2002 Season Wrap-Up: We watched three young falcons grow to fledging age on camera this season. Oracle's new "ledge-cam" revealed behaviors outside of the nest box. We were able to view many feedings and pre-flight practice that would have been otherwise impossible to see.  All three Oracle chicks fledged the third week of June. The male fledgling dubbed "Arthur" flew to several perches on the nearby 300 building on 16 June at 41 days of age. The females fledged at 43-44 days of age on 20 June.

Sadly, only the male survived fledging. Both females were lost in unusual, but unpreventable, accidents. One of our biologists was on hand to assist the young if needed, but in neither case was this possible. High winds, reflections in the glass walls of the buildings, poor footing (common among newly flighted falcons), and lack of experience, all contributed to unsuccessful fledging by the females.

The male is doing fine and is well on the wing, quickly developing the flight skills he will need in the future. Arthur's flight abilities improve every day and he is seen regularly flying with one or both of his parents by workers at the Oracle campus.

May 29, 2002: The three Oracle peregrine chicks were banded today by SCPBRG biologists. Each has a US Fish and Wildlife Service band on one leg, and an alpha-numeric band on the other, meant to be read from a distance. . In addition, they were fitted with "dummy" radio-telemetry transmitters. These will later be replaced with real ones, prior to fledging, so that the young can be located if they have trouble fledging. The oldest chick is a female, the next oldest a male, and the youngest another female. Males fledge several days earlier than females, so he will likely be the first one to take flight around mid-June.

May 7, 2002: Hatching has begun!  The first two eggs have hatched, one on the evening of May 6th, and one by morning on the 7th. It may take a few days for the others to hatch, as they were laid later. Currently the chicks are still wobbly, and brooded along with the remaining eggs unless they are being fed, so they are only visible when the adults rise off them.

 

May 2, 2002: The end of incubation is approaching, and the chicks should begin hatching soon. Sadie laid four eggs this year instead of her usual three, so there is potential for a lot of hungry mouths to feed! Right after hatching the adults will brood the young and incubate any remaining eggs (hatching of a clutch usually takes several days). The tiny chicks will only be visible when the adults arise to feed them, or simply readjust their position. Soon activity in the box will pick up dramatically as food deliveries are made several times a day feed the young while they grow at a staggering rate.

April 2, 2002: The 2002 nesting season is underway at the Oracle campus. So far two eggs have been laid, and the adults are incubating sporadically. The female, known as Sadie for the alpha-numeric band "SD" she wears, is the same as has been breeding here the past two years. The male is presumably the same as last year, although he has now molted into full adult plumage and is not banded, so there is no way to know for sure. Prior to the camera coming on line, Oracle employees reported increased courtship activity in recent weeks, including food exchanges, etc.

In the past, Sadie has laid three-egg clutches, although there is always a possibility of a fourth. The interval between eggs is generally 48-72 hours. Full-time incubation usually starts near the completion of the clutch. The adults will share incubation duties, with the female doing the majority, and the male relieving her. Incubation lasts approximately 33 days.