One of the falcon chicks spent part of the day learning to fly. The others are doing a lot of looking and wing-flapping, and will be joining their nestmate soon.
Peregrine chicks: Photo taken by the High Bridge web cam between 8 and 9 am, Friday, June 9.
The little fluffballs are gaining feathers fast and looking more like adult peregrines every day. They've been flapping their wings and looking over the edge a lot. We expect them to fledge--leave the nest--sometime before June 16. See today's comment for more information.
All four chicks have hatched!: Yeah! Four hungry mouths to feed.
All four of Athena's chicks have hatched now! Congratulations to Athena and her new Peregrine Falcon family. As far as we can tell from the pictures the fourth egg must have hatched around 5pm yesterday, Thur. May 4th.
One more to go: Athena seems to look straight at the camera and we have only one more egg to hatch.Courtesy Excel energy
Three of Athena's chicks have hatched and you can see them crowding around the one brown egg that hasn't hatched yet.
Three mouths to feed: One of Athena's chicks raises its mouth for food, Thur. morning.
Athena can be seen feeding two of her chicks on Xcel's Falcon Cam. You can keep updated by watching the new pictures appear every couple minutes in the daily photos section.
Athena feeding her chicks: Check out Athena droping food into her little chicks' mouths. So cute!
Update from atop the giant smokestack at the High Bridge power plant here in Saint Paul and down the street from the Science Museum:
"Athena's" eggs have started to hatch.
Falcon chicks being fed: In this picture you can see Athena picking off fresh meat for her chicks.
Athena, the resident falcon at the High Bridge nest box, laid her first eggs of the year starting on March 24th. We can't get a great picture of the chicks since she is covering them pretty closely right now, but we should be able to get a close-up in the coming days.
Protective Mom: Athena's little chicks have hatched but she is covering them for protection in this picture.
Waiting: Athena on her eggs Tue., May 2nd, morning.
We are taking a poll and will use the most popular names for Athena's little chicks. Vote for your favorite falcon name.
You can also track the falcon live over at the Xcel Energy Falcon Cam. Athena is in the bottom left hand corner (High Bridge).
Read more about the 2006 season.
Or find out about last year's drama and the history of the Peregrine falcon nest box project.
What's in store for the falcons in the coming years? Only time will tell. Xcel Energy will demolish the coal-fired High Bridge plant when the soon-to-be-constructed natural gas power plant comes on-line in 2008.
Time for the cigars! Two baby falcons have hatched at the High Bridge! We're waiting for 2 more...
Way cool pictures of Athena's eggs hatching...
wow!!!!!! the babies are being fed on the 4-5 pm cam shot. So awsome
I just uploaded some new pics of Athena feeding her chicks above.
That is so sweet they are so cute and it is like amazing how they do that. It is the miracle of life. How did you get these photos anyway?\r\n
The camera is attached to a pole that extends out and over the nest which sits way up near the top of the smokestack at the High Bridge Energy plant. It takes pictures automatically.
Hi i'm Lydia and I was really interested in what you wrote bye
I relly like that you are doing this
All of Athena's chicks have now hatched. Check the post above for some new pictures.
Athena and her mate are feeding the 4 chicks many times a day now. They will be growing rapidly in the next weeks. We would expect them to leave the nest sometime around mid-June. That first flight from the nest will be something to see!
dude kewl
their so cute
The new chicks were banded on Friday, May 26.
See some pictures.
Visitors to the Science Museum got to name one of the chicks. The most popular choice was "Santa's Little Helper," but falcon names have to be 11 characters or fewer. So the museum's 2006 falcon, a female, is STARSHADOW.
According to the Associated Press via National Public Radio, a Minnesota peregrine falcon is facing relocation.
Here's the story:
I heard on the news yesterday that there was a lot of public outcry. For now, local officials have posted signs on both ends of the bridge warning pedestrians to look out, and the peregrine is staying put.
Wow. Those little fluffballs are gaining feathers fast and looking more like adult peregrines every day. They've been flapping their wings and looking over the edge a lot. We expect them to fledge--leave the nest--sometime before June 16. They'll stay with their parents for about two months afterward, learning to hunt. First, the parents will find prey and the young learn to snatch it from them in mid-air. When the babies get good at that, they'll start learning to hunt on their own.
Peregrine chicks: Photo taken by the High Bridge web cam between 8 and 9 am, Friday, June 9.
Here's the sobering truth, though:
On average, only two juveniles sucessfully fledge per nest. And the first year is dangerous. But if a peregrine survives its first year, its chances of survival are pretty good. Some birds have lived to be 18 or 20, but those probably aren't typical examples. An average lifespan is probably somewhere between 2 and 8 years.
One of our four has been hanging out on TOP of the nest box all day. Wonder if he/she can't figure out how to get down? They'll be leaving the nest, learning how to hunt and fly on their own, any day now.
2006 peregrine chicks: Looks like they're all washed up and waiting for dinner. (The photo was taken by the High Bridge web cam yesterday evening, before our little wanderer went exploring...)Courtesy Excel energy
One of our falcons spent part of today learning to fly. The others are doing a lot of looking and wing flapping, and they'll be joining their nestmate soon.
The falcons are so pretty
i really like your study
I need some advice on how to raise a baby goose.I found this goose egg by my pond right after it was layed & abandoned by it's mother.How do I raise this goose when it has hatched?! I'm only 10 yrs old!
Repost your comment on the thread called "The chicken and the egg."
A poultry expert from the University of Minnesota regularly checks those posts and will be able to give you advice.
My daughter recently found an abandoned goose egg too. We are wondering if it is even a viable egg and think it probably isn't. Any info would be helpful! She's only 10 years old too:)
See the answer to the post directly above yours.
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