Feeding the four nestlings on May 25, 2003.   A page from Roger Orness's journal on April 3, 2003 showing the different markings of Mickee (female) and Guy (male).

May 8, 2003-- Roger Orness
    I checked the monitor Thursday morning, and the female was on the nest. After an hour of not seeing much, there was a wet looking off-white eyass next to a snow-white sibling at 8:26. It turned out to be recently hatched number three, as a 9:08 feeding revealed three eyasses.
   The male appeared near the nest box with a small dark bird in his mouth and the female took the prey in her mouth and jumped into the box to feed them. That afternoon at 16:45, there were four eyasses being fed from a pigeon carcass, that she brought after a three minute absence.
   It appeared that all four of the eyasses received some food. So there was one, or two hatched on Wednesday, 5/7 and two or three hatched today, 5/8.

May 7, 2003-- Roger Orness
    Today my patience was rewarded, when I got to see the first Peregrine eyass hatch. It was revealed at 17:25. I watched for 3 hours following the hatch in hopes of seeing a feeding, but didn't. The male brought in a dark feathered prey, and the female took it mouth to mouth into the nest box, but after examining it further, she flew off with it. He hopped up into the box to take a shift, but the she returned a minute later, and he flew off. At 20:35 he was up on his roosting ledge.

April 3, 2003-- Roger Orness
    Four hours in the lives of the Tacoma Peregrines started at 08:08 when I spotted the female on the E. face of the Key Bank Tower on my way to the museum, where I observed the male on an undetermined number of eggs. He remained on the nest the whole time I observed the monitor between 08:20 and 11:20.
   During the three hours he only revealed brief glimpses of the eggs twice. The best look I had was of two eggs, that were separated just enough to convince me there had to be one in between them. A staff person said she had heard someone mention they saw three eggs. A custodian said he saw both Peregrines on camera at 07:10, so the male could have been on the eggs for at least four hours. He withstood some near horizontal rains and a couple hail showers that pelted him pretty good.
   At 11:30 from Dock Street I watched the female for another hour. She was still on that same perch, where I saw her there at 08:08. Attached is a scan from my journal from Wednesday notes showing the difference in oricular patterns on them.

April 2, 2003-- Roger Orness
    Three hours in the lives of the Tacoma Peregrines started at 08:30 at the museum, where I was delighted to see the monitor was turned on. The guard let me in as they turn the monitor back in at 08:00 so I observed for the first two hours inside the museum. The male was on the egg(s) and when he got up and flew off at 08:30, the shadow of the bridge tower prevented me from seeing how many.
   He returned at 08:41 then settled down on the nest. 09:10 The male gets up, walks to the edge of the box and flies off. There are two eggs visible.
   09:28 the male returns and settles down on at least two eggs.
   10:10 male starts vocalizing, then he gets up, walks to the edge of the box and flies off.
   10:12 the female walks from the west side of the counter-weight to the nest box, hops up in the box and settles down on the eggs.
   10:30 she is still on the nest when I leave.
   10:40 I checked bridge from Cliff Ave and no male in view.
   10:44 from the east side of the bridge I see a Peregrine flying with a pigeon size prey around the east tower and up to the upper beam of the west tower. This is the female, as the male is on the middle east edge of the west cntr-wt. where he likely delivered the pigeon. She started plucking, as he walked toward the nest box at 10:45.
   I moved back to Cliff Ave, and she was still eating at 11:05, but was out of my view at 11:07, then appeared at 11:13, moved to the catwalk hand rail at 11:14 and moved again at 11:27 to the opposite side of the rail. She was in the same place when I left at 11:38.
   I checked the monitor at 18:07 and she was on the eggs the whole time I was there until 18:37. Didn't see the male.

March 30, 2003-- Roger Orness
    Two hours in the lives of the Tacoma Peregrines started at 08:04 when I pulled over along St. Paul Ave, about a half mile from the bridge, E. of the waterway. A bird on the west counter-weight was likely one of the pair, and the 2nd bird on the east tower, upper north side catwalk hand rail. Too far to see if they were Peregrines, but I would have won any bets they were.
   I drove to E. D St., and I had the species correct, but I was expecting them to be reversed with the female on the cntr-wt. and the male on the E. tower. The male settled that for me, when he flew off the cntr-wt. and up to the hand rail, where the female was already in position for a 6 second copulation.
   He hopped off, and flew back to the west cntr-wt., and hopped into the cntr-wt toward the nest box. He emerged to perch on the cntr-wt, east of the nest box at 08:19. Then 08:22 the female moved out of my view, and I did not see where she was until 08:32, when she flew to the middle of the west cntr-wt., landing 7 feet south of the male, and turned to face east.
   At 08:38 the female turned to face west, and assumed the horizontal posture needed for egg fertilization. The male responded immediately by doing a bow, then he leaped off the cntr-wt. in a tucked position, descending east, then he pulled up turning west, and flew back to the awaiting female for a 9 second copulation. He hopped off and flew to the east tower, upper N. side catwalk floor.
   At 08:43 the female disappeared, and I suspected she went to the nest box.
   08:50 I drove to the museum, hoping to catch her on camera, but the monitor was not turned to view from the outside, and it appeared it was not on.
    I returned to observe the bridge, where I found neither Peregrine in view. Then at 09:18 the male flew to the west cntr-wt. from the east tower, and landed by the nest box. He hopped into the cntr-wt., out of my view, and immediately some echupping was heard, confirming my suspicions she was likely on the scrape for 25 minutes. The female emerged from the area of the box and flew to the E. tower landing on the upper N. side catwalk hand rail. The male emerged at 09:21, and remained a few feet east of the nest box, until I left at 10:04. The female had moved out of my view, but I did not see her leave that area of the east tower.
    So, was 25 minutes enough time to lay an egg? I will try to get a look when the museum opens at noon. Need to inform security about leaving the monitor on.
   12:05 upon arriving at the museum, the male was briefly seen departing from the nest box. There appeared to be a reddish cast of an object, just barely visible in the center of the deep scrape. Maybe an egg was laid in that 25 minutes, or possibly some time before, but indeed at least one egg was in my mind present.
   12:40 the female arrived with some wing assisted maneuvering, and hopped up on the nest box and settled in on the egg(s).
   Tammy and Greg stopped by while she was on the nest, and after 19 minutes of apparent incubation, the female was seen vocalizing, then at 12:59 the male arrived and both were on camera for a few seconds. She moved off camera. He hopped up into the box, but turned, and flew off toward the camera. He later returned at 13:12, and sat on the egg(s) until 13:16.
    I looked for them at 13:47 from Cliff Ave, but no sign of either. I moved to the east side of the bridge, and found the female at 14:16. She was on the east tower, upper N. side catwalk hand rail. 14:17 the male arrived a few feet north of her on the same rail, then flew off hard to the S.E. chasing something, but returned at 14:33 empty taloned, landing a couple feet from her. She leaned forward and he hopped on for a 9 second copulation, then hopped off, and flew over to the west counter-weight.
   At 14:47 both Peregrines were in the exact same perches, when I first saw them at 08:04, and left them at 10:04. I'm guessing an egg was laid at 09:00, plus or minus 15 min, but can't be 100% sure.

March 28, 2003-- Roger Orness
    I was down this morning for an hour (08:57 - 09:57). Both Peregrines were in view from East D Street on the east side of the waterway. Female was on the west counter-weight a few feet east of the box (if the camera was zoomed out slightly she would be on camera a lot). The male was on the east tower, upper catwalk handrail.
   After a half hour the male was seen dismounting the female and he hopped into the cntr-wt toward the nest box. A couple minutes later he emerged near the female and flew off, circling back and landed on her for the 10 second copulation.
   He hopped off and flew directly back to the east tower, landing on the catwalk floor. The female walked a few feet north to the far north edge of the cntr-wt and turned to face south toward the nest box, again this would be in view if the camera was able to zoom out some.
   They remained in the same positions as I left. These same observations have been noted on several recent visits. I agree with Kip to give them some time for a 1st egg.

March 9, 2003-- Roger Orness
    I spent an hour in rain soaked Tacoma observing the Peregrines on the bridge. Upon arrival at 09:35 the male was on the W. face of the Washington building, a favorite rainy perch above the top row of windows. He flew directly to the E. tower, landing on upper beam, above the counterweight, S. end, facing W.
   I drove over the bridge to the E. ramp to 'D' Street, and relocated him, but did not notice the female, until 10:00, when he flew to the W. tower, upper beam, mounting her for a six second copulation. He returned to the E. tower, out of my view, behind the counterweight, then at 10:04 he was back on the W. tower, above the female on the upper cat walk grating with a small prey item.
   He was eating a likely stashed prey, as he was not plucking, and at 10:08 he walked away from the prey and feaked on the grate, then walked to the E. edge of the cat walk, looking down at the female, and turned to face W. She was in the shadow of the S.W. cable drum, facing N.W., while he was taking the full brunt of the weather.
   Both were on the same perch until 10:35, then I drove W. over the bridge, and at 10:38 the male flew off W. over 11th St., then landed on the same upper column of the Washington building, where I first found him.