Banding photo from June 15, 2005 (photo by Roger Orness).

Friday, June 23, 2006

   Here is an update for the Tacoma Peregrine family. While banding the three eyasses, (2 males and 1 female) one male had a disease called frounce, which is caught from eating a pigeon with frounce. Bud got permission from the WSDFW to remove the male and it was nursed back to health at a vet clinic in Mt. Vernon, then placed back on the nest ledge the following week. Yesterday, I made a brief visit and all 3 are flying and all 3 were perched on the S. end of the opposite tower from the nest box. I didn't see an adult, but one was likely watching them and the other likely hunting. They will likely move into the city in the next couple of weeks and you will be seeing them circling your office. [Notes by Roger Orness]

Thursday, June 01, 2006

   A two hour visit to the Wells Fargo building from 10:00 until noon revealed three very healthy looking eyasses. The adult female was perched a few feet from the nest box for the first hour and a half, while the eyasses did some sleeping, some preening and one eyass took a walk in the grass at least eight feet out from the box. The female picked up a nearby stashed prey and fed the two that remained in the nest box, then she flew over to the opposite tower of the bridge. The male was not seen during my visit. [Notes by Roger Orness]

May 2006--

   Tacoma's downtown Peregrine falcons are incubating eggs and possibly brooding eyasses (falcon chicks). Roger Orness has been watching the falcons every week.

   Roger said, "I just returned from visiting the Wells Fargo building, where the female appeared to be brooding and also incubating. She was up and down, seemed fidgety while looking at her feet and possibly chewing on egg shell fragments? No eyasses were visible, but clearly not the pre-hatch, low postured incubating routine. I would bet there are both egg(s) and very young chick(s). Today is the 32nd day since eggs were confirmed."