Life in and around nest

Raptor nestcam screenshots. Warning for occasional views of prey.

The two Peregrine falcon chicks at Cal Falcons are growing their juvenile plumages and starting to explore the roof their nest is on. The chicks now have names, though some of these screenshots are from before the naming contest had resolved. The older chick, a female with a yellow leg band, is Lindsay, and the younger chick, a male with a blue leg band, is Grinnell Jr.

Probably clear from their differences in feather development which is which at this point even without seeing the bands.

Tracking something.

Lindsay doing wing exercises.

Beaking.

Melting in midday heat.

What do your falcon eyes see?

Wing exercises by Grinnell Jr, too.

Exploring.

Prey capture practice with... a poop stain.

Wing stretch.

Back at the nest for a nap.

Parent with food spotted!

Grinnell Jr. at the nest, Lindsay is behind the nest box with a little bit of feathers visible.

With mom Annie.

Grinnell Jr. self-feeding.

Hello!

Lindsay, with a little more contour feathers again.

Piles.

Lindsay wingers.

And Grinnell Jr. wingers, with a little hop.

Dad Alden drops by with a wing snack.

He tries to give it to the chicks a few times, but neither seem very hungry, so he eats it himself while they watch, lol. The chicks are four weeks old, and capable of eating on their own, so if they really want the wing, they don't have to wait for him to feed them beak to beak.

Then screenshots of the Cornell Red-tailed hawks. Here's the oldest chick L1, with youngest chick L4's tail also in the picture.

L3, with L4's feet now in frame.

Everybody wingercise! ...Except L4, who is lying down instead. It was rainy, so the older three may be more shaking off the water from their wings. L3 at the front, I think.

In sunnier weather the next day. L1 back, L3 on the right, L4 and L2 cuddling on the left.

View from the other end of the nest platform. Hello, L1! L2 has moved next to L1 and L4 is cuddling L3 instead.

L4 in sunrise light.

L3.

And L2.

L1 is at the fledge ledge end of the platform, here stretching a wing.

L1 and mom have a discussion over possession of prey. L1 successfully defended its claim on the chipmunk despite both mom and L4's attempts to take it.

Watching mom fly away. L4 and L2 back, L3 and L1 front.

Another prey delivery, this time a glimpse of dad can also be seen on the camera before he's off again to hunt some more.

Can you spot mom?

There she is, the chicks are now so big she blends in quite well.

L1 wingers.

Ls 2, 3, and 4 watch attentively as L1 jumps behind the camera.

L1 is six weeks old, and starting to be ready to fledge. In fact, it could be any day now!

But inbetween wing workout and meals, resting is still a favorite pastime. L2 and L1 at the front, L4 middle, and L3 standing behind them.

L4.

L2 (left) and L1 (right). They're getting really difficult to tell apart again.

L4, and L3's back.

There's L3's face, too, finally.

L3 and L4 at the front.

L4 wingers.

L2 exploring near the fledge ledge.

3, 4, 1 from the front, I think.

And now I've already lost track of exactly which of them is which, other than that L4 is peeking from behind an older sibling at the nest. But the main thing is all four are doing well and also are very cute.

At the West End of Catalina Island Bald eagle nest, Ahote didn't return to the nest the morning after fledging like I'd hoped. Here's mom Thunder visiting him. (He's behind the rocks she perches on.)

There you are.

Another night outside the nest.

The morning after that, Ahote seems to be trying to get back to the nest on foot. 

A full-sized eagle's crop can hold food for several days, so he doesn't have to eat every day, and should be fine with a delayed return even if the parents don't bring him food outside the nest. The parents also know where he is, and are keeping an eye on him. Though his fledging seemed more than a little accidental (looks like he just meant to hover, and then the wind carried him farther than he had intended, but he steered himself to landing on his own), and though he doesn't seem very confident about his wings now, Ahote can fly. He just needs to figure out that he can. I also haven't seen him do as much wing exercising as his older siblings, so his wing muscles could probably use more developing so he can sustain and control his flight more, but getting back to the nest should be doable.