The Utica Peregrine chicks continue growing by leaps and bounds. After only 2 weeks we are seeing the beginnings of feathers developing on their wings and tail. The parents’ nest duties have changed again over the last few days with Ares taking a more active role in feeding the chicks. Many of us have seen examples of the parents holding prey above the young, allowing them to tear at it some before a normal feeding begins. Meanwhile our Utica Peregrine Falcon team has enabled our backup camera. Though our current streaming service will not carry more than one camera feed at a time, having a second camera in standby mode is good news in case the main camera goes down or gets hit with more whitewash. Later on when the chicks start congregating closer to the outside edge of the box, we may switch to the 2nd camera since it would allow a better view. Obviously it would be ideal to be able to stream both cameras simultaneously. Perhaps your contributions to this project will help us to do that before this breeding season is over!
looks like there is some fuzzy thing near the left side of the camera, can’t say it is white wash as there is movement (either some small feathers from meals or they are starting to molt or perhaps some of that plant fuzz [as in last year’s cattails] that might have been caught in the wind)
most of the view is obscured except straight down the middle.
Yes, it appears to be whitewash and some molted down feathers. At some point soon we will need to switch to the backup camera.
gathering from the pics that the 2nd camera is mounted higher up in the box, will this also become a target for molted feathers? (know it probably won’t escape the aim for whitewash – whether intended target or accidental)
?tertiary camera – a need? or can primary gain a clearer view down the line?
With luck we will be switching to the secondary camera tonight. It should be safe enough from whitewash since it’s mounted much higher than the “spay line” we see around the box. The primary camera will not be able to be cleaned until after the breeding season is over. For sure we will be mounting it in a different place for next year!
has there been a thought of sequential cameras or would that not stream well on the current system? (I’m thinking like that on the Rachel Carson Bldg)
an (bird) eye level camera is nice as it gives a better scale but the danger is the “line of fire” .
I see that the cameras have been swapped out but there is something fluttering in front of it, partially obstructing the view