Author: Matt Perry

With each successive day in our “hatch window” (May14th – 18th) the beginning of a  hatch becomes more likely. Remember that hatching is typically a slow process with these raptors and can it take a few days. First the egg is “pipped” – which means a small hole is created in the shell by the chick inside. Looking for a hole in one or more of the eggs that may be a difficult task given today’s cool temperatures. This means that we can expect the parents to stay tight on the nest today. When they switch or get up to adjust the eggs we may have a little time to inspect them for holes or cracks. Who said that this would be easy?

The incubation period for Peregrine Falcons is 29 to 33 days. Since continuous incubation began on April 15th,  just before the laying of the 3rd egg, we calculated the “hatch window” to be between May 14th and May 17th. I think that we can safely add another day on the end of our window and include May 18th. Regardless, today may be the day when one of the Peregrine chicks begins to break through its shell. Whenever one of the parent birds moves, we need to watch for a hole appearing in one of the eggs. That will likely be the first sign that the young are arriving.

Early this morning, shortly after turning over incubation duties to Ares, Astrid was back in the box. In less than a minute she had ousted her semi-reluctant mate. As noted yesterday, as hatch time approaches, Astrid is spending more and more time in the box. Will eggs begin hatching today? We don’t know for sure, but each day the likelihood of a hatch increases.

 

Today Astrid took shifts incubating (and shading) eggs in the afternoon. Usually she leaves the hottest part of the day for her mate. What’s different? The eggs are getting nearer to hatching and Astrid apparently wants to be there when it happens.

According to the timer, the Utica Peregrines are entering their final week of incubation. Hatching of eggs could begin as early as Wednesday, May 14th. Until then we will expect the same routine of both parents taking shifts sitting on the eggs.