Editor’s note – Please read this article while listening to the song below for the full effect:
Editor’s note – Please read this article while listening to the song below for the full effect:
——–
A pair of peregrine falcons had settled in a man-made box next in downtown RVA, however the clutch of eggs ended with the brutal devouring of one of the eggs by its mother.
What started back in February as an optimistic attempt to watch the beauty of nature turned into a reminder of nature’s equally powerful brutality.
From February’s Virginia Wildlife blog:
DGIF staff redeployed the nest box and camera to the ledge of the Riverfront Plaza building on February 18th after confirming that all ledge work has been completed. (You may notice in the photo above that the ledge has been repaved and has new flashing on the walls.) Although the birds themselves were not spotted by our staff while they were out on the building ledge, we did observe the pair on-camera a few times this week as well as a scrape in the nest box.
Things got more optimistic as the season progressed. Live video feeds gave insight to the developing nest and before long, eggs were discovered. (all dated entries below are via the Wildlife Blog)
March 21st: First egg spotted
Late this morning the female Peregrine Falcon laid her first egg of the season! The egg is resting at the bottom of the scrape, which is relatively deep and closely positioned to the front edge of the nest box, so it has been difficult to get good looks at it. However, a subtle glimpse of the egg could be seen early this afternoon when the male took his first turn sitting upon it. It was seen again later during some other sitting transitions between the female and male and when they both took a break from sitting for a bit late in the afternoon.
March 24th: A second egg emerges
Yesterday afternoon, the male peregrine falcon revealed that there are now two eggs in the scrape! The female most likely laid this second egg early Sunday morning or possibly on Saturday evening.
March 28: A third egg enters view
With the location of the scrape against the front edge of the nest box and the parents’ skillful measures to keep the eggs hidden, it has been difficult to confirm whether or not a third egg has been laid. We have seen occasional brief glimpses of the eggs, but only one or two have been visible at any given time. However, in the video below, recorded Tuesday, it appears that the male may be arranging three different eggs in the scrape.
Between then and now, the falcons incubate the eggs, a fourth egg is discovered and a predicted hatch date is set for 4/27. But that date comes and goes, and on May 2nd, the mother Falcon feels the need to feed:
A somber blog posts informs loyal fans of the carnage, and lets folks know the remaining eggs have been taken in for study:
Yesterday afternoon (May 1) at approximately 1:20 pm the female was observed consuming the yolk from one of the eggs (EN: please read that line in a screeching metal voice), which was revealed to be cracked when she stood up from incubating. The undeveloped embryo was removed shortly after by the male. (See below for photos of the egg eating.) Consumption of a broken egg is not uncommon in peregrine falcons: damaged eggs are no longer treated as an egg by a parent, whose instinct is to eat them.
Egg failure in peregrine falcons can be due to several reasons. The birds’ reproductive potential decreases as they age past their reproductive peak. The banded male of the pair was hatched in 2000; he is 16 years old. We cannot confirm the age of the female because she is unbanded, but she has been recognizable as the same individual since at least 2006 or 2007 via available photographs; as such, she is likely at least 10 years old.
So not only was the mother eating her young, she might also be too old to reproduce. Perhaps the consumption of her children happened based on old falcon beliefs that eating your young allows you to live longer.
I don’t know, I’m not into birds, but I love metal.
