Second Hatch at Pitt, and Third

Two of the five peregrine eggs have hatched at the Cathedral of Learning nest, as seen during this morning’s feeding.    

Here, Dorothy is feeding the first chick while the second one dries off behind the egg at right.  That egg has a hole on top and will hatch soon.  We can’t see the other two eggs very well because they’re in the shadow beyond Dorothy.

See a slideshow of the first hatching by clicking the photo on yesterday’s blog.

It’s going to be a busy day for Dorothy and E2. 

UPDATE, 3:00pm, 23 April 2011:  The third egg hatched just before 3:00pm today:

(photos from the National Aviary webcam at the Cathedral of Learning)

8 thoughts on “Second Hatch at Pitt, and Third

  1. The number of mouths to feed is increasing quickly! E2 will have his hands full (oops, I mean talons) with supplying his growing family with food!

  2. well this holiday weekend of a new beginning is a new beginning for all the new life in the nests, just grand. and the sun is shining, i guess that is the sun, we don’t have much of it but the babies bring it anyway. Thanks Kate.

  3. Just a note – since the maintenance the camera view seems a lot more blurry. Any chance there might be a focus issue, or something else that can be easily fixed? I don’t want to miss the beautiful babies as they arrive and are tended to.

  4. Kate, you may have already answered this question elsewhere. It sounds like the challenging female from last week got the message and went on to pester another nest?

    It sounded like there were several challengers, were there? Male and female?

    Now that the chicks are hatching, would it still be possible that other peregrines would attempt to challenge E2 and Dorothy for this nest? Or are E2 and D safe for this year?

    I know that you cautioned about peregrine society and i understand that it is the natural course of their lives, but I have been so worried about them. I look at the COL from I376 on my way to work every day and worry.

    –Patty

  5. Barbara, the focus appears to be off but the real problem is that it raine here a lot in the past couple of days and the camera cover had drips, then dirt on it. We cannot disturb the nest so we cannot wipe off the camera cover. …The hazards of watching wildlife in the outdoors.

  6. Challenges to any nesting site may happen at any time of year, even in the fall. Peregrines tend to challenge more in March because they want a good territory so they can nest right away, but challenges are not limited to March alone.

    >would it still be possible that other peregrines would attempt to challenge E2 and Dorothy for this nest?
    Yes. This is true of any nest site, not just COL.

    >several challengers?
    Don’t know. We saw a female challenger but we don’t watch all the time.

    >worried.
    Sometimes I worry too, but it makes me feel upset & it doesn’t help the birds at all & it won’t change anything. Instead I re-channel my mind to send positive thoughts to Dorothy and E2. It sounds silly but it helps me and it might help them too.

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