Falcon Cam 2012

[loCAtek]

Waiting eagerly in great anticipation of the coming courtship of the San Jose City Hall Peregrine Falcons: Clara and Esteban Colbert.

Updates: Hiko, Clara's first 'son' from the 2007 season is now famous in his own right by establishing a nest with new mate, dubbed Haya, on the Fruitvale Railroad Bridge in Oakland, in 2010 and 2011. Another first is this YouTube video, unlike the FalconCam, has audio!
Hear the voices of the Falcons;



The potential tragedy at the end of the '11 season, when the offspring of Hiro and Haya should have been successfully fledgling; was interrupted when an unknown assailant fired a shotgun at Haya and her daughter Marina. Fortunately, both falcons were rescued and tended to at Walnut Creek's Lindsay Wildlife Museum hospital. Last heard, both were doing well; dining on quail, and post-recovery are expected to be released later next year.

[loCAtek]

Closer to home, one of Clara's fledgelings last year; 'Ahote' has taken up residence not far from Localand! I hope to be able to cycle to his territory and observe this young tiercel personally. Reports are that Ahote' is already showing interest in a female!



Ahote looking around for dad, in the trees near SJ City Hall.
Photo credit to gimlack

Lastly, Clara and Esteban have been clearly sighted hanging around the next box;

http://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Jose- ... l&filter=2


...like I said, can't wait!

[loCAtek]

Hawky New Year!

Here is a short movie of Shadow 99/S who fledged last May, 2011 at San Jose City Hall.


Copyright All rights reserved by gimlack

Serendipitously, this was taken not far from Moffett Field, and in one of the early flight shots you can see the roof of Hangar One.
This seems to indicate that most of Clara's offspring prefer to establish territory north of Silicon Valley.

[loCAtek]

Well, where have I been? Waiting for the courtship season?


Little did I know, that it started early this year, and earlier this weak: this happened;





It has begun! ~sniff~

[dales]

FALCON CAM - 1946

[loCAtek]

Holy Shiite, Batman!



Allahu Akbar! I didn't post a WebLink;

Headline News

City Hall Welcomed the Start of 2012 Falcon Season
February 27, 2012

City Hall welcomed the start of 2012 falcon season when Clara laid her first egg of this year’s clutch during the evening on February 25 – the same date that last year’s first egg arrived.

Clara is celebrating her sixth nesting season at San Jose City Hall, and her fourth with mate Esteban Colbert.

Falcons typically lay their eggs in 56-hour intervals until a “clutch” of four eggs is completed, so be sure to view the FalconCam online over the next few days to watch as the next three eggs are laid. Access the FalconCam by visiting either of the following:

City of San José website at http://sanjose.granicus.com/MediaPlayer ... lish_id=91
Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group website at http://www.scpbrg.org
Falcon fans can also receive updates through the San José City Hall Peregrine Falcons Yahoo! Group or become a fan of the falcons on Facebook

[BoSoxGal]

@ dales

[loCAtek]

By the fifth of March, Clara had laid her fourth egg, and usually it's time for the patience wait for them to hatch, HOWEVER this year some drama has unfolded;

San Jose City Hall falcon saga better than a real-life soap opera:
By Lisa Fernandez


lfernandez@mercurynews.commercurynews.com

Posted: 03/06/2012 01:05:19 PM PST
March 7, 2012 6:34 AM GMT Updated: 03/06/2012 10:34:55 PM PST



Timeline: The falcons of San Jose City Hall

The new male falcon circling over downtown San Jose now has a name: Fernando El Cohete, or Nando, for short.

So says the dedicated group of volunteer falcon watchers, which closely observes the peregrine falcon family that lives on a ledge outside City Hall.

The new male appeared over the weekend and apparently chased off another male falcon, Esteban Colbert, who is the biological father of four unhatched eggs waiting to crack open next month.

Esteban, the now spurned mate of the 7-year-old female falcon, Clara, was last seen Sunday in "aerial combat" with Fernando El Cohete, according to Evet Loewen, the former chief deputy city attorney who is one of the lead City Hall falcon enthusiasts even though she moved to Georgia. Ten veteran falcon watchers came up with the name for Fernando, Loewen said. The first part of his name reflects that he has been seen flying over San Fernando Street, and the second means "the rocket" in Spanish to highlight his speed.

Esteban Colbert has not been seen since Sunday's fight.

(As an aside, this is Clara's fourth mate since 2007. First there was Carlos, Jose, Esteban Colbert and now, Fernando.)

Glenn Stewart, a biologist with the UC Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group, said much is unknown about falcon mating behaviors. Is it normal for a male to take off after four years? Will Fernando simply take over any fatherly duties?

"We just don't know," Stewart said, adding that's what makes these city-dwelling predatory birds so exciting, because scientists can begin to learn more about them when they choose urban areas as their homes. There are other falcons living on top of a PG&E building in San Francisco, for example.

While the adult falcon watchers, who call themselves Falconatics, typically name the adult falcons, San Jose schoolchildren each year get to name the young falcons after they are born. Those contest winners are usually announced in May.

If you'd like to learn more and watch the falcons live on the Falcon Cam, click on http://www.scpbrg.org.

So far, Fernando has fed Clara a few times and time to mate with her, but pretty much she's a single mom now

Nando was seen hanging around the next box last week, and inspected the eggs without harming them;

[loCAtek]

What a relief, Fernando seems to have accepted the clutch as his own;


He covers 4 eggs, and takes a turn at incubating. Actual event takes place at 3:24 on video

[loCAtek]

Also observed taking place, is the fierce acquisitions of territory by the great, the mighty, the bold: Humming Birds!

As you may recall, last year the population just exploded, and while being on bike or foot- you can't help but hear thier unmistakable 'sqeeky wheel' calls of
"Turf here, lovely turf! Come and join me ladies!"
As they are so lithe and fast, they have absolutely no fear of man, nor bird and you'll find them at the tops of trees everywhere; backyards, parking lots, train stations, etc. In fact, one my fav personal games when I'm on a break or waiting for the light rail is, 'Spot the Hummy bird'. You wait, listen for that tiny warbling call, and then try to pinpoint where the miniture crooner is singing from. It's not too-too hard, he'll always be in a flowering tree, at the highest branches, and of course, he's fidgety. If he isn't flitting from branch to branch, to send his call out to as many females as possible; then if he's close enough, you can see his throat ballooning and puffing out his feathers, as he sings his little heart out.
There is one little macho man that advertises his territory from a young sapling in front of the Rite Aid. You can walk right up to his tree, and stand beneath him only a few feet away; he doesn't care, you're not a male rival ...but if anything with feathers, and an X chromosome, approaches him, it's time for an awesome, aerial, acrobatic, assault that humans could never dream of achieving.

With that speed and agility, I've seen them chase away much larger crows, seagulls ...and falcons!

Eric Rosenberg's photo.

[loCAtek]

Easter came with many a broken egg ...yay! As said earlier, and elsewhere- It was a Very Happy Easter; Clara's eggs have hatched, and this Spring has welcomed four new baby eyas, ALL on Easter Sunday. They seem to be active and in good health, and with all appearing together, we should have NO runts this year! Woo Hoo! Enjoy!

http://sanjose.granicus.com/MediaPlayer ... lish_id=91

As you can see, they are feeding and being fed quite well; Foster-Father Fernando is being fastidiously fraternal [as opposed to paternal, since he ain't their natural pa], while not giving a fork, about they not being his fledglings.
So, other than the parent-switch, this is looking to be a fine-feathered, falcon fest in our fair federal-foliage.

[dales]

Hello.....

[loCAtek]

Hiya!

[Sean]

Welcome back lo.

[loCAtek]

Muchas Gracias!

Yesterday: Go Fernando!



Serve that bird;

[Sue U]

Welcome back, loca. The hawk population in my neighborhhod seems to have exploded this year. My eldest daughter and I saw a half dozen crows harassing and chasing three hawks (all flying together!) down our street. The hawks also regularly patrol my yard, waiting for the chickens to come out of their run. A few weeks ago we had one actually try to grab a chicken, but s/he missed and struck the ground (leaving a pile of feathers and dignity behind). After the embarrassment, the hawk flew up to a tree branch overlooking the chicken coop, where s/he sat watching the chickens, well, like a hawk. I was driving down the highway through my neighborhood the other day and a hawk flew right across my windhield carrying some kind of rodent in its talons (looked to be the size of a small squirrel or rat, I couldn't see it that well).

[loCAtek]

Nice to see you Sue, Chag Pesach Sameach







Family Portrait ;




The eyas are so BIG after only one week! I wonder; after each eya sheds thier chick down and dons his/her own unique plumage in a few weeks; has anyone ever reverse checked the photos and footage, to see which tiny baby was which, while they were nestlings?

[Joe Guy]

Here you go, from Joe Guy - admin helper....


loCAtek wrote: By the fifth of March, Clara had laid her fourth egg, and usually it's time for the patience wait for them to hatch, HOWEVER this year some drama has unfolded;



Should read:


By the fifth of March, Clara had laid her fourth egg, and usually it's time for the patient wait for them to hatch, HOWEVER this year some drama has unfolded;

[The Hen]

Thanks Joe.

I had been puzzling over that sentence for some weeks now, Suddenly it all makes sense.

Cheers!

[loCAtek]

Well, I've wanted to edit it, but...