Feeding time! Three of the five eggs have just hatched and the parents are busy getting food and keeping the nestlings warm and cozy. It is a compelling scene: On the one hand you have the adorable fluffy white chicks falling about; while on the other the bird carcasses being flown in by the parents make for a rather raw wildlife encounter. The slightly low-rez aspect of the video feed keeps it from being too grisly. I find it fascinating.
The nesting box is situated high atop the Superman Building just visible on the Westminster Street side. In fact, the falcons are currently the building’s only residents. The adults can often be seen flying in and around. Go here to watch the Providence Peregrine Webcam. The nesting box and video feed are maintained by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island — several hundred dollars each month to keep it going — so consider making a donation.
This is just a screen grab here. Urban wildlife photographer Peter Green has much better pictures of the peregrines — as well as local owls, hawks, and bald eagles — at Providence Raptors. (He’s got a great pic on his Facebook page of a nestling from a couple of years ago, so you can what those white blobs actually look like.)
Below is the whole family today at lunchtime. (Female adults are bigger than the males.) I find that between 1pm and 3pm is usually a good time to catch a bird carcass being torn apart. It can be gnarly . . . circle of life and all that.
