Three peregrine nestlings hatched this weekend with the final one arriving on Mother’s Day. (The first egg was laid on April 1st.) They seem to have healthy appetites; as soon as I checked in, a parent swooped in with a pigeon carcass. From the ASRI Peregrine Cam:
The third eyas hatched this morning. Egg hatching is as strenuous activity that consists mostly of resting time. It is also the first survival test of each bird’s life, thus the chicks do not receive any assistance from their parents. Although only three of the four eggs have hatched so far, the parents are already working around the clock to provide enough food for the eyases. They will double in weight in the first week alone!
An eyas is a very young falcon or hawk, one which hasn’t learned to fly. And it is a good Scrabble word.
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As soon as the feeding was finished, the parent hovered over the whole crew and plopped down.
