HOBBY (Falco Subbuteo) Dorset 2024 ©︎WildlifeWindows-DRSG

.

All pictures and videos courtesy of Wildlife Windows and Dorset Raptor Study Group

2023 THREAD

*** 2024 CAM *** (select the LIVE thumbnail)

QUOTE per ©️WildlifeWindows-DRSG

The adult male is the same male (he is ringed) but we think the female is a new bird as she doesn’t have the aberrant white feather on her head which has been present in previous years.

3 eggs have been laid which is a normal clutch size for hobbies.

Egg 1, 2nd June 6:47 pm

Egg 2, 5th June 6:46 am (60 hours)

Egg 3, 7th June 8:04 pm (61.25 hours)

Hatching should start approx. end of the first week in July

Hasty snaps to start us off:

THREE eggs:

Mama:

This season the cam has been enhanced with nighttime IR, hooray!

Mama tucked for the night:

IMAGICAT

  • .

    WendyBartter said:
    combination of awful weather & inexperienced parent maybe??

    My thoughts exactly.

    WendyBartter said:
    That nestcup does look too deep & not wide enough for easy access though Disappointed relieved

    I haven't found (not that I've spent very long looking) footage of the very first season, to compare what it was like before the base got built up.

    .

    The weather was a bit better today, and at last Mama got around to taking the poor little eyas away - after eating some of it!

    IMAGICAT

  • 15 July

    See what I missed!  At the very beginning of this video (on the Bird Parenting YT channel ) we can see the egg somehow attached to Mama's underside as she leaves the nest:

     

    .16 July

    And see what else I missed,.  Again, courtesy of Bird Parenting (Japanese channel owner) - I'm posting the link so's to save you the first few minutes waiting for the action - there's a nice slomo:

    https://youtu.be/h2h4wSDL-_A?t=119

    16 July

    Well, Wendy - see what happened here!  Just as well the nest is rather deep!

    17 July

    Two breakfasts before 09:00:

    IMAGICAT

  • I can see the deep nest saved parent from being blown over but wonder if she could have accidentally stepped on chick #2 through lack of space?

     

     2013 photos & vids here

    eff37 on Flickr

  • .

    WendyBartter said:

    I can see the deep nest saved parent from being blown over but wonder if she could have accidentally stepped on chick #2 through lack of space?

    I was pointing it out to myself as well as to you, dear Wendy - I've had another look for first-season footage of the nest but no luck.

    In the afternoon the eyas was left alone from 13:14 to 14:24 - the weather was fine and breezy.

    An hour later Mama fetched plucked prey and a feed ensued:

    I just tried to "improve" the above using Microsoft's Photos app but it wouldn't let me see what I was doing!

    IMAGICAT

  • Whatever you did certainly sharpened the pics up ScyllaBlush

     

     2013 photos & vids here

    eff37 on Flickr

  • .

    18 July

    A really good feed at teatime - and we can actually see most of it - but  most of it I've FF'd:

    19 July

    03:00 - A warm, dry night, so Mama has a preen and airs off baby:

    An early, small breakfast:

    Quite lively at 13 days old:

    The day continued dry, eyas had lots of exposure and a few meals.

    .

    IMAGICAT

  • .

    20 July

    Another very wet afternoon, dang!

    When the rain eased off Mama was alerted to something or someone and she flew off, leavng eyas for over an hour, not returning till nightcam had kicked in.  The eyas seems in very good nick:

    IMAGICAT