Find out more about the Frodo family and about the magnificent peregrine falcons from Queensland Museum raptor expert, Greg Czechura.

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Find out more about peregrine falcons at the Queensland Museum website.

The Queensland Museum is recognised as an innovative, exciting and accessible museum of science, environment and human achievement of international standing, reaching out to all Queenslanders.
Experts from the museum are keeping an eye on the Frodo family via our webcam.

Oct 31
Delphia Janiszeski, aka Bird Girl, Arizona, USA
I write as a wild bird rehabilitator in response to Joanne in CT, who said "We support your good works in Brisbane, but the consensus on our forum at Greentreks is that shelter should be provided whether or not your peregrines are endangered or not [sic]. What harm would it do to put something in that corner?".
I know that we all want these birds to succeed. Being able to see every moment of their lives has given us feelings of responsibility, a need to protect, and duty to provide every opportunity to the falcons so there are no more failings. The issue, however, isn’t whether or not the shelter would be cause harm; the issue is that because the species is doing so well and is not in danger, putting shelter there would be interfering and would be irresponsible. They don’t need our help! They have done this for millennia, and will continue to do so, whether we watch them or not, and whether we change the nesting sites or not. In fact, making changes to the site could cause the parents to abandon the nest, leaving the chick to die a slow death by starvation, or could cause them not to return to this site for the next season. (To be fair: a shelter installed during the off season would be probably be used; however, not necessarily by Frodo and Freida, and not necessarily by Peregrine falcons. I know that there are other web cams on falcon nests which have manmade shelters, and falcons do use them, but those are here in the US where the Peregrine falcon population is not doing as well as the population in Australia.)
Falcons don’t build nests; it’s one the main characteristics of the bird. Don’t you think that they know what they’re doing? The birds who nest on this ledge chose it for it’s location, substrate, safety, etc.; they were not forced to nest there. The pair want it for the way it is, which includes a lack of shelter. In fact, unless caged, it would be impossible to force any birds to nest in a place that they did not find suitable; in fact, sometimes caged birds refuse to breed because they cannot choose a nesting site which is to their liking, no matter how hard we humans try to replicate the proper conditions.
The point is, they don't need us to go in and tell them what they require to be successful; these two, in particular, have been quite successful over the years. Even though this year our pair only has a single chick, who seems to be quite healthy, this is good! Two chicks fledging and reproducing would be better, and three would be fantastic, but one is actually just fine. So many pairs don’t have any success at all, whether it be failed eggs, chicks that don’t survive, or fledglings that don’t raise offspring when their own time comes. Plenty of nests go bare every year, regardless of what humans have done to “protect” the species.
It IS heartbreaking when eggs don't produce chicks, when chicks don't survive, and when fledglings don't live long enough to raise chicks of their own – even if we are not a party to the lives of the birds. I hate seeing eggs fail and chicks die, I really do. But this is Nature's way, and our "help", however good the intentions, is not needed.
 The animals know what they're doing; we should let them be what they are without getting in there and fiddling with things. There are times when intervention is needed – think of the California condor – but if the species is doing just fine on its own, we should let it be.

Oct 30

Nora
Does anyone know what was going on on the afternoon of Oct. 23? (pictures in gallery 43)  It looked like a parent was in protect mode and may have been watching another falcon or other intruder.
Greg says:
It really does look like a response to a potentially serious threat. The likely sources of such a threat are:
1. One of the Hilton Peregrines may have strayed into F&F's territory nearby.
2. A "floater" has put in an appearance.
3. Another raptor is passing by - this is my best guess and given the response, I would suggest one of the local White-bellied Sea Eagles rather than something like a Brahminy Kite or Osprey.
4. Torresian Crows.
5. People on the roof.

And, yes, Frodo to the rescue.

Adrian Leeds
We've been intrigued as to where the chick gets its water from. Does the mother regurgitate water for the chick?
Greg says:
Peregrines, like other raptors, other predatory and fruit eating birds, get most of their water from their food. They may occasionally sip at puddles and "drink" condensation and rain from their feathers.
If you see something like a Peregrine constantly drinking, this could be an indicator of poor health.
Birds that eat hard dry food, such as seeds, do need to drink frequently.

Christine
I notice you are sure that this Frieda is not the same Frieda as last year. What would have made her choose the same nesting place? Could it be that she is a chick of a previous Frieda returned to a familiar nest?
Greg says:
It is very rare for both members of a pair to die simultaneously or be displaced by younger/fitter birds in natural circumstances. So, the key to the continued occupation of any raptor nest site is the surviving member of the "original" pair (Frodo in this case). One dies, a replacement takes over, and life goes on.
Not only does the survivor influence the continued occupation of the site, bear in mind that the original pair have almost certainly picked the best place to nest within that territory. Any replacement is likely to make the same "assessment".
It is most unlikely that the replacement female is the offspring from a previous nesting.
On the subject of past nestings - I would be more than a little suspicious that some of the surviving offspring are very likely to be partnering some of the other urban nesters in eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales.

Jason
Great site! I'm wondering what Frodo is doing when it looks like he's sitting on the chick in the corner.
Greg says:
Most likely he is just sheltering or shading the chick. One the other hand, he may be responding to some potential threat and being protective. Both members of the pair will do this.

Terri Cook
Will the chick be banded and named?
Greg says:
No, it will not be banded. These birds are not under formal study at this stage. Further, qualified bird-banders are in short supply.
Naming, well that is an informal thing, and it is entirely up to Frodocam viewers. A word of warning though: if the young are named people really empathise with them and can very disappointed and upset if something happens - remember poor old Pippin?
The other issue is that unlike its parents, we will only have contact with it for a very short time - fledging time is rapidly approaching and it is not going to be around for very much longer. My feeling from looking at this chick is that we have a young Peregrine that is going to fledge quickly and become independent quickly (barring some unforeseen drama).

Petra, The Netherlands
Your peregrine falcon fans in The Netherlands have the following question: is the young one (‘Aussie’) to be banded? If yes, when will be the big day?
Your comments will be highly appreciated. By the way, isn’t the little one becoming so pretty and most of all: big? Over here we are making jokes about the fact that ‘Aussie’ is big and are wondering whether she (?) will be able to lift her weight from the ground in the near future
:)
Greg says:
Hi Petra
The birds are not being formally studied and we do not access to a qualified bird-bander. Furthermore, given that they are nesting on a residential building, there is great reluctance to “interfere” with eggs or chicks to minimise any risk of the adults associating people as threats to the young. There are people living just under this ledge!
The chick certainly looks like a female by size. It is amazing how bulky they look at this stage. All this weight is going to disappear as the feathers start erupting and this ball of fluff is going to be transformed into an unmistakable juvenile Peregrine Falcon very shortly.

Petra
I have just become a F & F watcher. This is absolutely incredible. I visited Brisbane in Sep and came across "Home" by Narelle Oliver and bought the book to bring home. As a teacher this is beautiful to share with the children.

Oct 24

Marilyn
This is my third year watching Frodo and reading your comments and have really enjoyed this site. I also watch the Falcons here in the US in San Francisco and a new site in San Jose CA. I also watch the Kodak falcons. I just have to comment that I have never seen a more protective mom before, it is so cute. She has kept her little one in that corner protecting it. I have nicked name him/her Solo. Thank you for this site and letting us watch Falcon life.

Lindy
'New' Frieda is a very good mum nonetheless. She persistently mantles over a chick who's plainly too big to cover these days! She's been ultra protective, possibly a luxury afforded by having just one chick to tend.

Oct 23

Tamara of Brisbane
Here comes that salt and pepper feathering! Great for them, sad for us.

Oct 21

Cheryl
I'm puzzled why Frieda & hubby didn't make a nest to lay
the eggs in and help to keep them warm.? I would think that these stones are quite cold for the chick? No? Do Falcons not make a nest?
Greg says:
One of the features that distinguish falcons from eagles, hawks, kites and other diurnal raptors is that falcons do not build nests. Instead they lay their eggs on cliff ledges (or similar sites such as buildings), on the ground, in tree hollows or in the nests of large birds that were either disused or forcibly appropriated.
On buildings and cliffs, the eggs will absorb heat from the rocks/concrete. These surfaces will continue to radiate heat for quite some time after dark. They are likely to be at their coldest late in the night and early in the morning - these are the times when the female is most likely to be seen brooding the chicks. Also, the down has excellent insulation properties.

Oct 20

Lyn
What does mother feed baby! - It has grown every time I look.
When will it learn to fly?
Greg says:
The prey being fed to the chick will be made up mainly of Feral Pigeons and Rainbow Lorikeets. In addition, various other pigeons, doves and parrots along with Common Mynas, large honeyeaters, waterbirds, and even the odd crow will be brought in. Essentially, any medium-sized birds that the parents can catch is on the menu.
The chick is a "black hole" for food - it will easily disappear while the images are being refreshed. The prey will be quickly swallowed - birds do not chew, so it just gets bolted down. At this stage, the prey will tend to be small or have already been plucked and dismembered by the parents. Expect to see more feeding as the chick gets bigger and stronger. The parents will eventually just drop prey to the chick and it will have to feed itself.

Oct 18

Phoenix3
Thanks so much for the further beautiful videos - it is so wonderful to be able to observe so intimately the raising of a peregrine chick - I did observe a quarry nest from far below (as a member of a national park appointed team) but of course we could only hear them! Ha ha - now I can see them but can't hear them! What a fantastic use of the internet!!!

Oct 17

Sue
Being from the Northern Hemisphere (Canada), I just wanted to add my comment to this discussion. We are watching nature up close and personal. Truly, not something that we can't even do in our own backyards in such an intimate way. It is not a place for "man" to interfere, we have to let "nature" take its course.
May we all heed Greg's words of experience and wisdom.

Joanne in CT, USA
We, in the USA, value each and every one of our peregrine falcons. We also find out, as they are banded, when one loses it's life after fledging...we lost 2 this year and it was heartbreaking.
We support your good works in Brisbane, but the consensus on our forum at Greentreks is that shelter should be provided whether or not your peregrines are endangered or not.
What harm would it do to put something in that corner?
Saw the videos of last year and green growth on the ledge. Such a shame to lose one of God's creatures...when a little forethought is given to the conditions on that ledge.
My back deck you could fry an egg on...so sad!
Still awaiting and willing to send money for some rain/wind/sun damage to these precious darlings and mom and dad.

Kim
The picture montage has confirmed for me what I suspected. I felt that this year's Frieda was different in attitude to last year. She seemed more aware of the camera. More spooked. it was just a feeling that appears to be confirmed.

Oct 16

Tanya
I was absolutely blown away by the amazing footage of the removal of the dead chick. What an incredible thing to have seen. Brought me to tears! I am new to watching F & F this year and am so grateful for the opportunity to view the falcons. It is the first thing I do in the morning when the computer is turned on.
Thanks. Truly FASCINATING!!

ESally Vickery
I was telling all the Southerners at the QTC 2008 launch at Riverlife about Frodo and the good job The Courier-Mail does in promoting our city internationally, using the debate on whether to intervene on the ailing chick as an example of how you are using modern technology to showcase an intelligent, compassionate, modern lifestyle.  
QTC has taken the river as a stimulus for the promotional material for their 2008 series. The original and local work for the coming year is The August Moon, which looks at people caught up in Cyclone Larry.   The theme of 'man living in harmony with nature in this century' is definitely part of the growing, exciting cultural life of Queensland and its capital, Brisbane.   The Courier has led the way with FrodoCam.
Thanks again for all the good work you are doing. 

Laura Ball
My family has been enjoying watching the Falcons with the chick that my children have named Pippin. They were sad to learn of the death of its sibing but both my children realise that it's a part of life sorting out the weak from the strong. My children enjoyed watching "Pippin" taking a poop. Light entertainment.
We all hope that this little fledgling will stay strong. I look forward to watching it develop.

Claire
This is my third year of living next door to and watching F and F. Although sad to see only one chick it does stand to reason that there is only so much space for the birds once they fledge. It's just natural selection at work and everything in nature happens for a reason even if we humans don't understand or think we know better!

Monika
Hello, we are very interesting in your falcon project. We've finish our project for storks. If you are interesting in it look at www.bociany.edu.pl.  We have also the forum for the project. There we write about storks project in Europe and different birds. From all birds your project is the best. Congratulations!
Greetings
Monika (author of the project "Bociany Integruja") 

Ingrid Brouwer
Pauline Vincent wrote "Did you know that Frodo is moving to the burbs ??
I have spotted him building a nest in a gum in New Farm on the Brisbane River"
I think this is VERY unlikely! Peregrine Falcons do not build nests in trees.
If it is Frodo, the whole Birding society worldwide, would come to witness this. :-D ;-D

Narelle
Greg, thank you so much for your sensitive explanations regarding the unlucky chick. Like so many other avid watchers of your forum, I am an animal lover and have always had house pets. When we see our beloved pets struggling it's natural that we intervene, so this death was a timely reminder that the falcons live under different circumstances. We all get a bit sooky about "our" babies on that ledge and I for one needed your common sense replies. Keep up the great work!

Oct 15

Steve
Good on you Greg. Wildlife rehabilitators know only too
well that the best place for chicks is with the mother. We know that in nature, the 1st year attrition rate is high, but Frodocam makes it very personal.
It is very much a human response to want to intervene, but even now, the chance of the chick growing up into a wild and free Peregrine is far, far greater where it is - with Frieda.
Thanks for this site - I have an eye on Frodocam all day.
Greg says:
Thanks Steve, you quite rightly point out that survival statistics are grim. On average you are looking at 60-70% mortality for up to the first three years of a raptor's life.
A "high performance", spectacular species such as a Peregrine lives life on a razor-edge. Any misstep or incapacity could be fatal. They are in some respects rather like aerial Cheetahs and we know that leg injuries in these cats are a virtual sentence of death.

Rose
Greg, I think all the Frodocam viewers need to take a breath and realise that we are not watching human babies on that ledge. Wild animals do not require and would probably avoid shelters and additions made albeit with good intentions. These magnificent birds chose that nesting point for a reason, because it supplied them with what they needed to bring their chicks into to world. Lets stop imposing our human standards and emotions on them and leave them to do what comes naturally.
Greg says:
Exactly.

Pax B.C. Canada
Sometimes the right thing is to do nothing.

Petra, Netherlands
I just managed to read Greg’s opinion on shelter, temperature, intervention…. In all honesty I must say it is very explanatory, especially on the Australian situation. For instance I did not know about the temperature in Australia during this period, so now I do and I do not worry anymore.
Thank you for taking my (and others) questions seriously. I will copy your link on our forum. By the way, the chick looks beautiful! We named her (?) Aussie.
Greg says:
Thanks Petra. I hope that the forum is helping people to realise just how remarkable Peregrines really are. How many other animals naturally occur from arctic to near subantarctic regions and just about anywhere in between?

Meaghan
I'd just like to acknowledge the wonderful job the Frodocam team  are doing and voice my support for NOT intervening in the lives of these birds (apart from having the camera there for our benefit). We're very fortunate to be able to watch these events and have such informed, expert  support from Greg and the team. We're only here to watch and learn, not to interfere or presume we know better than Peregrines when it comes to choosing a nesting site and raising young. Thanks again Frodocam team for your patience and hard work.
Greg says:
Thanks Meaghan. Peregrines have given me much pleasure over the years, and I enjoy sharing what I have seen and learned. Also, I hope that seeing unmanaged Peregrines behave under normal conditions gives viewers an insight into the difficulties that encountered when trying to manage a threatened population of these sorts of birds.
The famous Dutch ornithologist K H Voous stated many years ago that it is far better to preserve a species before it is threatened that afterwards. So it is with much admiration that I look to the work done in the USA and Europe - however, I am pleased that my local Peregrines have remained unaffected.

Lisa
I think the really special thing about Frodocam is being able to watch a completely natural process without intervention, and - wonder of wonders - without disturbing the birds at all. Peregrines have been breeding for thousands of years - I figure they know what they're doing by now. I would be very disappointed if we humans did interfere with Frodo and Frieda because we think we know what's right for them. The only time I think intervention would be warranted would be if the Frodo Family was under human threat, and it was possible to avert that threat - preferably without disturbing the birds. But I think direct intervention in the breeding cycle of wild birds would be very wrong. Thanks, Greg, for all the fantastic information about these birds, and for braving being attacked by falcons to put the camera up - rather you than me!

Mary
A thought with regard to the chick and temperature. Maybe the down is coloured white to reduce the effect of temperature. I notice that if I have a white t-shirt next to a black one on the washing line, the black one will dry much quicker than the white one!! Something to do with light reflection, I think (long time since school physics!)
Greg says:
Yes and add to that the quite remarkable insulation properties of the down... Like you, I will sidestep the physics. 

Bozenna Pieczara
Drogi Panie Czechura!
Pisze do Pana po polsku - Panskie nazwisko brzmi po polsku :)
Jestem uczestnikiem polskiego forum projektu "Bociany integruja" www.bociany.edu.pl Mamy tam watek, w ktorym obserwujemy gniazdo sokola wedrownego Frodo
http://www.bociany.edu.pl/forum/viewtopic.php?t=542
Bardzo niepokoimy sie zniknieciem trzeciego pisklecia - czy mozemy liczyc na pare slow wyjasnienia?
Serdecznie pozdrawiam,
Bozenna Pieczara.
Greg says:
Dear Bozenna - forgive me for answering in English. Yes, my surname is Polish. Sadly my father did not teach his children to read and write Polish. I can only understand a very little.
I know of your excellent Project Stork and I wish you the best. I am truly honoured that our falcons on Frodocam are being watched in Poland.
Dziekuje bardzo,
Gregory

Harvard
I live in Darwin 10m from the mangroves. Do we have falcons here? I quite often see Sea Eagles.
Greg says:
Indeed you do. All six Australian falcons have been recorded in or very close to Darwin. Grey Falcons will be the rarest of them, but the rest should turn up reasonably frequently or be resident.
Most falcons are not going to be as obvious as sea eagles - smaller size and different behaviour. Brown Falcon and Nankeen Kestrel are exceptions - they are common and are likely to be seen along roads and in open country.

Nancy Dunn
Hi Greg, It is a very enjoyable pasime, watching Frieda and the chick, Thank you
Q1. Does Frodo come in now and again and feed the chick and check things out.
Q2 Is the chick doing well, this is the first year I have been watching.
I read where the chick will start to fly at 6 weeks but it is almost 3 weeks now and it does not seem to have much life, sleeps a lot, is this normal?
Greg says:
Hi Nancy
In answer to your questions:
1. Frodo will be bringing in food but he may not always deposit it at the nest. He will pass food to Frieda at a perch or do an aerial transfer on his way past.
2. The chick seems to be doing fine and if anything a bit over-fed. You will be amazed at the speed and rate of growth that will start becoming evident in the next couple of weeks. It is remarkable at just how quickly it will be transformed into a young falcon (as opposed to an ungainly, clumsy ball of fluff).

Oct 14

Daisy, UK
Thought you might like this montage I put together illustrating the difference between Frieda 2006 and Frieda 2007, also shows the big difference in egg colouring.

Greg says:
Thank you very much for the montage – Frieda (2006) is not the same bird as Frieda (2007). Your montage has started me wondering if we could have Frieda 3!
I am hoping that we can get some past images together and have a close look at past and present Friedas.
Thanks Daisy – much appreciated.

Ingrid Brouwer
[quote="Greg"]Or are we trying to sanitise what we are
seeing on
our computer monitors?[/quote]
This is a very valid statement, I think. The same issue was raised in
April when the drama unfolded at the nest box in De Mortel.
I admit that the situation was completely different there. And in the Netherlands the Peregrine Falcon is on the endangered list.
The species is protected, so we thought it would be a sensible thing to do to at least help the male with some extra food delivered to his food stashes.
On the other hand it was defensible to let "nature take it's course".
The reality of living in the wild is not always pretty to watch, LIFE is not like a Disney movie.
Peregrine Falcons are very intelligent birds and I think they can "mourn"  over a lost egg or chick. But they always quickly return to the daily life and get on with it.
This year we have witnessed the harshness of wild life on many webcams.
Nature is beautiful in all its aspects. Death is an intricate part of it.
Nature is hard and unforgiving, but never cruel. That is our human perception of these events.
On the question about the female being a new one, replacing the Frieda of last year:
I compared a picture of this year's female with a picture from last season:

Looking at the breast area: I think the 2007 female has a more speckled breast then the one in last year's picture.
If I am right, that would mean that this female is younger than the other.
The older a falcon gets, the less black spots on the breast.
It might (just might) explain why this mother wasn't able to keep both chicks under her wings during the hottest hours on that day when the eyas died.
For the webcam viewers it's very hard to get a real good idea of what is happening with a refreshed picture every 30 seconds.
And many of us are totally spoiled rotten of course with the streaming webcams with sound, of Planet at De Mortel(nl) ;-D
Greetings, Ingrid
John says:
Ingrid and I have been exchanging emails about the possibility of sound on our cam. I haven't ruled it out for the future but it's beyond our capacity for now.
Greg says:
 Thanks Ingrid, Lindy, Lisa and to all other writers for your support. Nature isn't always pretty or 'fun' to watch, especially when one has a tendency to identify with the subjects. This was recently brought home when watching film of a pod of Orcas attacking a Grey Whale and her calf. I like Orcas, but the footage was by any yardstick disturbing.
In addition to Peregrines and other raptors, I must admit to a "soft spot" for native rodents. Whether I like it or not, I often have to watch one of my favourite groups of animals snacking on an individual of another group of my favourite animals! I know rats of any sort don't get a lot of sympathy, but they are intelligent and fascinating animals despite that wall of human prejudice. Judging from pets that I have kept, they also show signs of affection and deep parental concern.
Anyway, back to Frieda. I am inclined to agree with Lindy that our present bird is younger than her predecessor.

Tamara
 Hi Greg, I just read your information about the Peregrines basic survival and agree with everything you said and I'm certainly no expert.
The main problem humans have is we interfere way too much and that I believe is a big mistake. Just leave them be they are not stupid and they know what they are doing.
Greg says:
Thanks, Tamara. Your support is most welcome. Australian Peregrines are secure and not under threat, so we have a priceless opportunity to see their lives (and deaths) unfold in the way that nature intended.

Lindy
Just wanted to thank you all once more for the service
you provide for the 'peregrine-o-philes' of this world and hopefully by extension for the falcons in whom we've all become fascinated as a result of Frodocam.
To Greg and John in particular, you must be two of the most patient, tolerant men, so thanks a lot. Year after year you deal with what's going on on the Admiralty Towers ledge and more to the point, also handle the repetitive questions and diverse views of those of us who
watch and then feel the need to question or comment.
You both do a great job in educating us about the falcons and raising our awareness of nature and its needs.
Thanks again.
Greg says:
Thanks Lindy. Peregrines have given me many years of pleasure; I get a 'buzz' from seeing other people enjoy them as well.

Phoenix3
You mention reduction in prey as maybe a factor in the loss of the second chick. Is this lack of prey related to the drought that the whole of Australia is experiencing? I just noticed that one whole magpie family has disappeared from our immediate vicinity & they have been breeding here for years.
Greg says:
Yes, prey availability is one of the major influences on raptor ecology.
The drought has affected local bird populations - last year was probably the worst. Overall bird numbers were down across the region and the summer migrant bush birds were late in their return. It appeared that birds were concentrating in some areas but avoiding others.
Your observations on local magpies are very typical of what was being reported to us at the museum over last spring-summer-autumn.
Essentially, we were fielding lots of inquiries about "what has happened to our birds".
Frieda's reproductive condition would have been affected or influenced by any depression in prey availability.
This year is shaping up to be interesting. The migrants are back on time and numbers seem to be better than last year. Note that F&F are breeding to the old schedule. However, I can't say what this means in terms of climate/weather patterns.

Gary Berthelsen
Our Peregrines on our capitol building have nested on the North side, where the Sun passes on the South side of the capitol building.
At your location, the sun is on the nest throughout the day. The top-side feathers of the adult Peregrines is dark, and will pick up added radiant temperatures (+11 to +12 F) from direct sunliht. Not to mention very, very little shade for the eyas.
Greg says:
Actually there is shade present in the corner (where you see the chick is sleeping) until mid-day. The brightness of the concrete does disguise this somewhat. The current image 12.39 (10/15/2007) shows this rather well.

The ledge is located on the south-west corner of the building. There are similar ledges on all faces of the building but this is the one that they consistently use. This corner is close to the Brisbane River.
The Hilton pair use the north-west corner of their building. They do not have a direct river outlook.

gigi
Hi Greg and John, Thank you so much for keeping us
informed on Frieda and Frodo and their remaining chick. We here in the northern hemisphere {USA} appreciate the opportunity to follow the Aussie nesting season on your cam. The video sequence provided of the little chick's death and funeral were so touching. It remains hard not to attribute human qualities [anthromorphism] to these fascinating birds, so opportunity to see how the birds themselves deal with survival and death was extremely interesting. We will never really know what Frieda 'thought', but thank you for allowing us humans to witness her reactions.
We are all rooting for 'Squishy', and are waiting for a successful fledge!!
John says:
'Squishy'?? :o)
Other names being used on international forums following Frodocam are Hope and Aussie. Someone else suggested Lenso because, he said, the chick is a poser for the camera.
Greg says:
Thanks. Yes, it is easy to anthropomorphise and we must be careful about doing so. However, I do agree that animals, especially higher vertebrates, often seem to show emotions from time to time.
Also, I really find it hard not to believe that many engage in play and other activities that may be denied by many serious scientists.
When you observe falcons closely, you are often left with a feeling that they are more highly evolved in these areas than eagles and hawks.
Falcons often seem to engage in teasing of other birds - deliberately landing in the middle of a flock of parrots or "sheep-dogging flocks" of birds for instance. Small and large falcons often seem to "play" in breezy conditions.
It is easy to reduce such activities to "skills training" or "pre-hunting behaviour" - what I do know is that there is a world of difference between a "playful" Peregrine or Australian Hobby and one that is intent on catching a meal. You just know from their attitude that something is going to die in the latter case.

Lyhn
Greg do you think that the falcons are showing greater than usual concern for this one surviving chick? They seem to me to be giving it a really high level of care and shelter at all times and it is growing so quickly. I'm trying not to anthropomorphize too much but can't help think of this and see it as a reaction to the death of their first chick.
Greg says:
You can expect to see a lot of care lavished on the surviving chick, simply because one is a whole lot easier to look after. This is why hawks and eagles go in for sibilicide and all raptors reduce clutch and brood sizes in poor seasons.
F&F will now be able to intensively care for the remaining chick. You can expect to see a bit more of Frodo than normal because he only has to provide for one mouth (and to a lesser extent for Frieda). The time that he would have spent hunting will now be spent guarding the nest area.
Similarly, Frieda will be able to spend more time looking after the chick because she does not have to spread her time between more.

Patty Beacham
Okies, just watched the last rites video, very sad, but HOW INTERESTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *jumps out of chair*.
She actually flew off with the chick. If only we knew "what-happens-next"
Thankyou for providing such a unique view on these birds, I just love it.

Oct 10

Greg says:

Further to the discussion about intervening to save weak or unfit chicks. There are actually dangers with intervening to "save" sick or weak youngsters. The following incident occurred under natural circumstances in Western Queensland, and sadly, it involved one of our rarer raptors - the Grey Falcon.
A month ago a pair of Grey Falcons, with their first year male, appeared to be defending eggs in the nest. Then the female simply disappeared and it was believed that neighbouring Wedge-tailed Eagles had killed her.
However last weekend, the female reappeared. She was witnessed on different occasions attacking the youngster and later the male joined in as well. The observers now believe that the juvenile's behaviour when she was sitting on the nest a few weeks back may be the reason that the nesting failed. The young male was very persistent in his calls and leaping on to the lip of the nest regularly as she was sitting.
Now this happened in nature, but it does raise the possibility of youngsters being taken into care, returned and then behaving like this young Grey Falcon. Adult raptors will not tolerate the previous season's hanging around until the next breeding season.
Any experienced wildlife manager will tell you that intervention should be a last resort.

Kath Kelly
Thanks for all your good work again this year, some great
pictures. It's had everything so far hasn't it, as much drama, suspense and mystery as a Hitchcock movie.
John says:
But not as many birds :o)

Lindy
It's very sad about losing the chick last night but if
this isn't the original Frieda, perhaps this is 'nature's way' of helping a relatively inexperienced mum to do a great job rearing the one remaining youngster? Less stress all round.
Greg, if one of the three eggs wasn't viable and a second chick died, apparently inexplicably, could there be an underlying issue with a deficiency or something viral or bacterial?
Greg says:
I don't think that the female is at fault. It could be a matter of lower prey availability. If so the loss of the chick and egg will certainly boost the survival chances of the remaining chick.
I can't see this being a disease issue. If the pair lost two (or all) chicks or two (or all) eggs, then maybe we would be dealing with a disease. The loss of a chick and an egg sounds more like a developmental problem or accident is the cause.

Vince, Canberra
G'day Greg,
I am convinced that this a different "Frieda"
Firstly, a lady from the UK noticed different markings.
Secondly, egg laying seem to have been delayed compared to previous  years.
Thirdly, I agree with Ingrid Brouwer about how the 3rd egg had cracked open...check back.
Fourthly, As I have been watching Frodo and Frieda for about 4 years now,  Frieda never left the egg shell laying about for very long after the chick hatched.....this year the shell was seen laying there for days....especially after the 3rd egg.
Fifthly, not 1 chick had died before fledging.....do we still remember little Pippin.
What do you think Greg?
Greg says:
I think that it is fairly safe to say that this is Frieda 2. The markings are certainly different from the original bird but Frieda 2 was with us last year.
The timing of breeding this year was actually normal. Our Peregrines have actually been breeding early since the inception of Frodocam.
Essentially, we have had a lot of consistently early raptor nestings since 1999-2000. This year most species have bred according to what we believed was normal up to the mid-1990s.
You are correct that there have been no losses prior to fledging in past years and we have become very spoilt by this. It is normal to have mortality starting with the eggs. We do not get to see losses that happen post-fledging so it is easy to develop an unrealistic picture of how well young Peregrines survive.
As for the reasons for the loss of egg and chick - I am inclined to look for accident or developmental problems. A cracked egg would certainly be one possibility.
It is hard to say why the egg shell was left for so long. It may be that hunting isn't so good, so Frodo is spending more time than usual on the lookout for prey.

Patti, California
Was there any indication to the experts observing that
something was wrong with one of the chicks? In the final video where both are shown alive, one appears to be obviously smaller than the other. But was there
anything else that signalled something was wrong?
Greg says:
The small size suggests that this was either a male or undersized female. If you look carefully at the video of this youngster, it moves slowly and looks lethargic. It didn't look healthy by Peregrine standards from the very beginning.
For instance, it is trampled and almost smothered by the other chick.
Before you ask - yes, it could have been accidentally injured in the process.

Oct 9

Greg says:
Regarding the matter of temperature, shelter, death of the youngster, surviving chick and intervention.

1. Temperature – it seems to me that Frodocam viewers are being overly concerned about temperature. First of all I would like to remind people that Brisbane has a warm subtropical climate (not a temperate one) – note the average maximum and minimum temperatures below. Expected daytime temperatures will be in the upper 20-low 30 degree (Centigrade) range. Even if mid-day temperatures may reach 32-33 at this time of year, this is not an issue for Peregrines or other nesting birds. Temperature becomes an issue if it remains high all day long – at present evening, night and morning temperatures are pleasant. Also, bear in mind that some days have been mild and others warm. Most birds select this time of year to nest precisely to avoid prolonged hot conditions which kick-in around Christmas time.

2. Shelter – first of all remember that Peregrines have been nesting here on this exact same ledge since 2000 (at least) and they have raised their broods successfully in pretty much the same set of temperature conditions. The only thing that is different this year is that we have a failed egg and one chick dead. However, at this stage, this is within the normal range of things that happen to Peregrine broods. Many local cliff-nesting pairs are as equally exposed but importantly they (like and F&F) are not fully exposed to the direct sun for the entire day. Our local Ospreys and Whistling Kites are also breeding at the moment and most a sitting out the day in stick nests that fully exposed on bare branches and other structures. Yes, they do look every bit as hot as our Peregrine family.

3. Death of the youngster – the cause of death is unknown. I am not sure that it was particularly healthy to begin with. It seemed to be rather unresponsive when the big one was climbing all over it. That is not a good sign in any raptor chick.
Remember Pippin? He was always a bit slower and undersized compared to his siblings. He pulled through the nestling stage but died soon after fledging. This of course came as a shock to viewers but it seemed to me that such an outcome was inevitable.
My suspicion is that the dead chick is most likely to have fallen victim to developmental abnormality rather than subsequent illness or that it was accidentally injured by the bigger chick. Given that this was the chick that was doused in the contents of the failed egg; so this event could have had something to do with the outcome.

4. The surviving chick looks pretty good to me. It is a big chick (almost certainly a female) and seems to be growing as you look at it. It has moved around the ledge which is a good sign. It is now 11.11 hrs local time and it is asleep in the shade and unattended. Frieda will be out hunting or perched and preening nearby (She has just returned as I typed this!).

5. Intervention: Australian Peregrines are in exceptionally good shape and have never been endangered. The local population has actually increased in the last 30 years.

There has been one intervention during the course of Frodocam when three of the fledglings were taken in care because of a suspected fungal infection. Their subsequent release failed: Two died in short order and the survivor was taken back into care. I did not support this intervention but in the end it was not my call. My reading of this was that the disease was “suspected” and the young were being taken out of circulation at a crucial developmental time.

Because the local population is so healthy, fixing up “defective” chicks only delays the inevitable. European and North American Peregrines suffered massive population crashes in the latter half of the 20th century which left a lot of potential territories vacant. Ours did not suffer these declines and with increasing numbers (including an expanding urban population throughout the country), there is intensive competition for space and mates going on. The intensity of such competition is probably magnified by the fact that Southern Hemisphere and tropical forms of Peregrines are non-migratory and sedentary. Any Peregrine which is not fit is not going to survive in this competitive environment, no matter what we do to help it.

I can understand that viewers feel sorry for F&F and want some shade set up for them. But what about all those other Peregrines, Australian Hobbies, Brown Falcons, Ospreys, kites and eagles sitting it out in similar or maybe worse nesting conditions as we view F&F? Are we thinking of them too? Or are we trying to sanitise what we are seeing on our computer monitors?

On a final note, I think that some viewers have overlooked something really important about this year’s events. Frodocam viewers have seen something that is seldom mentioned in popular books or shown only in passing (if at all) in wildlife documentaries. Not all young animals make it and we have seen how this pair of Peregrines responded to such losses. Personally, I both learned something new but also witnessed something that I have only read about. Sad – yes, but highly instructive at the same time.

Dick Haydon
I might guess that Freda is a first year breeder. How
often do you find that a new nest only produces one young in the first year? Look how much more attentive she has been since the second chick died. It seems that they have to learn that chicks need to be kept warm until THEY are
ready. Let's expect a fully fledged clutch next year.
Greg says:
At the very least, I think that this is Frieda's second season at least. It is hard to tell what her age would be because she may have been a "floater" for quite some time prior to joining Frodo.
Young birds do need to learn the ropes but I don't think that the current problems are due to mismothering - unless Frieda is a lot older than she looks. Old birds are less productive than young ones.
If I had to look for a cause for the brood problems, I would be inclined to think that the drought may have meant reduced food for Frieda and reduced viability of the eggs/young.
She has been very attentive - even when that third egg failed. From what I have seen of her today, she is a good mother. No, this all looks like it is down to seasonal conditions.

Mildred
I am begging someone to PLEASE remove the dead baby falcon from the nest area.
To say that it would disturb the live baby and may make it go off the roof is foolish because that little babe can't even walk yet let alone fly. The corpse is starting to rot
and that will bring insects and a bad smell. What is wrong with you people? Get some hard hats and heavy jackets and get your asses up there and do what the parents can't
do, PLEASE.
Greg says:
As we have seen, the parents have attended to the problem.

Helen
When I watched the video of the adult bird with the dead chick it seemed to be eating the body. Is that what I saw and is this common behaviour in raptors?
Greg says:
I am not entirely sure what the adult was doing. In looking at the "last rites" clip, the adult's feet do not seem to be bracing as the head is pulled up. This suggests to me that the dead youngster is not being dismembered. In addition, the chick does not seem to be damaged or missing down as adult flies off with it. Consequently, this suggests to me that we are observing a display or the adult nudging the chick to elicit some sort of response from it. No response occurs and the adult takes action.
The fate of dead chicks is to be eaten, disposed of or just left in an out-of-the-way spot on the ledge. It depends on the adults. It is a bit more common for falcons to dispose of dead chicks. In other, non-falcon raptors, it is not unusual to find dead chicks embedded in the sticks of the nest or flung over the edge. Some hawks and eagles are very inclined to eat the dead ones - which probably is an extension of sibilicide. 

Oct 5

Colleen Penrowley
Fascinating footage of the "funeral", thanks! What do you think he/she was doing to the body before taking off with it?
Greg says:
Hi Colleen
It was hard to tell but I suspect that the adult was simply trying to elicit some sort of response from the chick. As far as I can tell, the chick is undamaged when it is carried away and the adult's feet don't move while it is moving up and down (as would be case if it was eating it).
I was asked earlier what would happen to the chick and disposal was one of the options. This is exactly what we have witnessed.

phoenix3
On such a sad day, thankyou for the beautiful videos.

Criquette McNicol
I live in France and love your falcon cam, I watch everyday.

Beth Baker
Funny you should say about possibility of this being a young mother bird. I have thought this for quite a while as she has been very interested in the camera movements and whirring. Does it look like she is also not feeding the last one properly? I have only just started looking at them today, but the 1 survivor seems a bit thin and lethargic today also.
That is life, and I am glad that you don't interfere with what is happening way up there. It is very sad though.
Greg says:
Agreed – it is sad but we do have to realise that this is all part of what happens to wild birds of all sorts. Furthermore, we do not get to witness the 60-70% mortality rate that afflicts all young raptors of all species from fledging to their second year of life! The lethargy could be due to the heat. Note that Frieda was panting a bit as she shaded the chick. I think that feeding may be a little light on during the day, simply because the prey is sheltering from the heat. It might be better to see what happens in the morning and afternoon.

rosanna della coletta
I'm writing from Italy and I'm so sad about what
happened to one  of the chick. Do you intend to intervene and check if the remained chick is healthy or is affected by a kind of parasite that can cause severe health problems too? I remember what happened in spring in Hamilton USA  ... one chick of three had died one was healthy and the third was in trouble, this was removed the necessary measures were taken and later the third chick was put again in the nest and successfully fledged (Jump up and blue foot are the names of the two successfully fledged chicks)
Personally I do not think that the policy to not intervene at all is the best way... some interventions are good some not but if the disease can be solved
and the chick can fully recover ... why not?
Greg says:
I am not convinced that we are witnessing either a disease or parasite as has been suggested. If you have a disease that can infect and kill the chicks, then we should also be seeing some symptoms on the adults.
I think that it is more likely that we are dealing with a developmental abnormality or accident.
When I was reviewing the footage of the failed egg, I couldn't help but feel that the smaller chick seemed weaker than the larger one and spent a lot of time being trampled by it.
So whatever was wrong with it must have been a problem from the start.
Remember too that this chick was covered by the fluids from the failed egg - that may well have had something to do with its fate.
If the remaining chick is healthy as are both adults, there is no need to intervene. The failure of the third egg to hatch and death of the second chick do not appear related to disease. It is most likely that they are developmental or accidental in nature and no amount of intervention would have helped.

Christina Port
Watching with great interest. What amazing birds they are. But why do they leave the dead baby in the nest environment? Is this normal?
Greg says:
As events have shown, the dead chick was removed. This is all quite normal.

Oct 3

Mom (or Dad) was sitting on the older chick, away from the little one, and the coloring on the little one didn't seem right.  S/he then left #1 and went to sit on #2, but didn't settle on all the way. The parent seemed perturbed, looking down at the chick then away, then down again.  Settled down almost all the way a couple of times, but kept pulling up and looking down at the chick, while #1 was still away where it had been left.  It didn't appear to me that #2 moved at all, but #1 was fairly active.

The little chick didn't appear to move at all during the 40+ minutes I was watching (while I couldn't sleep -- it was after midnight where I am). If this isn't Frieda, perhaps it's a younger female and this is her first clutch, and she doesn't know to keep the chicks together for warmth?? Here's some pictures I took, tell me what you think...  Look at the position of the little chick's body, you'll notice I'm so sorry.  Three eggs turn into three hatchling but it was only two, and now you've lost another chick.  It's so heartbreaking, even if it is Nature's way.  I know that only 50% of all baby birds make it to adulthood, but that doesn't make it any easier to take....

Suzanne Hall
We are a group of eagle watchers here in the United States, and several of us have been watching Frieda and Frodo for a couple years. We enjoy your cam. Do you have any idea why the chick died? Are there ants or bugs in the rocks? I hate that the chick died, they both looked like they were doing so well. Can you check and let us know? We would certainly be interested to know what happened.
Thanks for your time, and we all do love your cam! Beautiful Falcons and beautiful nesting ledge.

John says:
Dedicated Frodocam fans on an Ohio falcon forum have dubbed the healthy survivor Hope.

Patti, California
I'm devastated by the loss of the second chick. Poor
little thing. I'm figuring it was 8-9 days old. Does this agree with what you estimate?
I imagine we'll never know why this has happened, but I hope this sad event will remind us all to never, ever, take for granted the special creatures of the wild. Their existence is difficult and precarious
throughout their lifetimes. Just because the Peregrine has rebounded from the brink of extinction does not mean it is ever going to have a  guaranteed life of luxury. We need to cherish and support these special creatures in every way we can forever.
God bless this tiny feathered baby. May its lone remaining sibling grow up to be healthy and strong.
Greg says:
Hi Patti
You are absolutely correct. The problem with things like Frodocam is that we sometimes get too intimate a picture of the lives of the animals in view. When all is good, then there are no dramas, however when things do go so smoothly we get to see that too.
Today populations of Peregrines in Australia are now generally higher than elsewhere in the world. They have no predators per se (other than humans) and only suffer from sporadic, opportunistic predation from other raptors and possibly also from the occasional python, fox, etc.
Unlike most of our species at risk, Peregrines are not confined to a specific habitat or set of habitat conditions.
I fear that I might sound a little too cold and uncaring at times but this is because I am trying to keep things in perspective. Therefore, I am trying to judge F&F within the wider local population. Frodo and Frieda are not the only Peregrines in town or South East Queensland for that matter. Compared with the situation prior to the mid to late 1980s, we have more pairs of Peregrines around SEQ now.
Studies of Australian Peregrines have shown that they successfully fledge on average 1-2 per nest. One particular study recorded the following averages:
clutch size of 2.81 eggs and a brood size of 2.24, for all sites hatching young. Over half (59.8%) of the occupied sites fledged young for a net productivity of 1.21 young per occupied site (2.02 young per successful site). Non-breeding adults occurred at 15.2 per cent of the occupied sites.
Fortunately, we have not had a camera on the Hilton pair. They regularly lose the eggs and nestlings. However, they still get 1-2 successful fledglings away each year. The same is true of other pairs on the Sunshine Coast (north of Brisbane) and on the Border Ranges-Gold Coast (to the south). Effectively, Frodo and Frieda (I & II) have been "over-producing" (even with the loss of Pippin!) until now and then they have fallen into the normal range of clutch size, number of chicks hatched/surviving.
This is why there is no panic here about what is happening. Yes, it is sad but it remains within normal expectations - as indeed a total failure would be. A total failure would still have to be seen in the perspective of the last four years and what the "neighbours-are-doing".
The vast majority of local nests are carrying single or at most two chicks at present.
Given that there is no evidence of a nesting or population "crash" happening in either Brisbane or the immediate area, I feel that we have to accept that we have witnessed a sad but quite normal part of Peregrine life.

Eileen, NY
John, I just want to say I share in your sadness at the loss of the eyas.  We lost 2 in Rochester last year...it was a heartbreaking time, even though we know nature can be cruel. 
I caught this pic just before I went to bed on its last day...the two of them side by side...
Fly free, little one!

Oct 2

kayla
How did you get the cameras so close to the bird?
John says:
The camera is a security dome camera similar to one you might see in the Queen St Mall. It is fixed on a metal bracket on a 2m high wall above the nesting ledge. We put it there before Frodo and Frieda began seriously defending the territory this season. (In a couple of previous years we did things too late and had to contend with being attacked by these magnificent predators while setting things up. It hurt.)
The camera within the dome can be tilted and zoomed using my computer here at work, so I get get great close-ups.

nick macri
Have you seen any other bird except the peregrine
falcons on the webcam? and how old is freida and frodo?

Greg says:
No. Frodo and Frieda will drive off larger birds and small ones will avoid F&F because they are predators.
F&F are around 7-9 years old.

Grace, St Mary's Public School
Dear Greg,
It has been a pleasure learning about peregrine falcons. I would like to know a bit more like:
How do chicks learn to hunt for birds?
Why are their feet yellow with the tips blue?
How fast to they fly?
How old can they live to?
Greg says:
Hi Grace
I am glad that you are enjoying the Peregrines. They are fascinating and spectacular birds. In answer to your questions:
How do chicks learn to hunt for birds?
They learn from watching and learning from their parents. They will know what to catch partly from instinct and partly from what their parents give them to eat.
When they first take wing, the parents will train them by dropping prey in the air so that the youngsters have to catch it. They also learn from following and chasing each other and their parents.
Why are their feet yellow with the tips blue?
The tips are blue because the claws are not made of skin which the legs are. The claws or talons are made from the same sort of stuff as our finger nails but thicker. Many falcons have yellow legs and skin around the eyes and nostrils. Others have blue-grey or pale yellow skin.
How fast do they fly?
They have a top speed in a dive around 180 km/h.
How old can they live to?
In the wild, they live for 12-15 years. Captive birds may live a bit more than that.

Tijana, st mary's south public school
hi greg,
In library this year we have been looking up Peregrine falcons a lot. It is really fun.
Do you enjoy watching the Peregrine falcons?
How long have you been watching them for?
Greg says:
Hi Tijana
Yes, watching peregrines is fun and a challenge. I have been watching them since 1968 and still get a thrill every time that I see one.

Hayley Thrupp
My library teacher has been keeping us
up to date with FrodoCam. I think it is really cool.
I was wondering when breeding season is?
Where did Frodo and Frieda live before the bushfire?
How long do the chicks stay in the eggs?
Hope to hear from you soon.
Greg says:
The breeding season is late winter to early summer. Frodo and Frieda usually nest during August-September.
Frodo and Frieda have not been affected by bushfires. We don't know where they came from before they took up residence in Brisbane.
It takes around 33 days for the eggs to hatch.

brodie
do u no where frodo has been.
i havent seen him in days.
Greg says:
He could be anywhere between Spring Hill and Herston to Woolloongabba and parts of New Farm. His day to day location will depend on where the most prey is located.

Dezmo
Hi, I was wondering, if say a inner city high-rise
dweller (human) has a pet budgie out on the porch in a little cage, would Frodo investigate it closely similarly like a Butcher bird would, as in land
on the cage?
Greg says:
Although I can rule Peregrines out entirely, my feeling is you would more likely find that raptors like a Collared Sparrowhawk would do this. The latter are ambush predators while Peregrines mainly catch their prey in flight.

Pauline Vincent
Did you know that Frodo is moving to the burbs ?? I have spotted him building a nest in a gum in New Farm on the Brisbane River.
Is it something to do with the high cost of his skyrise apartment, or has he decided the kids need the peace of the burbs ? What ever the
reason, it sure is nice to think he is joining us in New Farm.
Greg says:
New Farm lies within the pair's wider territory. This is where the hunting occurs and why Frodo is absent for much of the time at the early stages of breeding. Frieda will also "disappear" to these spots soon.

Jenny Fairbanks
Well it looks like the mystery is solved and that the
egg was empty. Do empty eggs happen very often? Would it have been Frieda or the other chicks that cracked it open?
Greg says:
Infertile and unviable eggs are commonplace. The real surprise is that we haven't seen this before. It certainly gets more common with older birds, so F&F still have youth on their side.
Unfortunately, we won't know for certain if the egg was infertile or if the embryo died at some point. We could have a situation where the egg cracked accidentally by mother (the chicks would not have been responsible) killing the embryo. Alternatively, the build up of pressure (from decomposition) plus rolling by Frieda may have been too much for the shell.

simon tyers
Living in the UK all our peregrines have now fledged, we have a nest 1km from our back door and watch various web cams of peregrines like yours nesting on inner city buildings. It proves the adaptability of these birds world wide. Having just found your web cam enables my yearly
fix of peregrine watching to last a bit longer. Do you record the different types of quarry species brought to the nest, do feral pigeons make up most of the diet or some other type?
Greg says:
Feral Pigeons make up a substantial part of the diet along with lorikeets (mainly Rainbow Lorikeets). They bring in occasional Common Mynas, Common Starlings, other parrots, large honeyeaters and the occasional Buff-banded Rail and other less common species.

brad
how can i tell the sex of rainbow lorikeets
Greg says:
Males and females are virtually identical. I don't think that you can separate the sexes just by looking at them.
If you are dealing with cage birds, you will need to contact a pet store to find an aviculturalist who can help. You could try a web-search on parrot societies.

Harry
Can you own a peregrine falcon?
Do you need a licence?
Greg says:
If you live in Australia, the answer is no. Peregrines are protected native birds in all states.
By the way, they do not make good pets. They always remain wild birds and unless they are properly and intensively looked after, then they will die a fairly miserable death.

Christine
Is this unseasonally hot weather likely to harm the
chicks. I would imagine their ledge gets very hot.
Greg says:
The temperatures are on the warm side but not seriously so. Their down and Frieda's attentions will protect them during the middle of the day.
This why breeding happens at this time of the year - Peregrines avoid the worst of summer and those high 30-40 degree days. The high 20 to low 30 degree midday temperatures are not much of a drama for them.

Darlene
Can't a potted tree or plant be put there for shade for the babies? They look hot today.
Greg says:
This is a fairly common inquiry each year. Yes, they do get hot but the down and Frieda's attentions prevent serious over-heating.
The problem with putting in shelter is that this would almost certainly cause them to desert the nest. They have chosen it for its current properties. Wild Peregrine chicks have to contend with far worse conditions than this, and they still survive.

Oct 1

keely
What happened to the third egg? Did another bird took?
or did the mother didn't care for it properly?

Yvonne in Melbourne
Looking at the 3rd egg and the opening, I now think that it may have had a dead chick inside or an unformed embryo. There was a crack in the egg which you zoomed in on earlier that day - maybe it had been cracked for a while and the embryo died? Frieda may have eaten the contents when she realised that it was a dud?

Odille Esmonde-Morgan
From looking at Galleries 20-latest, I think the stained egg in pic 4 Gallery 23 did not hatch. She appears to have pushed it aside.

elephant
Have you been able to go through the web cam and get any clue as to what the story with one of the hatchlings?
There are videos and ten second shots. In all that, there must be something to indicate what may have happened to the other one?
Here's hoping you can work it out. Thanks for the project.

Michael Postolan
Re the 3rd egg...we were watching closely that day. I never saw a chick push its way out...I just saw the egg turn over and have a large hole in it ! If you look at the image I attached you can see what I think is an egg yoke in the bottom of the shell with a blood vein running through it.... Maybe the egg was no good and the yoke was stuck in it and did not just pour out !

Lisa
RE the missing chick - I was watching the cam for the whole time that the third egg was supposed to be hatching and I don't think a new chick came out. All that happened was a hole appeared in the egg (after Frieda had blocked the view and looked to be pecking or pulling something out of the egg) and then there was a long period of close-up of the hole in the egg, but nothing happened. I also never saw three live chicks at any point yesterday- there were only ever two chicks visible when I looked (of course it's possible I missed it). So I think it was an unviable egg and that when Frieda bent over it, she ate whatever was inside.

Ingrid Brouwer
Just another thought regarding the third egg:
[quote="John"]We think it was the second one because a wet (and therefore newly hatched) chick is visible as one of only two survivors in cam pics from yesterday afternoon.
[/quote]
If you are referring to this one:

it's also possible that the liquid in the third egg spilled over the second hatchling.
And therefore was wet and appeared a newly hatched one.
The third egg was moved around quite a lot, as I recall, after the second hatch.
In my opinion it just is not possible that the third egg produced a healthy living chick. Not with that opening in the shell.

David Lloyd
I agree with Ingrid Brouwer's suggestion in the forum that the third egg was cracked. I suspect it has been cracked for a while.

Rosemary Pratt
Re missing baby. I remember that on the forum entry dated Aug 24 Jen, Kirby and Jed noted something a bit odd about one of the eggs. Perhaps it was cracked/damaged after all and never developed a chick? It's true, chicks don't hatch from that odd kind of hole, there's always two halves. Do you actually have shots of three chicks? I can't see any in the galleries. Good luck to the two survivors!

Wanda Stolz
Hi Greg - I've just been looking at the pics in gallery 21. I noticed in some of the pics you can see inside the 3rd egg; there is a blackened area inside the egg. Is this normal or is it another sign that the egg was unviable?

Lindy
Hi. That odd eggshell is still lying around the nest site. It looks decidedly like one of those 'dodgy', soft chook eggs, which the hen always ignores. It looks as if the third (or second?) egg wasn't viable and there are only two hatchlings this year.
In any case there are now only two chicks and they should grow to be big, strong beautiful birds with less competition for available tucker.

kim
 I think Ingrid is right. After watching gallery 21 I think the third chick died. The third chick is still wet and the egg has a hole in it instead of being cleanly broken. After the third chick disappears Freida has blood on her beak so I think it was dead and she ate, or disposed of, it so quickly the camera didn't pick it up.

Kim Bartholomew
Is that the bones of a dead chick?

Could Frieda's body have been obscuring the remains? It looks to me like the beak and legs of a chick, up and to the left of the other chicks.

ata
 I think that the 3rd egg never hatched because it's most likely to be that or they abandoned it or ditched it.

John says:
I think Ingrid's explanation is the answer.
Greg says:
Thanks go to everyone for their suggestions, observations and comments on our little mystery.
I think that we have been deceived by some of the footage and Frieda's close attention to the eggs. I have spent a bit of time on the weekend and this morning reviewing the pics of the "third hatching".
It now seems to me that there seems to have been two real hatchings.
What I thought was the third chick is a mixture of odd angles (camera and chicks).
Now let us return to the events of last week at the time of the presumed third hatching. (Hey, I feel a bit like Sherlock Holmes at this point).
There is a point during the day where Frieda looks down and starts taking an interest in the third egg. This seems to coincide with her lower outer breast feathers look wet and a bit matted - this is not the case before or after. Not long after this, we see the wet chick (which was wrongly presumed to be chick #2 at the time).
This wetting of her feathers is unusual. Now, we need to find a source of moisture to wet Frieda's breast feathers and one of the chicks at the same time. I can only envision one source - the third egg.
This would mean that egg number three was either infertile or that the embryo died (neither of these events are unusual).
This leaves a few questions to be answered.
1. Was the egg cracked? Unfortunately, it is difficult to say for sure.
The dark markings on the eggs can be deceptive. If it was cracked, I would suggest that it was a fine crack that did not rupture the membrane around the embryo. The egg retained enough fluid to wet one chick and some of Frieda's feathers.
2. A fine crack would explain that dark mark on the inside of the egg which is not a good sign. It indicates dead tissue on the membrane, embryo or both. If it was a big crack, the dark area would have been larger.
3. Is the evidence of the remains of a chick or partly developed embryo on the pebbles next to the egg? I thank Kim Bartholomew for noticing this. The answer is that it does look suggestive but we would have view the remains in person to confirm this. If it was a chick, then it did not reach full development. Certainly, Frieda's position over the chicks and eggs does not help answer the question.
4. In retrospect, the way that the egg cracked was not a good sign and I should have picked up on this sooner.
Lindy, Ingrid and observers who favour the "dead egg" hypothesis are therefore fully vindicated.
Conclusion: I am afraid that there was no third chick. The good news is that the survival changes of the two that have hatched are going to be very good. Look at just how the first one (probably a female) is growing! 

Sep 30
Enid
I am fortunate to be living in the environs near where Frodo and Frieda nest. As I go for a walk along the river bank each day, I often
see Frodo flying around looking for food. Sometimes I see fish jump in the river and there are often five or six different bird species nearby.
It gives me hope for the future, knowing that we can live in harmony with nature in the middle of a thriving subtropical river city. To me, Frodo, his mate and progeny are a magnificent symbol of that hope.
Greg says:
I fully agree. We tend to hear more about the bad things, but there are good things happening out there as well.

Sep 27

Case of the missing falcon

LL, USA
Watched the 3rd hatching of Peregrine falcon. Amazing the close-ups! While watching noticed not the movement hat the 1st to had & the
way it came out of egg. Did the 3rd one survive? It has been almost 24 hrs & have not seen 3 when viewing, just the 2.
Would appreciate any information...I know nature can be cruel, but nature...also it will be interesting to watch the fast growth & hopefully will make it to their full life, but also recognize the
percent rate is against them........time will tell.
Sibella Ryman
You guys reported that there were 3 chicks, but I have been watching them since round about 8 this morning and I can only see 2 chicks. Is it possible that the other egg had been a so called "wind
egg", or has the chick gone astray or died and ended up as dinner for his siblings?
Jenny Fairbanks
Frieda just got up for a while and I can only see 2 chicks. Where  is the other one?
Greg says:
We are trying to make sense of what has happened. There were definitely three chicks but we can only find evidence of two. We are reviewing the stored images from yesterday in the hope that they might shed some light on the matter. At a rough guess we are looking at chicks 1 and 3. Stay tuned!

Ingrid Brouwer
Regarding the third egg:
I think the third egg never produced a chick.
When you look at the pictures where the second egg has just hatched, you will see a crack in the third one. This crack runs from "top to bottom" so to speak.
And then we see the empty shell. Now that gives us a good clue.
The shell has not been cut into two halves!
And you can clearly see that some part of the edge of the hole is bent inwards!
I think the egg was not viable, infertile, or the chick did not develop properly and died in the egg.
When the crack appeared during the hatching of the second egg, Frieda must have known that there was no chick. She probably didn't hear the pre-hatch peeps.
So she widened the crack, made that strange looking hole and ate whatever was inside.
I have never seen an egg hatch with an opening like that. Normally a chick is pipping all the way round and than pushes the two halves open to get out.
Why anyone would think that the SECOND hatchling has disappeared is not clear to me and seems unlikely.
John says:
We think it was the second one because a wet (and therefore newly hatched) chick is visible as one of only two survivors in cam pics from yesterday afternoon.
Having said that, you may be right. We can find no conclusive evidence either way.

Mary Jane Caito
Greg, your prediction for hatching was September 24 since that is your wife's birthday! Well, we will still be celebrating her birthday for another 6-1/2 hours here, so I think you can claim a correct prediction along with Richard Kinnett from here in Indianapolis. I won't take any credit for my September 25 Aussie prediction [and 24th in my own time zone] because I stole it from Richard. He's the expert in these parts!!!
John, do you know when you will change the camera angle so we can all get a better look? Soon I hope! Now the real fun begins!
Greg says:
Ahhh, don’t you just love it when animals play ball! Mostly, they seem to delight in doing the unexpected.
However, F&F have delivered a mystery with the “disappearing chick” - life is never dull with Peregrines.

Gay
 I've been watching Frodo and Frieda (or whoever she is) since the the camera was first set up. I'm shocked at the disappearance of one of her new babies. I wonder if the mystery will ever be solved? It's a real shame to have one come to grief so early in life.

Jenny Fairbanks (from Sep 25)
Just watching Frieda fussing over her first new chick. What a wonderful mother. How long do you think it will take the others to
hatch?
Greg says:
I guess that they have answered the question. Anyway the first couple hatch really close together and the next within the next 24 hours. There is a bit of variation in hatching times though, so I can't give an absolute timing.

kim
Have you thought of adding a microphone so we can catch baby sounds. I assume the chicks do make the usual "I'm Hungry" sounds?
John says:
I've investigated this and found the cost and the technical problems it would create were not balanced by the benefits.
It's not a pretty noise, anyway :o)

Sep 26

Class 6H, St Marys South Public School
Dear Greg,
It has been fun learning about Frodo and Frieda. We didn't know that Peregrine Falcons were endangered species but we're glad they are not now.
It has been exciting watching the eggs hatch. We didn't expect the chicks to be white when they were born. We had a competition at our
school to guess when the eggs would hatch. The winning class was 2L and they are going to get chocolate eggs and bookmarks. Our class guessed
two days late!
Our class has been wondering a few things :
When will the chicks change colour?
Why are the chicks white when they are born?
What is the wing span of a peregrine falcon?
Can you compare the weight of an egg and a fully grown bird?
Why does the egg look so small next to the baby chick?
When do the babies leave the nest?
How big do the birds grow and how heavy do they get?
When does a chick start to fly?
What will the mother do if the egg doesn't hatch?

We have dedicated our library lessons to watching Frodo and Frieda. We hope to hear from you soon.
Greg says:
When will the chicks change colour?
They will change from down to their first (juvenile) plumage around 5 weeks. It takes them another year to change into the adult plumage.

Why are the chicks white when they are born?
Many birds, including Peregrines, have white down. It is part of being a bird.

What is the wing span of a peregrine falcon?
Around 1 metre.

Can you compare the weight of an egg and a fully grown bird?
Yes - Peregrines weigh 552-830 grams and their eggs weigh 42-48 grams.

Why does the egg look so small next to the baby chick?
At first, it is mostly due to the down drying and becoming fluffy but the chicks grow very quickly.

When do the babies leave the nest?
Around 6 weeks after hatching.

How big do the birds grow and how heavy do they get?
They range from 80-110 cm in length. Males on average weigh around 550 grams and females 820 grams.

When does a chick start to fly?
Around 6 weeks.

What will the mother do if the egg doesn't hatch?
It depends on why and when. She could lay another clutch or none at all.
It is hard to know.

Jack Wilson, St Marys South Public School
How fast are Peregrine Falcons?
How did Peregrine Falcons get their name?
Why are Peregrine Falcons the colour they are?
Greg says:
How fast are Peregrine Falcons?
They have been clocked doing speeds of around 180 km/h.

How did Peregrine Falcons get their name?
"Peregrine" means wanderer - this is a reference to the northern hemisphere ones being migratory as well as alluding to the fact that they can cover a lot of ground in a short space of time. The name for them in many of the Germanic languages is "Wanderfalke" or "Pilgrimsfalke" for the same reason.

Why are Peregrine Falcons the colour they are?
It will be a mixture of good colours for blending with their background when perched, reducing glare in flight, being hard to see from below in flight and what colours they inherited from their ancestors.

bev
I just want to thank you for this great experience. I have never been lucky enough to see all the eggs hatch. WOW!!
I must say you have done a great job of zooming in at just the right times. Good on you!!

Nancy, Massachusetts, USA
A group of us, based across the US, Canada, and the Netherlands, are watching and appreciating every new development.  Thanks for this cam!

Donna
The 3 eggs hatched rather quickly, usually 24 to 36 hours in between. Amazing but beautiful.
 

Petra, Nederlands
The chicks are ever so pretty. Some campics have already been taken of your baby falcons. Canada is involved as well. I sincerely hope the chicks grow up in health.
If you can read any Dutch at all, visit our forum
My love to Frieda and Frodo.

Hayley Thrupp
If peregrine falcons lay more than one egg and one egg hatches,  how long is it between hatchings?
Greg says:
Two eggs often hatch close together and the others a day later.

Rosemary Pratt
First chick! The exciting bit begins! I read
somewhere, maybe your column, that peregrines have been using the same cliff nest sites for thousands of years. I can't help wondering for how
many more seasons a "Frodo and Frieda" pair will be nesting on top of Admiralty Towers. I wonder what the life span of the building is? I wonder what Brisbane will be like in thousands of years time? I wonder if peregrines will still be hunting Brisbane pigeons and if they will have outlived the human inhabitants of our River City? They are such
superbly adapted birds that it makes me think they just might.
Greg says:
I would like to think so too. They certainly are the "right stuff" to do it.

Tamara
yey a chick has hatched

Paul Radke
Yesterday and the day before I have seen a third falcon sitting  on Stamford Plaza. Frodo was flying around it but he did not really seem to be attacking it. Just thought it was strange to see a third one
around. It seemed to be a darker colour - does this mean it is a younger bird?
Greg says:
Assuming that it was a Peregrine and not another raptor such as an Australian Hobby (which resembles a Peregrine), it would have to be a young bird. He (and the Hilton Peregrines) would not tolerate a wandering adult in the area at this time.
On the other hand, you may have stumbled onto the boundary between F&F and the Hilton pair. Both birds may have just been advertising that "this is as far as you go and no further".

S Ryman
I have been watching Frieda on the nest all day and have not seen Frodo return with a snack. Is he missing in action or have I just missed his return during the day?
Greg says:
He may not be landing on the nest ledge but close by.

Hayley and Samantha Thrupp
Dear Greg
how long have you been an expert on peregrine falcons?
EE
Hey Greg
how did you get your job as a falcon expert? how old were you when you got your job? i like to read all the things you write to people.
Greg says:
Actually, I don't work as a falcon expert. It is just one of a number of jobs that I do. At present, I am writing a couple of natural history books and have recently published a little guide to Australian raptors.
I became interested in raptors at school 40 years ago and have just followed that interest from there.

Sep 25
keely
 hello what do you think of the two peregrine falcons you must  think that they r so kool having 3 eggs.
Greg says:
Yes, I do. Peregrines are cool no matter what they are doing.

Carol Berserik
I think I saw a baby bird. Are the other eggs still OK?
p.s. Looks like the hatching commenced on your wife's birthday after all.
Congratulations to you all.
Greg says:
At least it hatched close enough to Robin's birthday for us to be pleased.

Sibella Ryman
It is widely known that in eagle families there is a
intense sibling rivalry between the two chicks at each hatching. The rivalry is so intense that quite frequently the younger chick gets killed by its
older sibling. This is called the 'Cain and Abel' syndrome. Is this phenomenon also prevalent in falcons? And if not, why?
Greg says:
It is very rare in falcons. The absence of "cainism", as it is known, is one of many features that separates falcons from eagles and hawks.
Interestingly, if you remove eagle chicks for a week or two then put them back in the nest, the behaviour no longer happens.

Lindy
I sincerely hope the chick hatched before midnight last night!
I'm sure it knew it was due on Greg's wife's birthday.
Greg says:
It is a bit spooky - did they really know?

kim
You haven't mentioned what year the dead peregrine was found?
Greg says:
I am not sure of the exact date but sometime during the first half of 2005 or 2006 from memory. The problem is that we get dead peregrines brought in from time to time but in this case a specimen was never sent in.

Beth Baker
Hello, I was watching the nest to see what happened at the time of the fireworks at Riverfire. As soon as the jets came over Frieda took off. Here is a photo of the eggs with light on them from the fireworks.

I was really hoping that the eggs would not be damaged by the fireworks or the noise of the jets. As a breeder of domestic birds, I know that loud thunder can kill babies in eggs.
Greg says:
They survived Riverfire.
John says:
They cope each year, but I don't imagine they like it.

Sep 20

Jenny
I would really like to know if there is many differences between the Australian falcons and those of other countries. Does colouring, habitat, hunting habits, life span etc. differ between the countries?
I have recently discovered a nesting family with two 5 day old chicks.
Mum and dad are very protective but we get to peek at them from time to time.
I'd only ever seen them on TV before so this is a real treat.
Congratulations on this site, very informative.
Greg says:
Hi Jenny
Australia is home to six species of falcons. The Brown, Black and Grey Falcons are really only found in Australia (occasionally in southern New Guinea too).
The Australian Hobby and Nankeen Kestrel occur in Australia, New Guinea and some of the island to our north.
Each of these is quite distinctive in terms of size, colour and pattern.
They do resemble some falcons from elsewhere in the world but they can be fairly easily separated nonetheless.
Any of the field guides to Australian birds will show them as well as Stephen Debus's field to Australian birds of prey or the little pocket guide to raptors that I have done with Chris Field this year.
Australian Peregrines are very similar to other continents. Southern hemisphere, including ours are a bit smaller than those from the northern hemisphere and they tend to have the complete black head and cheeks. Peregrines from the south and tropics do not migrate.
I hope this helps.

Tania Johnson
Dear Greg,
Love your work and have been watching for 4 years now and get so excited at hatching time. I am aware that crows are not native of Australia as
are many other types of bird we have in the skies. You say that there are Southern hemisphere falcons. But are peregrines native to Australia?
Greg says:
Hi Tania,
I am sorry to disappoint you but crows are native to Australia. In fact, we have five different species. The one that you are thinking about is the House Crow - this is a pest that often arrives on ships and is destroyed as soon as detected. If House Crows ever became established, the native crows would be in big trouble along with other native birds.
All eagles, hawks, falcons and owls that you see in Australia are native. There are some who claim that Peregrines are not native - despite the existence of fossils and aboriginal traditions as well as scientific reports going back to early settlement! These people have an agenda that has no grounding in reality.
The feral, introduced birds tend be things like Common Mynas, Common Starlings, sparrows, finches and songbirds. Most were brought in during the nineteenth century when it was fashionable to try and turn Australia into another England.

Breeanna Ryan
Hi Greg,
have frodo or frida ever discovered the camera? Are there any other types
of falcons? we are learning about the book Home for book week . Thanks from EE.
Greg says:
They are aware of the camera but do not seem to bothered by it. I guess that it just part of their normal surroundings and they accept it as such.
John says:
The camera makes soft whirring noises when it is changing its view, and the falcons often give it a suspicious glance when