Two falcon chicks are hatched in Uccle today
The first 2023 peregrine chicks hatched last night in the bell tower of the Saint Job church in Uccle. Just like at the cathedral, the incubation time will therefore have been longer than the “official” 32 days.
Why so late ? If no hypothesis can be favored at the cathedral, we may think that the peregrine pair of Uccle is unexperienced having an effect on the incubation time. Indeed, both the male and the female are nesting for the first time in Uccle this spring. And it is very likely that this will be their first nesting season together. The male, like the female, arrived in Uccle over the past few months. They replaced the peregrine pair which had been nesting there since 2015. And since peregrine falcons are very faithful to their nesting site, we can very reasonably think that the pair we are observing is nesting for the first time. Where do they come from ? How old are they ? We don't know yet. The male is ringed, but the code for his ring has not yet been deciphered. The female is not ringed, so it will not be possible to know her curriculum vitae.
Still, this very likely "young" peregrine pair has been raising two falcons for a few hours. Will the remaining two eggs hatch? A priori yes, a small incubation lag is not abnormal. But we will find out soon.
Video 1 shows their first incubation time. It is in black and white because the female laid eggs in the darkness of the nest. The camera therefore automatically switches to this mode when the light is low, which is the case at 9am. The previous female was still laying eggs in full light, at the entrance to a hole drilled in the bell tower wall. A simple but noticeable difference in behavior between two individuals!
Video 2 probably testifies to the fact that the female is still inexperienced. After nibbling on a pigeon wing she decides to hide it at the foot of the camera, therefore opposite. And to do this, she squarely walks on her falcons! No harm, but amazing!
Blog 24042023 video 1. (see text)
Blog 24042023 video 2. (see text)