!!! No Hatch
May 15, 2021 - Hamilton - Sheraton Hotel
Marion Nash Reports:
Hamilton Falcon Watch team reports
Saturday, May 15, 2021 - It has been a week since we should have seen our first chick, and it appears that Lily has accepted the fact that these eggs are not going to hatch. As the week progressed, she spent less and less time on the nest, and in the last 24 hours she hasn’t been on the eggs more than a few minutes. She has also been seen poking around the far end of the nest ledge, which is typical behavior for after nesting season.
But, it is also typical behavior for before nesting season, and there is a small ray of hope. She has been allowing Judson to come closer (left photo), and he might just be eager enough to convince her to try for a second clutch. Lily has not attempted one before, but there is always a first for everything. We will watch to see if Judson starts courting her, and bringing her meals.
But things are not (yet) smooth sailing for the falcons in Hamilton. In the past week we have observed another adult in the area, spending most of its time on the BDC building, a block away from the Sheraton nest site. We have not been able to get a close enough look at this bird, so we cannot tell if it is Ossie, healing up from a previous battle, and still willing to try again, or if in fact this is a new female that was previously paired up with Judson. There were reports, in the week before Judson’s appearance, of another peregrine pair being sighted first in west Hamilton, then up near Ancaster. We don’t know if that pair moved on, or they came here.
The three of them were seen once circling the BDC building and calling to each other, but no battles have been seen. And there was one report of a fourth peregrine, seen flying away from the downtown core. So, while we may not have any chicks this year, the skies over Hamilton are going to be interesting for a while yet! If you are downtown, keep an eye on the skies. If you see anything of note, please report it to our facebook group.
