C'mon runt get in there and get some food!

I'm rooting for you.

Just checked it, the three smaller ones are scarfing at Mom's diner. The biggest one is inside the enclosure, periodically flapping some already good sized wings.

I love this stuff.

I was looking at the Falcon News site and I was surprised to learn that the eggs were laid in March and took almost a month to hatch. The last egg was hatched on May 4th, not that far back. I'm sure the growth rate will be quick from here on.

The photo gallery is interesting in that you get some close up views of the birds when they were being banded. Check out the size of the talons, tough looking little critters.

The latest visit shows the young birds have lost almost all of their white down and now have dark feathers.

They are about the same size as the mother Falcon and are spending more of their time perched on the East River side of the nesting box surveying their world and looking like they are planning their future. It has been an interesting experience.

http://falcons.55water.com/

Sigh, they grow up so fast. Soon momma and poppa will have an empty nest.

I'd love to see how handle their first flight.

Hopefully nature makes sure they are mature enough to get back to the nest once they leave. There are plenty of ledges and food in NYC but nesting material is probably at a premium and a place to call home can be hard to find.

This family has a human provided home but obviously privacy is the price of that luxury. Move to the suburbs like everyone else.

I just checked the bird cam. Kind of tough to see inside the enclosure with the shadows and all, but one of the young birds went out to the ledge and spread its wings, flapped a few times and I thought he might take off, but he walked around a little still flapping the wings and then settled down against the side of the building. I'd sure love to see a first flight.

So cool, I got to see one of the fledglings take flight. Momma was sitting on top of the enclosure and the young 'un was down in the foreground. A couple of wing flaps and it took off, out of the picture.

I wonder when they leave the nest for good, how they learn to hunt for themselves.

Falcon News

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Falcon's first flight - 6/10/09 (posted on June 11, 2009)

"On Wednesday June 10th one of our fledgling falcons failed his first flight test, crash landing on the north side of the building and settling on the North Old Slip sidewalk of the Police Museum. After capturing the raptor we conferred with NYC DEP bioligist Chris Nadareski (who bands the new hatchlings every year) and he advised us to take it to the Animal Medical Center on East 62nd Street. Our friend was transported by NWSC Building Office Manger Cynthia DeJesus and NWSC Security Director Eric Seitz. The falcon was ex-rayed for damage and is being held to check on his overall condition and evaluation of the x-rays. If it clears 'flight status' it will return to the building, if it requires healing and rehab it will go to a New Jersey raptor center for convalescence.
Thanks to all who brought this unfortunate incident to our attention (including Mike Worthington of Emblem Health, and our neighbors at 77 Water Street, and to the two gentlemen from GFI who came down with contact information for animal medical treatment specialists"
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The above is from the website and on the last few visits it has been an empty nest except for one of the parents sitting on the top perch. It was an interesting visit to the bird world, best of luck to the new members of NYC's Falcon population.

Poor little guy, hope he's OK. If it was me, I'd let him try his wings somewhere a little safer.

I wonder if the others will return to the nest, or if once they leave that's it.