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Posted by Ken Schneider on 10:20:15 02/15/09
The oldest chick is 4 weeks old today, having hatched either the afternoon of January 17 or the morning of the 18th, judging by the behavior of the pair at the nest. First egg had been laid December 13th. There was quite a large crowd of observers and photographers. The chicks interacted in a mildly hostile or competitive manner, but there was no wing flapping or wrestling. They may have been hungry, as the fog had just lifted and no prey was brought in during the hour we watched the nest. One adult was still drying its wings, on the melaleuca snags to the west, during that time. Please remember to park cars well off the roadway and keep activity to a minimum, as the birds seem to pay more attention to human activity than to vehicular traffic. The contractor is limiting construction to the area over 330 feet from the nest, but feels at risk of some liability if the chicks desert the nest. Please respond politely to any requests to limit activities or crowd size.
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