Spartan Stadium Falcon Cam

Um... not me personally, but I, in know way, speak for Motown.

AvgMSUJoe wrote:Um... not me personally, but I, in know way, speak for Motown.

He might be snowed in right now.

tGreenWay wrote:

AvgMSUJoe wrote:Yeah, we all agree Greenway.
You need to pay us before we look at your weenie.

If I pay extra can it be in person?

Will we need a magnifying glass like we would if we were looking at mine?

tGreenWay wrote:

AvgMSUJoe wrote:Um... not me personally,  but I, in know way, speak for Motown.

He might be snowed in right now.

They have good removal equipment where he lives, the trucks with the wing plows are scary, and the trucks with blowers are more so.

Floyd Robertson wrote:I haven't seen the nest empty in at least two days. So mom had just been sitting there all this time as far as I know. She must be getting hungry. I haven't seen papa at all. You think he'd drop in some fresh field mice or voles.

I saw them switching out about a half an hour ago.


It happens much more often, you just don't see them at the box at the same time.  The one leaves and the other than comes to the nest soon after.  FWIW, falcons eat other birds which the catch mid air.  Unlike some species of birds they don't bring food back to the nest for their mate to eat.  They take turns sitting on the eggs while the other goes to hunt and stretch their wings.  Falcons are strong fliers, they are not designed to sit on a nest for 30+ days.

Not sure if it was mom or dad on the eggs but their head was on a swivel for a few minutes and looked to be squawking, then took off. Minute later one returned to tend the eggs.

A friend has been watching an eagle nest for awhile. Nothing but bad luck all around for those mating birds. The heavy snowfalls in MN caused some shifting, and the nest just collapsed. It had been built on a dead branch. The eaglet that was inside died on impact. Pretty sure this is the same nest where one of the parents was buried up to its neck feathers in snow. It was a photo that went viral several weeks ago. The weight of the snow on the parent incubating the eggs led to one egg being crushed. Now this. It’s like a little piece of America just died.

So with the first egg arriving on 3/24, and my crack research indicating the average incubation period of 29-32 days, then the hatching should occur between 4/22 and 4/25. Basically, three more weeks.

Floyd Robertson wrote:So with the first egg arriving on 3/24, and my crack research indicating the average incubation period of 29-32 days, then the hatching should occur between 4/22 and 4/25. Basically, three more weeks.

Chick watch 2023... will we have falling baby birds down the screen?

tGreenWay wrote:A friend has been watching an eagle nest for awhile. Nothing but bad luck all around for those mating birds. The heavy snowfalls in MN caused some shifting, and the nest just collapsed. It had been built on a dead branch. The eaglet that was inside died on impact. Pretty sure this is the same nest where one of the parents was buried up to its neck feathers in snow. It was a photo that went viral several weeks ago. The weight of the snow on the parent incubating the eggs led to one egg being crushed. Now this. It’s like a little piece of America just died.

Nature can be cruel. Many critters & birds live on the edge all their lives.

AvgMSUJoe wrote:

Floyd Robertson wrote:So with the first egg arriving on 3/24, and my crack research indicating the average incubation period of 29-32 days, then the hatching should occur between 4/22 and 4/25.  Basically, three more weeks.

Chick watch 2023... will we have falling baby birds down the screen?

How about flying adults.

btw - my local farm store has peeps for sale, but the SO says our cats would think we brought them toys.

Floyd Robertson wrote:So with the first egg arriving on 3/24, and my crack research indicating the average incubation period of 29-32 days, then the hatching should occur between 4/22 and 4/25. Basically, three more weeks.

Premium Content level research right here.

Floyd Robertson wrote:So with the first egg arriving on 3/24, and my crack research indicating the average incubation period of 29-32 days, then the hatching should occur between 4/22 and 4/25. Basically, three more weeks.

Mr. and Mrs. Falcon remind you it’s their eggs you’re talking about and would like you to find a less graphic and threatening word.

tGreenWay wrote:

Floyd Robertson wrote:So with the first egg arriving on 3/24, and my crack research indicating the average incubation period of 29-32 days, then the hatching should occur between 4/22 and 4/25.  Basically, three more weeks.

Mr. and Mrs. Falcon remind you it’s their eggs you’re talking about and would like you to find a less graphic and threatening word.

Sorry, but if you want to make an omelette baby falcon, you have to crack some eggs.

With storms gone, cool setting on the roof this evening

Bumping back to page 1 for anticipated hatching next week.

Floyd Robertson wrote:Bumping back to page 1 for anticipated hatching next week.

Did they end up with three eggs or four?

Jake from State Farm wrote:

Floyd Robertson wrote:Bumping back to page 1 for anticipated hatching next week.

Did they end up with three eggs or four?

I believe there are four.

Floyd Robertson wrote:

Jake from State Farm wrote:

Did they end up with three eggs or four?

I believe there are four.

Definitely four, though that first one was exposed to cold so often I’d be surprised it hatches. It’d be cool if all four chicklets/egglings/falconettes show up.

tGreenWay wrote:

Floyd Robertson wrote:

I believe there are four.

Definitely four, though that first one was exposed to cold so often I’d be surprised it hatches. It’d be cool if all four chicklets/egglings/falconettes show up.

Only three of four hatched last year and that is very common.  If an egg does not hatch, that does not mean it is the first one that was laid.  Many birds don't start incubating the first and second egg so they all hatch around the same time, it is instinctual.

MSU addict wrote:

tGreenWay wrote:



Definitely four, though that first one was exposed to cold so often I’d be surprised it hatches. It’d be cool if all four chicklets/egglings/falconettes show up.

Only three of four hatched last year and that is very common.  If an egg does hatch, that does not mean it is the first one that was laid.  Many birds don't start incubating the first and second egg so they all hatch around the same time, it is instinctual.

Yep, those are knowledge nugs I read, too. Still, I’d be curious in what order did the egg that didn’t hatch make its first appearance.

IDK if mom is having a heat stroke or what but she sure is acting weird. Laying there spread-eagle and panting. Maybe she's making some calling noise but there's no mic on the camera.

(see pic below)

It was a short stroke, over in 10 minutes.

Floyd Robertson wrote:It was a short stroke, over in 10 minutes.

They must be tired of just sitting there doing nothing. This is why we need to encourage reading in raptors.

tGreenWay wrote:

Floyd Robertson wrote:It was a short stroke, over in 10 minutes.

They must be tired of just sitting there doing nothing. This is why we need to encourage reading in raptors.

While I agree that reading is raptormental, she did step out maybe an hour earlier because the eggs were all by their lonesome.

I am worried that something has happened to the other falcon. I went back in the feed yesterday and did not see them switch out at all. Same thing today.

Floyd Robertson wrote:IDK if mom is having a heat stroke or what but she sure is acting weird. Laying there spread-eagle and panting. Maybe she's making some calling noise but there's no mic on the camera.

(see pic below)

It's Friday and she looks unmotivated to work.

Today is very warm for this time of year. Maybe she was doing some sort of heat regulation to keep the eggs from getting too warm.

Looking back at the camera feed this morning, they do appear to switch out about 2 1/2 hours ago.  They were not in the box at the same time, but it looked like the female heard the other and left and the male came about a  minute later.  I have hard time telling them apart but reviewing pictures of them it seems the male has a deeper colored beak that is fairly easy to spot.  I know the male is also slightly smaller, but unless they are in the box at the same time that does not help much.

Floyd Robertson wrote:IDK if mom is having a heat stroke or what but she sure is acting weird. Laying there spread-eagle and panting. Maybe she's making some calling noise but there's no mic on the camera.

(see pic below)

Could this be a defensive posture, trying to make herself look bigger?

Trapper Gus wrote:

Floyd Robertson wrote:IDK if mom is having a heat stroke or what but she sure is acting weird. Laying there spread-eagle and panting. Maybe she's making some calling noise but there's no mic on the camera.

(see pic below)

Could this be a defensive posture, trying to make herself look bigger?

I looked at it yesterday, and it definitely did not appear that way.  To me it appeared they were overheated as you could see the bird panting heavily.  It actually happened on two separate occasions yesterday.  I have no idea what the weather was like in East Lansing as I live out of state.

Looking for pictures of them to identify which is which, I see they have already picked names for the baby birds.  Done by voting by donation at the Fisheries and Wildlife chili cook off.

They were both in the box during an exchange about 30 minutes ago:



You can also see the difference in the color of their beaks.

The moment a small bird says "oh, fuck."

Mom just went out to stretch here wings in the past couple of minutes, but it was a very quick excursion.

I believe that was Dad on the nest and Mom who came back to sit on the eggs. A bit hard to tell because she has been facing the other way, with her back toward the camera, virtually the whole time (the weather there looks dreadful).

MSU addict wrote:I believe that was Dad on the nest and Mom who came back to sit on the eggs. A bit hard to tell because she has been facing the other way, with her back toward the camera, virtually the whole time (the weather there looks dreadful).

Momma likes to show off her booty.

lol Peregrine cam shows snow falling

Floyd Robertson wrote:So with the first egg arriving on 3/24, and my crack research indicating the average incubation period of 29-32 days, then the hatching should occur between 4/22 and 4/25. Basically, three more weeks.

I'm starting to get nervous. Thinking about stocking up on smokes for pacing in front of the big screen.

Floyd Robertson wrote:

Floyd Robertson wrote:So with the first egg arriving on 3/24, and my crack research indicating the average incubation period of 29-32 days, then the hatching should occur between 4/22 and 4/25. Basically, three more weeks.

I'm starting to get nervous. Thinking about stocking up on smokes for pacing in front of the big screen.

Patience. Before you know it, you’ll be passing out mouse tail cigars like a proud papa.