The first week without the tiercel

After Tuesday's devastating news of the death of dad, the tiercel, the final piece fell into place on Thursday when the Franklin Institute shared information from the Pennsylvania Game Commission that an officer had removed the remains of the tiercel on Saturday afternoon from the location on I-76 where the accident happened.

It is unsettlingly sad to think that by the time we started worrying about dad's absence on Saturday afternoon into the evening, he had already died several hours previously.  Yet, how amazing that days later, through the strength of the connections that bind our hawk community, we were able to put together the final moments of this tiercel's life.
 

The terrible beauty of nature sustains life alongside death, and two weeks after the first egg hatched, the formel is doing a superb job of raising her eyasses alone.

She has a little help from her friends at the Franklin Institute.  The food drops of white rats put out through the window onto the ledge are working really well...

 

... and have been increased from two to three per day as the eyasses' appetites grow as fast as their bodies.

Here is the journal of #3 - the youngest by two days - from dawn on Thursday to nightfall on Saturday.

Thursday, May 3

Sun-up on a damp, dreary morning, and I get shoved to the back as usual in the morning stampede for the rat mom brings us for breakfast.  But I have learned that if I wait till they get their crops filled, and then I start stretching up,  mom makes sure I get my fair share without getting bullied.

Every morning, it's like magic - there's another lovely rat out there, and mom doesn't have to head out so soon.  In fact, she's back to her routine of sitting on us for a bit after breakfast which was especially nice on this cold, damp morning.  The cleaning staff put the lights on in the board room every morning which makes for strange reflections on the window.

Phew, she's gone and we can stretch out a bit.

At some point every time we're asleep, mom drops stuff on us.  This morning it was leaves, then a bunch of white flowers.

Those flowers were quite itchy, and I had to wriggle around to get comfortable.  Look how long my legs are getting!

Friday, May 4

Mom guards us all through the night like a sentinel.

Then before we wake, one of those kind Franklin Institute folks puts our breakfast rat out on the ledge, and mom heads over to get it

 When she leaves, we start to wake up...

 .... and by the time she gets the rat over to us, we're ready to rock and roll!  I'm still at the back, of course, but I know I'm going to close that gap....just need to get me some more rat.

So, after a fine breakfast, we're all asleep and then BAM!... incoming oak leaves, and this time it feels like the whole oak tree.  All those hawkcam chat ladies who think our mom is so amazing should see what it feels like to have all this leaf stuff dropped on them when they're fast asleep.

 It took a while to flatten them out and get comfortable again, and just when I finally got back to sleep, mom bounced back in.  I just couldn't get woken up.

And by the time I started to get my act together, I was once again at the back of the rat line.

Wow, that was a particularly delicious meal, and we ate... and we ate... and we ate... and then fell into a full food coma.

At some point, mom flew back in and removed the rat carcass.  She often sits in a nearby tree with our leftovers and grabs a snack.  It started to get hotter and we spread out to stay cool.

I decided it was time to do a bit of exploring and found that I could get myself up the side of the nest bowl, and peek over the edge.  Whoa - I could see a rat over on the ledge!

Mom suddenly landed on the ledge right in front of me.  Was she getting that rat for us?

Yesssss - FINALLY, I'm at the front of the line!

When mom finished feeding us, she decided to stay in the nest with us for a bit, which was nice as she has had to be away so much since dad left.

 

Saturday, May 5

Today, two weeks ago, my siblings hatched.  So much has happened for us since then, but one thing we can now count on is a steady supply of white rats.  I wonder if the FI can get them in other colors?  Dad used to bring us brown ones.... but I guess they all taste the same.  After my successful foray to the front yesterday, I strategically placed myself in the front of the sleeping pile so I could get a running start for lunch.

 

Mom came in with more leaves, but fortunately not as big a clump as yesterday.

I narrowly missed having them dropped on me again.

 Mom soon noticed that room service had delivered our lunch...

... and strode over to the ledge to collect it.

We're getting pretty good at sitting up now. 

After we finished all we could possibly stuff in our crops, we crashed into another food coma, and mom rested for a while beside us.

Then she headed out, and we were alone for quite a long time this afternoon.   This was a two-rat sleep, and the hours passed peacefully.

 Just as it was starting to get dark, mom flew in...

... and took up her customary spot to keep watch over us throughout the night.  She is such a good mom.

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FAQs for the Franklin Institute Nest

During the past few days on the Hawkcam chat, John Blakeman has answered many questions about the well-being of the eyasses, and what may lie ahead for the formel and her nest at the Franklin Institute.  These are most definitely Frequently Asked Questions these days, so I have edited the chat transcripts and condensed them for clarity and brevity

Food and feeding: 

•  The FI is making two drops a day.  Is that enough food?  [As of 5/5, the FI is doing three drops per day]

That's a good schedule; working out well. The FI is to be commended. This [dropped] food is the success factor, which the tiercel formerly supplied. Now, it's the FI. The FI will get the "Tiercel of the Year Award."

•  Are the eyasses getting enough food?

The FI eyasses have eaten well, today, and previously. Plenty of food has been provided; they are growing normally and big.

•  When mom flies off with a rat rather than feeding it to the eyasses, is it because she's hungry and feeding herself?

She knows exactly how to apportion the food. She won't eat until the eyasses have had enough, which they did, earlier in the day.  At this age, the eyasses don't have to be fed such frequent, small meals. They can (and will) take larger, less frequent ones. Their crops are larger now, and when full enough that they can't sit up, that's a clear sign, to us and the formel, that they are well fed, and that the formel can then take her meal. The only crucial factor here is food. Is enough being provided? Without a doubt, plenty.

•  Mom does not seem to be bringing as much food to the nest now.  Instead, she's looking for rats on the ledge. Hopefully she is still hunting to feed herself?

That’s good. We don't want her out, away much. But it's good for her to get out, flying. It maintains her flight muscles, which will be needed after the eyasses fledge, and she’s out keeping an eye on them.

•  Are they feeding themselves yet?

No, they are only picking up loose pieces. Real eating is when they tear off tidbits of flesh, which will be in two or three weeks from now.

•  Would it be good idea for the FI to throw some small rodents onto nest when eyasses start eating on their own?

No. The eyasses will learn to tear apart the rats OK on their own.

Safety at the nest:

•  Should we be worried about them crawling out to ledge too soon?

Forget the falling or crawling out of the nest problem. It's a human made-up one. Red-tails are programmed to stay in the nest.

• Are the eyasses in any danger of predators?

No predators here at all.  It's very safe on this nest. No mammals can or would climb up there, and no owls or falcons would get close without the formel sinking her talons in them.

•  Why is she is away for long periods – sometimes three hours at a time during the day? She often sits at edge of nest at night or early in morning before dawn.

When she is away [from the nest, she is] probably within straight visual sight of the nest. I'd expect her to spend the nights on the nest. In a few weeks, when eyasses are bigger, she may not.  She's a good mom.

• Why the green leaves? Are they a “Do not disturb” sign?  Camouflage? Insect repellent?

The reason for the green twigs is not known. Many used to think the greenery repelled feather bugs. But the greenery seldom touches the feathers. Not camouflage, either.

Smell nice? Not smell, either. Red-tails have virtually no sense of smell.

Decoration? Not decoration, either. Red-tails don't have that behavior.

Eyass development:

•  Will food drops now make it harder for her to teach the eyasses to hunt for themselves?

No. The eyasses will learn to hunt, no matter. When they fledge, they will be at only the slightest disadvantage with the absence of the tiercel haggard. The formel will remain active and fly around, showing them the hunting perches, etc. Most of that is learned innately by the eyasses anyway, merely by experience.

•  Will they lose out in any way not having as much of her presence on the nest?

The eyasses will not suffer in any way with the prolonged absence of the mother. They must merely hone neuromuscular reflexes and build strength. Those are done individually, without assistance from the haggards.

The future for the formel and her nest at the Franklin Institute:

• Do hawks mourn the loss [of their mate]?

No. They haven't the parts of the brain that can do that.

• What is the likelihood of this nest being used next year?

This nest has a high chance of reuse next season. The size and depth of the FI nest this year---from the lost tiercel's efforts---is superior, and the territory around the nest is superb, too. Lots to hunt. That's why there have been three eyasses [each year]--lots of food.

•  Will the female move to a new territory or is a male likely to join her in hers?

This formel (female) will stay here, pick up a new mate next fall (if not before) This formel is going nowhere. Life is good here.

•  What chance is there that another tiercel will come to this nest? People observed what might have been bonding activity --would that be possible?

Very small chance right now---but very high next fall or winter. Pair-bonding is generally from late November through January. Don't presume that a new tiercel next season would put a new nest elsewhere. Because this is an existing, used nest, the formel will want to use it. The chances of a new tiercel creating a new nest for the pair elsewhere are rather low. It could happen, of course, but this is the nest of preference and experience for the formel. The new tiercel should connect with it.

• Would she court another mate after laying [and hatching] eggs this year?

She just might, in a moderate way. At any rate, there should be a new tiercel here next season.

This picture, taken on Monday, April 30, by the Franklin Institute's Gene Mancini, shows the formel soaring over the nest area with an unknown red-tail.  Could this be next year's tiercel?

Food drops are underway - let's support the Franklin Institute

Over the weekend, as soon as it was apparent that Dad was missing, the Franklin Institute sought advice from wildlife experts, and it was clear that some kind of food drop would be the only way for the formel to sustain herself as the primary/only hunter and to get enough food for the ever-hungry eyasses. 

Last year in New York City, the Riverside Park hawk nest on the Upper West Side suffered a similar disaster when they lost their tiercel soon after the eggs hatched.  Because there was no camera on this nest, it did not receive much publicity, but food drops of dead mice and rats on the ground near the nest sustained the formel, and she raised her eyasses successfully to fledging.  Here's a link to the Riverside Park hawks  The Riverside people reached out to us as soon as they heard the news, and it was so encouraging to know that it might be possible to help save the FI eyasses.

It made sense to put the food drops on the ledge beside the nest.  The FI had already configured that window for access to the nest in case of emergency, and the ledge is an easy place for mom to see and reach the food.  Small mice were put out there initially on Monday, but she showed no interest in them, and continued to bring her own prey to the nest.  

So early Tuesday morning, the mice were removed and a large white rat was left out on the ledge. It was cut open slightly, and this piqued her interest. When she brought in her own rat for lunch she definitely eyed up the ledge offering.

The eyasses popped up like jack-in-the-boxes when they realized it was mealtime...

... and after eating, they collapsed into their customary food coma.

Almost immediately, mom flew back in with fresh greenery, covered them up, and headed out on another hunting run.

When she returned, instead of landing on the nest, she settled on the ledge, and that's when it looked as if the food drops were going to work.

Much to the hawkcam watchers' surprise (unaware of the food drop), she bounced in with a bright, white rat!  The eyasses looked equally astonished...

... but quickly realized that white rat tastes just as yummy as brown rat.

As soon as she left the nest at dawn this morning (Wednesday), a squirrel was put out on the ledge.  She must have been perched nearby watching as she almost immediately flew back, hauled it into the nest...

... and began feeding the eyasses.

When they were sated, she ate from the squirrel herself...

... and then for very first time since dad went missing, I saw her finally relax a little, sitting down beside the sleeping eyasses instead of zooming out on another hunting run.

When she eventually left, the squirrel looked..... less.

After the roller-coaster of sadness at losing dad, anxiety for the well-being of the eyasses, and stress at seeing how hard mom was working as sole provider and guardian for her eyasses, it is simply wonderful to know that the Franklin Institute has figured out how to help her, and is committed to providing the food drops necessary for the survival of this hawk family.

Many hawk watchers have asked how they can contribute to this effort, and how they can show their appreciation to the Franklin Institute, not only for their immediate response to this emergency, but also for the four years of the hawkcam and maintenance of the nest that has allowed us to share the journey with these two remarkable hawks and their twelve offspring.

I contacted Andria Ayer in the Franklin Institute Development Department to find answers to these questions and she sent me this helpful information:

"Please know that all contributions to the Institute’s Annual Fund in honor of the hawks, or in memory of the tiercel will be directed to the care and feeding of the hawks (as human intervention is deemed appropriate), maintenance of the hawkcam, and related activities and staff assistance. Any funds raised beyond the needs of the hawks will be channeled into ongoing science and technology education initiatives, which include environmental programs, online curriculum, community outreach, and much more.

To donate in support of the hawks, please visit this Annual Fund link and, when prompted, either write a note in the comment section regarding the intention of the gift, or select the in honor of/in memory of option. Donations can also be made by credit card over the phone by calling Andria Ayer at (215) 448-1339 or Daniel Chermak at (215) 448-1130, or by sending a check to The Franklin Institute, c/o Development Department, 222 North 20^th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. If you are sending a check, please be sure to note in the memo section that the gift is intended to support the hawks.

All gifts to the Institute in support of the hawks will be recognized in a special section of the Institute’s 2012 Annual Report. Please note if you would prefer your gift to remain anonymous."   -- Andria Ayer

So let's give what we can in honor of our tiercel - Dad, and in appreciation of the Franklin Institute.

 To misquote Chaucer slightly "He was a truly perfect, gentle hawk."

      Kay Meng

What we feared is true: the tiercel's accident

Through the kindness of strangers.... 

This was never more true than when Mike Thierfelder posted information this morning on the Hawkaholic facebook page that told us what had happened to Dad.  Mike joined the group so that he could share this sad news about witnessing the tiercel's end early Saturday morning on the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) that runs right by the Art Museum just across the river.

"Hello, I have unfortunate news about what happened to Dad. On Saturday morning at about 6:30 AM I was driving east on I-76 when I witnessed a Red Tail Hawk struck and killed by a small truck in the left lane several car lengths ahead of me. The location was just west of the 30th Street underpass, between the BFP [Ben Franklin Parkway] split and the 30th Street on- ramp. Given the location and timing this was certainly Dad.

The bird came out from under the truck, skidded across the road ahead of me and ended on the right shoulder. I am positive it was a red tail. He may still be there on the shoulder."

Emily Spahr also  joined the Facebook page to tell us: "I saw the bird there at approx noon on Saturday morning. Same exact position you saw."

Mike and Emily also contacted the Franklin Institute to share this information. Huge thanks go to them from us all for their persistence in figuring out how to get this news to the hawk fans and the Franklin Institute. 

Carolyn Sutton went out this morning to see if she could find the tiercel's remains, but was unsuccessful.  There are several work crews in that area, so someone probably picked him up.  Now that there is so much publicity about this sad event, we may learn more in the coming days.

Carolyn shared these observations:

"Just returned from driving the area of I-76 described by Mike. Most definitely the red-tail killed there was Dad; it was so VERY much his primary hunting ground - directly across the river from the Schuylkill Banks Park across the off-ramp from Spring Garden Bridge next to the Art Museum where we have watched him so many times over four years. Unfortunately, although I drove the route twice, there was no sign of Dad on the shoulder of the road. There are many construction crews/lane closures in area, and I believe some worker or other cleaned up the remains. The area there was very clean (no trash, litter, anything) considering the 24/7 traffic.     Though I am heartbroken, it is not hard for me to understand that Dad was killed in this way. I have seen him swoop low in pursuit of prey across traffic lanes in this area on many occasions over four  years. The traffic is fast moving and non-stop, 24/7.  We stalkers have witnessed many close calls and I thank the Lord every day that the FI hawks were so successful for four years."

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As hard as it is to accept this awful reality for Dad, I am glad that he was not poisoned or trapped, or suffered a slow death from an injury.  It seems right that he was airborne, swooping in the early morning sun, and hunting for his family right to the end.

Tribute to the tiercel

Kay Meng has been photographing the Franklin Institute tiercel for four years now since their first season in 2009.

These lovely images will remind us what a cool, remarkable hawk he was.

http://www.photoshow.com/watch/CI9iG9dm

The tiercel is missing

When the third egg hatched last Monday, and the eyasses' first week rolled along happily with regular feedings and attentive care from both parents, who could have predicted that the tiercel would just vanish a few days later?

He was last seen on the nest, looking perfectly healthy, on Friday evening, April 27, at around 6 PM.  Since then, he has completely disappeared, and sadly, we have to start accepting that a serious mishap has befallen him - most likely some kind of injury or poison.  As we well know, this nest is surrounded by highly trafficked city streets, but though several of us have prowled around for the past three days looking in all the areas where the hawks hang out, we have found no sign of him.

What does this mean for the three eyasses?  They now only have one parent to keep them warm and protected on the nest, as well as to provide the ever-increasing amounts of food needed to fuel their prodigious growth rate.

Fortunately, the weather here in Philadelphia is warm, and now that the eyasses are a week or more old, their thermo-regulatory systems are starting to kick in and they will be able to generate body warmth when the formel is off the nest hunting for food.

So far, she is doing a magnificent job of providing food for them, even though she is somewhat out of hunting shape after her weeks of sitting incubating the eggs.  All three eyasses are active, alert, and eating well.  Kay Meng took these pictures on Monday afternoon, April 30.

#3 in the middle here, at two days younger than the other two, is still noticeably smaller but always seems to get to the front of the line eventually for its share of food.

Sometimes, the other two flatten him out a bit....

... but he soon gets back in the game.

 The formel is doing a fine job of keeping the pantry full of small, furry mammals - mostly rats, mice  and voles.

The eyasses eat at full throttle.  As fast as she can rip off the meat, they reach up and grab it from her beak.

Occasionally, the reach exceeds the grasp, and the piece is simply too large to go down.

When this happens, the formel will reach down, and gently pull the large chunk back out...

... re-size it, and start over.

 They eat until their crops are just about bursting.

It is achingly sad to think that the tiercel is maybe gone.  He was invincible as a hunter, and a superb provider for his family.  If he is indeed gone, the formel will look for a new mate for next year.  The male hawk chooses the nest site, and initiates nest-building, and it is highly unlikely that he would choose to go the Franklin Institute nest.

Meanwhile, though the formel faces enormous challenges to raise these eyasses on her own, she seems to be doing really well so far.

The Franklin Institute staff is working on plans to support her if, in the coming days or weeks, she is unable to keep up with providing sufficient food.  Food drops of rats or mice on nearby ledges could be an option.

 This picture of the tiercel was taken on April 20, the day before the first eggs hatched this year.