Tick-tock, Tick-tock...

We're approaching the final leg of incubation, with a little over a week to go.  This is the period of time when it is difficult to provide updates because there simply isn't a lot to report on.  After all, not much to be said about a peregrine sleeping/sitting in a tray of rocks, day after day after day!  But not having much to say right now I suppose can be a good thing.  Drama isn't really desired when the birds' jobs are to keep the eggs at the proper temperature.  Which, by the way, for the most part means they are setting on them but on warm, sunny days you can also see them shading the eggs to keep them from getting too warm.

One thing some are wondering is if we are going to name the male.  There are no plans to do so at this time.  When a falcon does not have leg bands it makes it very difficult to definitively identify an individual unless there is some distinctive variation in plumage or behavior.  This male does not have leg bands and there really isn't anything about him that stands out that would be a telltale identifier if another male took his place tomorrow.  Therefore, for now he will remain "the male."  Provided the eggs hatch, a local school will be holding a contest and the students will submit their choice of names.  As we've done in the past, the public will decide the winning names via a webpoll.  While we won't count our falcons before they're hatched, we will continue to remain hopeful. 

Next week I will post what to watch for that will indicate hatching is imminent.