March On!

Wow, it's been awhile falconheads. I've been busy, birds have been busy and I bet you have too. But now it's that special time of year for all good falconheads to cheer. It's MARCH!

What the heck does that mean exactly?? Well, if all goes according to Nature's plan, we hope to have falcon eggs sometime this month. But first, let's recap a little bit and the players involved - just like any good drama that has been on hiatus for a while, we need to do this.

We are pretty certain that the matriarch at the Market Tower nest is still the one and only KathyQ. She's our queen, our beloved falcon mother, the one who strikes terror in the heart of this falconhead and so on. This is a picture captured by Shari Jardina on 2/23 as KQ sat outside her office window. I swear that bird "knows" she is a star and she knows who her "friends" are. Gotta love this falcon diva.

And I'm 90% certain that the male in residence is Sesenta, just from his behaviors on the nest box perch and in the box. I haven't quite got a good look at his bands to know for certain so that is why I'm only 90% certain. Time will tell.

If you recall, last year's male was Will. But he disappeared shortly after the lone 2014 chick had left the nest (and died during her fledging process). Sesenta was then identified in the box by his band numbers. Here's the kicker - Sesenta is the 2012 offspring of KathyQ and Kinney. So yes, the mother's son is now the mother's mate. And folks, it's not unheard of in the bird world.

We will see what happens in 2015. Could be an interesting year to say the least. Here are a couple of things I'd like you to know - things that are out of my control.

- KathyQ will be 17 years old this May. She laid 4 eggs last year but only hatched. Is she at the end of her fertile years? A question we will have to play the wait and see game.

- Cameras. They are old but not as old KQ. However, they don't seem to be totally reliable. The supporting infrastructure is old too - old router, old cabling, etc. THIS IS TOTALLY OUT OF MY CONTROL. I have advocated for new equipment for years but it hasn't happened. So if they are unreliable or quit altogether, I can't do anything about it. What you see or don't see, is what you will get.

Even with the doubts and unknowns, I'm still an enthusiastic, passionate falconhead and look forward to the 2015 falcon happenings with every fiber of my being. My biggest wish is for the success of the species. I'm just thankful I get to enjoy being a spectator and small part of it. Hope you all do too!

Let the reproduction begin!