We hope this answers your questions about the eggs, and Hattie and Orton's behavior. This is called the brood patch, which allows the peregrine to better incubate the eggs and keep them at a constant temperature. You may even notice a bare patch of feathers on Hattie or Orton's belly. Both adult falcons will incubate the eggs, but the majority of incubation duties is done by the female peregrine. The parents may sit on the egg(s) during cold weather, when temperatures are below freezing, but this is not true incubation. This ensures that any fertile eggs will hatch within a few days of each other. Hattie and Orton will not begin incubating the first egg, or any future eggs, until the second to last egg of the clutch is laid. If Hattie lays more than this first egg, there is typically 48-60 hours between each egg, but the interval may also be greater than 72 hours in rare cases. Occasionally, a female will lay more than five eggs, but we have never experienced a brood (group of chicks) of chicks larger than five in the Upper Midwest.

The typical clutch size is three to four eggs, but the total number could range from one to five. We have no idea how many eggs Hattie will lay in this year's clutch (group of eggs). We can officially announce the start date of the 2023 falcon nesting season in Rochester, MN!! The first arrived yesterday morning, and now we wait and see how many other eggs will join this first one.

Banding cam