WE ENERGY~Oak Ck-Pleas Pr-Presque-Pt Wash-Vall-MlwkCty~2017

vlu328 · **Posted:** Thu May 11, 2017 3:12 pm

They moved the Oak Creek camera around a bit. I'm sorry to say that the nest is now empty. There is no sign that chicks or eggs were ever there. There's hardly even a stray feather. I don't understand what happened. Yesterday morning there were 3 chicks (though one of them did not appear to be moving) and 1 egg. This morning it looked like the 4th egg had hatched (see skygirlblue's picture above), but, if that is a chick in the 6:00 AM picture (below), it appears to be dead.

6:00 AM (Central Time)

10:00 AM - Empty nest

11:00 AM

12:00 PM - The parent was sitting in the doorway of the nest box staring outside. It's been two hours now and she (or he?) is still there.

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 63313

I'm just getting home...this is just so heartbreaking to me...these were Scout and Orville's grandkids..

I haven't heard back from Greg, so he must be in the field..(he generally answers quickly)..I'm guessing he called the plant and had them scan the box..or maybe the employees guessed something was wrong..

:sum7:

Thanks for keeping an eye on the cam, vlu!!

Beth · **Posted:** Thu May 11, 2017 8:19 pm

bev. · **Posted:** Fri May 12, 2017 5:15 pm

I wonder if predator got them. Are there not owls around there. did we not used to watch the owls

an d of course cam was not live streaming so.....

kittenface · **Posted:** Sat May 13, 2017 12:27 am

bev. wrote:

I wonder if predator got them. Are there not owls around there. did we not used to watch the owls

an d of course cam was not live streaming so.....

Oak Creek had a cam on a Great Horned Owl nest. They ended up blocking it off be cause of the war between Owls and Falcons. If I remember right it was on the other side of the building this Oak Creek is on.

bev. · **Posted:** Sat May 13, 2017 11:08 am

oak creek

so a good possibility then, that predators got them , becasue the 2 I saw looked very haealthy

Tsusan · **Posted:** Mon May 15, 2017 12:45 pm

I am so sorry to hear what happened at Oak Creek - how awful!!

Tsusan · **Posted:** Mon May 15, 2017 12:53 pm

I was thinking about Tahoe this morning, and went to Milwaukee Regional Medical Center's Facebook page (they acquired the Milwaukee county power plant) On a March 17 post about the building I asked if the falcons were still there. I received a quick answer that they were, and that the four babies will be banded on May 30th. I am hoping that Tahoe is still there....

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 63313

I'm not sure about predators...which would be horrible in itself, but not really consistent with what the stills were showing us...I think it was on wednesday (don't quote me) that one of the chicks was no longer being brooded...and was partway under Eclipse's wing...it never changed positions during 2 or 3 hourly pics...Mom was still there when #4 was hatching. She looked like she was brooding...then for the next pic, the now drying 4th hatch was all alone..we were hoping mom had just moved the other 3 out of cam view. Then the 4th hatch disappeared...again, hoping mom had moved them all...but, then when they started moving the cam, not a chick in sight..

I still haven't heard back from Greg, which is very unusual...so, either he's out of town or his email has changed and my email is now floating around internet space somewhere...

I prefer a predator over some toxin that would eventually harm both parents...

I just don't know...

bev. · **Posted:** Mon May 15, 2017 1:10 pm

a great horned owl is their worst nightmare, and if they were being bothered , the adults would have to leave . they could not battle a great horned owl.

that is what takes some of our migrating birds. but we have chicks on bridges and cliffs that have been taken by Great horned owls.

that to me is why parent would leave chicks and one that has just hatched.

but in a few days after I have some food for thought about all the chicks we are losing all over this year

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 63313

bev. wrote:

a great horned owl is their worst nightmare, and if they were being bothered , the adults would have to leave . they could not battle a great horned owl.

that is what takes some of our migrating birds. but we have chicks on bridges and cliffs that have been taken by Great horned owls.

that to me is why parent would leave chicks and one that has just hatched.

but in a few days after I have some food for thought about all the chicks we are losing all over this year

I agree with that...except for one thing. It doesn't explain why a parent was brooding 2 with the 3rd possibly already deceased..

kittenface · **Posted:** Tue May 16, 2017 1:58 am

May 15th

bev. · **Posted:** Tue May 16, 2017 12:33 pm

we have seen more chicks die this year than any other year. I am going to discuss this with "Gord. more that are being consumed ( and I do believe there is a reason for this) more dying , a day or two later. It is not just a coincidence in my book.