The last of the three 2008 peregrine nestlings at WAMU died sometime between 3 PM and 8 PM yesterday. Security at Wright Runstad was kind enough to notify Ruth Taylor, project leader, last night.
We are now making every effort to retrieve the chick for analysis before one of the adults carries it off the ledge. If we are successful, it will be sent to the WSU lab in Pullman, WA, for a post-mortem examination.
Once again, having all three eyasses die mid-way through their development is an unusual event for us. We have not seen this type of mortality before among peregrines breeding in Seattle or elsewhere for that matter.
We can't say what the cause might be until further analysis of the young. When we receive those results, we will share them with you all.
In the meantime, thanks for your patience, understanding and compassion for the nestlings. We have had several calls and e-mails from people concerned about their welfare and we appreciate it.
