Pen Opening Scheduled for 6/14
Pending no inclement weather, we will be opening the pen on Wednesday, June 14th.
In conjunction with the pen opening, DWR staff will be stationed downtown on Wednesday and Thursday as part of our annual FledgeWatch monitoring to observe the birds during their first days on the wing. At this stage the chicks will have the strength needed to fly, but it can take them several days to perfect their flight and landing skills. By having staff on site during this critical period, we can intervene and get a chick medical attention more quickly in the event of a building collision, grounding, or failed landing attempt.
What to expect?
On Wednesday morning, the camera will be temporarily turned off while an actuator (the tool used to remotely open the pen) is installed on the pen door. Following the quick installation of this device, we will reconnect the camera and then allow the chicks time to settle before powering the actuator to open the door. Although we cannot guarantee the exact time when this will happen, it will likely occur at some point between 8:30-9:30am. Once the pen door is open, the chicks will be free to leave the pen at their leisure.
Unlike in previous years where viewers needed to wait until the evening blog post to find out more about the day’s events, we will instead be posting regular updates throughout the day to keep viewers more informed as to the on-the-ground action. Be on the lookout for the creation of a post, just like this one on the main page, which we will regularly add notable updates to as the day progresses!