4th Falcon Chick Hatches At San Jose City Hall
A fourth falcon egg hatched Wednesday in San Jose, kicking off this year’s contest to name the four new chicks now being carefully nurtured by beloved peregrine falcon Clara and her mate Esteban Colbert. City spokeswoman Michelle McGurk confirmed that Clara’s fourth egg hatched Wednesday morning. One falcon fan who posted on the birds’ Yahoo message site reported seeing four “little black mouths pointing up for food” at 6:20 a.m. Wednesday.
Clara and Esteban’s followers have been watching the nesting box atop City Hall closely after her first three eggs hatched Monday and Tuesday. This is Clara’s largest family to date, according to McGurk. The bird hatched three chicks in 2007 and again in 2008. San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed is inviting the city’s children ages 5 to 17 to enter a contest to name the young birds. Last year, the contest’s winning entries officially dubbed Clara’s chicks Cielo, Meyye and Mercury. Entrants must come up with a “meaningful, clever and fitting name” for one of the babies and submit either a drawing or short essay. Judges will select 10 names and winners will be determined by online voting. Entries are due May 6. Complete rules and entry guidelines are available at http://www.sanjoseca.gov/mayor/.
Anyone who needs inspiration in thinking up a name can turn to the webcam that follows the falcons, the Yahoo news group dedicated to the birds, or their Facebook fan page.