Color & migration at Schenley Park

Ash tree at Schenley Park, Oct 11, 2008 (photo by Kate St.John)Not much to report – but it was a sunny day in Pittsburgh so I ignored my Saturday chores and took a walk in Schenley Park.

The fall colors are beautiful, as you can see by my photo.

I had my binoculars with me (always!) and searched the Cathedral of Learning for the peregrines when I got within view.  It didn’t take long to find them.

A light southeast wind was carrying migrating red-tailed hawks over Oakland.  The migrants didn’t know there are peregrines at Pitt and inevitably tried to catch an updraft at the Cathedral of Learning.  When they did, one of the peregrines would pop off the building and attack them.  This was bewildering for the hawks but I must admit I enjoyed watching the action after so many boring months of peregrine inactivity.

Between mock attacks, Dorothy and E2 perched up high to wait for the next red-tail.  It was a perfect day for hawk watching.

2 thoughts on “Color & migration at Schenley Park

  1. Hi Kate,
    So glad to hear that Dorothy and E2 are keeping the red tails in their places!
    I hope that E2 remains in Oakland over the winter. I do recall that you had pictures of another falcon in the nest box when it was still Erie’s territory. Could that have been E2, or does my memory not serve me correctly. Thanks for your great and educational blog!

  2. Back on March 18, 2007, Erie fought off and killed another male peregrine who tried to take over the nest site. The intruder’s name was Pulse, born in Cleveland in 2004.

    2007 was Erie’s last year at Pitt. He disappeared that fall. E2 has been the resident male peregrine ever since.

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