Love Is In The Air

Hope bows low and turns her head in courtship with E2 (photo from the National Aviary snapshot camera at the Cathedral of Learning)
Hope bows low and turns her head as she courts with E2 (photo from the National Aviary snapshot camera at the Cathedral of Learning)

Though January is gray and cold, peregrine falcon courtship has begun.  Watch the skies near any of Pittsburgh’s nesting sites and you’re likely to see peregrines in courtship flight.  It’s a breath-taking display that ends at the nest.

If you miss them in the sky you can see them on camera at the falconcam sites as they perform another part of their courtship: ledge displays.

Above, Hope and E2 “chirp,” bow low, and turn their heads side to side as they court at the Cathedral of Learning nest on Saturday, January 16.

Below, Louie entices Dori to visit the Gulf Tower nest on Thursday, January 14.  I hope she takes his hint and starts to make a scrape in the new gravel.

Dori and Louie court at the Gulf Tower nest, 14 Jan 2016 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Gulf Tower)
Dori and Louie at the Gulf Tower nest, 14 Jan 2016 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam)

Click on each image to see the streaming video at the nest.

Love is in the air right now.  Watch for eggs in mid/late March.

 

(photos from the National Aviary falconcams at University of Pittsburgh and Gulf Tower)

5 thoughts on “Love Is In The Air

  1. Thanks, Kate! I’ve been able to catch Hope and E2 together at the Cathedral, but not Dori and Louie at Gulf. That’s wonderful to read (and see) that there is interest over there. It would be so great if we have two locations with lots of egg activity.

  2. Oh! I so do hope that Dori and Louie stay at the nest box and not some “undisclosed” location. Even though it is a Christmas song, I think it is most fitting to start singing, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”!! We can sing it again when the eggs are laid and when they hatch….It fits all seasons doesn’t it.

  3. Wouldn’t it be great if Dori and Louie used the Gulf Tower nest box this year? Talons crossed! 🙂

  4. I looked at the Hays Eagle nest about 5 last evening and BOTH eagles were there, tidying up the old home site. To success at all locations!
    Anne

  5. I’ve been enjoying watching Hope and E2 at CL but today I decided to checkout wild earth’s archives for Gulf Tower. (2/24/16). Imagine my surprise to see Dori and Louie courting at the nest. It was brief (seconds), then one left. The other (thinking maybe Dori but not sure) stayed in the nest for at least 20 minutes. Worked on the scrape maybe once or twice, but mostly just stood there. I tried checking out a few prior dates but the website has gone down. Hope we see this more!

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