This week Peter Bell (@PittPeregrines) followed peregrine fledgling C1 around the Cathedral of Learning as she practiced her flying skills.

Monday evening, June 13: Peter waited for C1 to fledge but left the area just 10 minutes too soon (video above).

Tuesday, June 14:  C1 spent the day whining for attention and shouting for food.  (Notice that the incoming adult is already molting.)

Wednesday June 15:  A rare photo.  C1 in flight!

Thursday June 16:  Many thunderstorms and heavy downpours. C1 stayed put long enough for Peter to photograph her from above. She’s not as close as she looks. Peter’s camera can really zoom. 🙂

This weekend C1 will fly to other buildings as she expands her flight skills. Soon she’ll be hard to find … and that’s as it should be.

(video and photos by Peter Bell, @PittPeregrines)

For every other big event in the Pitt peregrines’ lives this spring, I’ve been out hiking without cell coverage so it was fitting that I was in the Laurel Highlands this morning without cell coverage when Fledge Watchers confirmed that C1 had fledged.

As it turns out, C1 probably flew last night around 7:30pm.  When Lori Maggio was leaving The Porch restaurant last night she heard a peregrine screeching, looked up, and saw a brown bird flying toward Phipps.  She didn’t know what was going on so she emailed me:

“An adult peregrine came flying toward the bird and seemed to go after it, bumping into it. The original bird circled back around and headed toward the Cathedral. It tried to land on one of the windows about 1/2 way up, pushed off the window and circled around the right side of the cathedral [out of sight].  The adult peregrine flew back and forth in front of the cathedral for about 45 seconds and then landed on the railing above the nest.”

Apparently Hope told C1 to turn back and land on the Cathedral of Learning … which she did safely on the other side.  I’m sure the fledgling had a snack and slept all night after that excitement.

This morning at Fledge Watch Peter Bell saw Hope but not C1.  When you can’t find a fledgling, find both parents and they’ll give you the clue so Peter found Terzo on the north side of the building.

By midday C1 was up and at ’em on the west face, shouting for food and flying to different ledges.  In the photos above she’s in a very safe location 250 feet up.  She’s exploring her new world.

Congratulations, C1!  I knew you’d do it if I went out of cell range.  😉

(photos by Peter Bell (@PittPeregrines))

The peregrine chick at the Cathedral of Learning has still not fledged as of yesterday evening.  She prefers to sleep during the hottest part of the day so we sit and wait for nothing at midday Fledge Watch.  Notice her in the yellow circle above, sleeping on the roof of the nestbox.

I suspect this is a difference in parenting styles.  Dori and Louie (Downtown) fed their young a little less as they approached fledge date so the “kids” associated fledging with food.  C1’s parents feed her so well that she has little incentive to leave.  Some of you said she’s a spoiled only child.  Perhaps so.  She’ll fly some day but I can’t predict when.

The official Pitt Peregrine Fledge Watch is changing and tapering off.  Today, June 14, John English (Pittsburgh Falconuts) will be at Schenley Plaza from 11:00am to 1:00pm.  Peter Bell (@PittPeregrines) will visit when the chick is off camera (i.e. ledge walking or flying). I’ll stop by today from 4:30pm to 5:30pm.

You’re welcome to visit the watch at any time to see the peregrines on your own.

p.s. No need to worry that C1 will land on the ground in her first 24 hours of flight.  She has 400 feet of headroom and many comfortable landing sites on the Cathedral of Learning at 380, 320, 250 and 150 feet.  (The Downtown chicks started only 120 feet up with landing zones at 60, 20 and 10 feet high. No wonder they reached the ground!)

(photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)