Hello, my love

I don’t think of August as a time when peregrines do any courting so it was with some surprise that I found this webcam photo yesterday. 

Here are E2 and Dorothy bowing to each other at the University of Pittsburgh nest – in late August!  It sure looks like courtship to me.  E2 appears to be touching Dorothy’s beak and they must have been moving because E2’s image is blurred.

Both birds have been molting since July.  The loss of old feathers and growth of new ones is a long and probably draining process for peregrines whose every feather must be in top condition in order for them to hunt.  When they molt they sit around a lot, sometimes sunbathing, sometimes sleeping in the shade.  My friend Karen and I don’t see them for days at a time because they’re least active at midday when we’re out watching. 

But they haven’t forgotten about their nest, even though they won’t be using it for another seven months, and E2 hasn’t forgotten about Dorothy.   “Hello, my love,” says he.

8 thoughts on “Hello, my love

  1. Good Morning Kate,
    Such a nice picture! Isn’t interesting that the same behavior has been observed at the Rhodes Office Tower in Columbus by Scout and Orville. Glad to see that Dorothy and E2 are still in the area. I suppose that the juvies are no longer being sighted in the Oakland area. Has anyone ever determined how long peregrine females are capable of producing eggs? Thanks for your great blog.

  2. What a sweet story! I miss getting my daily peregrine fix but I continue to appreciate and enjoy your posts. Thanks, Kate.

  3. I am writing to you to say that I believe now on two seperate occassions this year I saw a peregrine falcon on the Rankin Bridge in Homestead. Both times the bird was perched on a street light on the bridge and I have been able to get a very good look at it both times and I am positive it is a falcon.
    I was curious to see if anyone else made these claims
    cory

  4. You aren’t the only one to see peregrines at the Rankin Bridge. Keep watching – especially next February – to see if the activity level picks up. Maybe a new pair will establish a new territory!

  5. I am sure there will be a LOT of Rankin Bridge construction in the coming year. The bridge is in very bad shape and long overdue for repair. I heard they got the money to fix it – so now’s the time.

  6. They haven’t left. I saw them courting on Monday morning, 9/15/08. Dorothy called to E2 as she flew around the Cathedral of Learning. Then she went to the nest site & he followed.

Leave a Reply to Kate St. John Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *