Peregrine Chicks at Green Tree!

Vantage point for watching the Green Tree peregrines (photo by Shannon Thompson)

For a month now we’ve had no peregrine nesting news in Pittsburgh.  I thought the season was over…  right?

Not!   This afternoon Art McMorris, Peregrine Coordinator for the PA Game Commission, reported that the peregrine pair at the Green Tree water tower have nestlings!   Here’s an excerpt from Art’s email:

“As you know, the peregrines’ nesting attempt this spring failed, and all indications were that they were not re-nesting, so we (PA Game Commission) gave the water company the go-ahead to resume the work they postponed to protect the peregrines. Today the contractors started working — and they saw the adults flying in and out of the nest feeding chicks that they could hear, but not see.

They have agreed to suspend work, again, to protect the peregrines. …  Since the workmen could hear the chicks, I think they must be at least 10 days old; but beyond that, I have no idea. For all we know now, they could even fledge tomorrow.”

 

Art needs our help monitoring the Green Tree site.  How many chicks are there?  Have they appeared at the nest opening yet?  Let’s make sure they fledge safely.  Stop by the Green Tree water tower (visit the park behind the Green Tree Borough City Office) and look under the bulb of the water tank at the shelves beneath.

Congratulations to this persistent pair at the water tower. (“Mom” & “Dad” pictured below.)
Green Tree water tower peregrine pair

Hooray, it’s peregrine season again!

 

(photos by Shannon Thompson)

12 thoughts on “Peregrine Chicks at Green Tree!

  1. Very good news! I spent an hour there on June 20, and saw only one adult, but heard another. There was no sign of any hatchlings. Photos are on the Falconuts Facebook page under the “Photos” tab.

  2. What wonderful news this is and thank you, thank you to the workers who heard them and the Water Company who halted their work.

  3. There was a bird sitting on a very low wire off Greentree Rd Wed. evening that I
    thought looked like a juvenile falcon—more brownish colored than adult. Of course, it could have been a hawk, but it didn’t look like it.
    I couldn’t get a good picture with my phone due to the angle of the sun behind the bird, and traffic behind me.
    Because it was just sitting there for a long time, I thought it was acting “young”.
    If anyone can enhance a very bad cell-phone picture, I will send it somewhere.

  4. While I was driving home today to Butler, I saw what I thought was a peregrine perched atop a building near the 62nd Street Bridge — Store Express, I think it’s called? It was on the edge of the peak and just hanging out, watching. There was traffic so it wasn’t like I could stop and take a closer look. 🙁

  5. This is exciting news! I’ve seen the adults almost daily on my way to and from work
    but had given up hope of chicks. I live close by and will be happy to help monitor.

  6. News of the Green Tree peregrines: Mary Jo, Vicki and Shannon (and a few others) have been monitoring the Green Tree peregrines. They report than only one adult is seen at a time. Sometimes they hear the chick(s) begging from the nest, sometimes not. No sight of the chicks yet.
    Here’s a picture from Shannon Thompson on July 23: http://www.flickr.com/photos/38751758@N08/9351527543/

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