Northern flicker nestling, calling in Schenley Park, 10 June 2016 (photo by Kate St. John)
Just a reminder that I’m leading a bird and nature walk on Sunday June 19, 8:30am at Bartlett Shelter on Bartlett Street near Panther Hollow Road. I’m sure we’ll see nesting and baby birds. Click here for more information.
Those who attended my Schenley Park outing on April 24 may remember we found a northern flicker calling from a nest hole above the Visitors Center steps. He was trying to attract a mate to his deluxe nest site under a big shelf mushroom.
Last Friday I found proof that he succeeded. I heard a flicker calling from the same area and it was his son!
Look under the shelf mushroom in these photos. He matches the tree trunk but you can see a dark mustache on his face.
Northern flicker nestling in Schenley Park, 10 June 2016 (photo by Kate St. John)
Looking forward to seeing you on June 19. Visit the Events page before you come … in case the walk is cancelled for bad weather.
Pitt peregrine youngster, C1, inspects the snapshot camera, 10 June 2016 (photo from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh)
Sunday’s Fledge Watch was very boring at the Cathedral of Learning . The weather was beautiful but the winds were gusty and the peregrine chick, C1, spent the entire time sleeping at the nest. As far as I know, she didn’t fledge yesterday.
Will she fly today? I hope so.
Come to the tent at Schenley Plaza today (June 13) and see what the peregrines are up to. I’ll be there from noon to 2:00pm. Check the Events page for additional schedule information.
(photo from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh)
View from my kitchen table (photo by Kate St. John)
Last weekend while sitting at the kitchen table with my friend Kathy I looked out the window and saw an animal climb the green fence. I thought it was a cat.
The fence is close to the window. The animal was very close to the window. I didn’t take a picture but it resembled this composite photo …
Kind of what it looked like when an animal was climbing the fence …
It wasn’t a cat. When she turned her face I saw her raccoon mask. Her belly showed she was nursing young.
The raccoon ran up the backyard and put her paws in the bird bath.
Coon at the bird bath (photo by Kathy Fox)
And then she ambled up the yard, climbed over the back fence, and was gone.
Before young peregrines fly they walk on the cliff ledges and exercise their wings. Their parents encourage them by flying nearby.
Since the chick C1 walked off camera at the Cathedral of Learning yesterday, all the action has moved to the air above Schenley Plaza where Peter Bell (@PittPeregrines) recorded this video last evening. We see the entire peregrine family at once — swooping, diving, and “wingercising” (wing + exercising).
This is why I love fledge watch. It’s the best part of peregrine season!
I’ll be at Pitt Peregrine Fledge Watch at Schenley Plaza today, June 11, 9:00 to 11:00am followed by John English (Pittsburgh Falconuts) noon to 3:00pm, weather permitting. We’ll also be there Sunday and Monday. Visit the Events page for the schedule.
Immature peregrine in Downtown Pittsburgh, Lawrence Hall, 10 June 2016 (photo by Amanda McGuire)
Caleb Rodgers had a peregrine outside his window at Point Park University last evening.
This young peregrine fledged from the Third Avenue nest several days ago. He’s flying so well now that he visited one of his parents’ favorite perches at Lawrence Hall in Downtown Pittsburgh.
Peregrine chick C1 begins to ledge walk, 10 June 2016 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)C1 is about to leave the camera view, 10 June 2016 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
It’s still All Peregrines All the Time here on the blog, but within a week they’ll all have flown and I’ll return to other topics.
Cathedral of Learning:
The female chick, C1, at the Cathedral of Learning disappeared from the streaming camera this morning by walking up the ledge near the snapshot camera. Soon she was completely out of view. She’s ledge walking! Click here to see the big area she’s exploring above the keyholes.
C1 will ledge walk for 2+ days before she fledges. The only way to see her is from Schenley Plaza so come on down to Fledge Watch today, noon to 2:00pm, or this coming weekend to see what she and her parents are up to. Check the Events page before you come. The schedule changes frequently.
Downtown Pittsburgh:
Adult peregrine on Lawrence Hall gargoyle, Downtown Pittsburgh (photo by John English)
Yesterday the Downtown peregrines were flying so well that it was hard to keep up with them. We found two youngsters at noon: one on the Art Institute and the other flying rapidly and frequently(!) over a four block area. One of the adults watched from the gargoyle on Lawrence Hall, above.
The purpose of Fledge Watch is to rescue newly-fledged peregrines if they land on the ground. That early flight period of their lives is over so Downtown Fledge Watch has ended, too.
Meanwhile at the Gulf Tower, a falcon came for a visit…
American kestrel at the Gulf Tower nest site (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Gulf Tower)
… but it was not a peregrine. He’s an American kestrel. Pretty bird!
Neville Island I-79 Bridge:
Adult peregrine at Neville Island I-79 bridge (photo by Gene Henderson)
We’re saddened to hear from Anne Marie Bosynak that she saw a dead peregrine fledgling on the road at the I-79 Neville Island Bridge last evening. It was below the spot where she saw one perching the day before. You can’t stop your car on the bridge so Anne Marie drove by many times to check its identity. Both adults were visible but she couldn’t find the other fledgling.
Alas. 🙁
Urban peregrines face so many challenges that cliff-nesting peregrines avoid.
(photo credits: National Aviary falconcams, John English, Gene Henderson. See captions.)
As of yesterday morning all four nestlings had flown.
7:30am to 10:30am: 3 fledglings visible simultaneously.
11:00am to end of day: 2 fledglings visible simultaneously. The others were perched out of sight.
For most of the day a fledgling perched and screamed from a 7th floor windowsill at 309 Smithfield Street (above). The screaming meant “Parents! Bring me food!” but his parents ignored him because they wanted him to fly to a better perch. Concerned observers called the Game Commission. No worries. A high-up screaming peregrine is OK, just annoying.
At noon, Tuesday’s rescued bird ran along the edge of the porch and flew 1.5 blocks to the top of the Art Institute.
Peregrine fledgling practices short distance flights at the rescue porch (photo by Lori Maggio)
At 4:10pm Lori Maggio found this fledgling on an arch at the Pioneer Building, Wood Street at Boulevard of the Allies.
Peregrine fledgling on a 5th floor arch, 8 June 2016 (photo by Lori Maggio)
Today the Downtown fledglings will be harder to find because they’re flying everywhere.
UPDATE June 9, 12:20pm: Today is the last day of Downtown Fledge Watch. The youngsters are flying so well that it’s really hard to keep up with them.
Around noon I found 1 adult on the Third Ave gargoyle, 1 youngster on top of the Art Institute and another (apparently The Screamer) on a 6th floor ledge on Third Avenue. The Screamer is really good at flying now. He moves fast!
(photos by Lori Maggio)
If you stop by Downtown Fledge Watch check the ground. If you find a fledgling, corral it to a safe zone and call the PGC “rescue” number (724-238-9523).
Please stop by Downtown Fledge Watch any time and check for peregrines on the ground. If you find one, corral it to a safe zone and call the PGC “rescue” number: 724-238-9523.
As you can see there’s a pretty side of the street (above) and the dumpster side of the street (below).
News of the Downtown peregrines:
As of June 7 at 2:00pm: 3 had fledged, 1 was still in the nest. One of the three had been rescued and was 19 stories up at Lawrence Hall. Both parents visible.
As of June 8, 7:30am: Lori Maggio reports that two of the fledglings are two stories up and whining loudly at the gated area behind Dollar Bank. They’re begging for food. My guess is that their parents are refusing to feed them until they fly up higher. This is a noisy test of wills which the older generation will eventually win. The “kids” have to learn to stay up high.
… Yesterday John English caught us by the dumpsters looking at our cellphones. Yoy!
Fledge watchers Downtown, 7 June 2016 (photo by John English)
(photos by John English)
UPDATE, June 8, 8:30am: Photo from Lori Maggio, two fledglings at back of Dollar Bank. Today’s gusty winds may keep these birds low today. SEE ABOVE FOR THE REASON WHY THEY’RE WHINING.
Two peregrine fledglings at back of Dollar Bank, 8 June 2016, 7:30am (photo by Lori Maggio)
UPDATE AT 12:20pm: All 4 have fledged. Rescue Porch bird flew to top of Art Institute (good job!). Another fledgling is perched at a blue window approx 7 floors up on Smithfield Street above Crazy Mocha. Haven’t seen the other two yet. (We try to locate all of them but it’s impossible this stage.) As I left Fledge Watch, Lori Maggio and Dallas DiLeo are on site.
NO CHANGE as of 4:30pm except Art Institute bird flew to Pioneer Hall (corner of Wood and Blvd of the allies) on the Wood Street side. 5 stories up on an arch. Only 2 are visible.
Female peregrine chick at 32 days old, 31 May 2016 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
The peregrine chick at the Cathedral of Learning, C1, has changed a lot in the past week.
On May 31 she was mostly white. Now (June 7) she’s mostly brown. C1 has grown her juvenile plumage and preened away at lot of the down.
Female peregrine chick at 39 days old, 7 June 2016 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
Yesterday she was 39 days old, the age at which male peregrine chicks often fledge at the Cathedral of Learning. However, females fly a few days later than the males because they are 1/3 larger and heavier. It will be several more days before C1 flies.
When she walks off camera she’ll fledge in (typically) 2-5 days.
