28 May 2020
If you want an easy look at young peregrine falcons the next week is the time to do it. Four youngsters at the Tarentum Bridge are ledge walking and will make their first flight some time between May 31 and June 7.
Yesterday I visited the Tarentum Boat Ramp and digi-scoped these photos with my cellphone. All four youngsters were preening fluff from their feathers and walking along the middle bridge pier. The top photo has three birds in it; the third is hidden behind his siblings.
The fourth youngster walked over from the nestbox and jumped up to the step.
Meanwhile their mother watched from the far pier. She turned her head away just as I snapped this photo.
The youngsters are changing fast. Just two days earlier they were much whiter as seen in John English’s photos from Memorial Day, 25 May 2020. Next week they’ll be completely brown.
The youngsters will fly soon so visit the Tarentum Bridge now through June 7. Click here for a map. This is the week to see them!
Learn more about the process of first flight at Peregrine Progress: First Flight.
(photos by Kate St. John and John English)
Hello! This is not as a comment, but a question. I don’t see an email contact for the website.
For some reason, we’ve never been able to find the Peregrine nestbox under the Tarentum bridge. We’ve been by the Boat Ramp and looked all along the underside of the bridge.
I don’t know if Kate, John English, or someone else can help describe where exactly where to find it. Is there anyone local to Tarentum who might describe or possibly even meet us there?
Thanks! 🙂
A, the nestbox is not on the “underside” of the bridge. It is on the concrete top of the middle pier at the base of the downriver bridge footer. This photo shows 2 guys installing the nestbox in 2015; one of them is wearing bright yellow https://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/tarentum_nestbox80_P1020946_rsz_kms.jpg
This photo shows 2 chicks near the box as seen from the boat launch area on Tarentum shore. https://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/PEFA_tarentum_DSCN4162_rsz_johnenglish.jpg
The youngsters walk along the concrete pier and will jump up on the railings.