22 November 2022
November is a quiet time for Pittsburgh area peregrines. Most of them stay on territory all winter but expand their range because food is less abundant at this time of year. Some peregrines make brief trips away from home but roost on their “cliff” when they come back.
Above, at the Westinghouse Bridge last Saturday Dana Nesiti found the male of the local peregrine pair preening in the sun. Below, Jeff Cieslak took a zoomed-in photo of the Cathedral of Learning from about a mile away. Both peregrines were perched on the 38th floor ledge on the Heinz Chapel side. This is a reliable place to find them in November but you’ll need binoculars!
The snapshot camera sees Morela and Ecco at the nest via motion detection. In November they visit infrequently and don’t stay very long. This slideshow shows their visits in the past 10 days.
December will see the low point of local peregrine winter activity. In January the begin to think about spring. Watch for them here on the snapshot camera.
(photos by Dana Nesiti, Jeff Cieslak and the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh)
Definition: “cliff” = in the urban setting their home cliff is a bridge or building.
I think one of these two comes and visits me downtown. I was calling them my favorite co-worker because they sit outside my window while I work.