9 April 2025

When young peregrines fledge from Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning in late May or early June, their parents help them learn to hunt, provide food for a short while, and then “wean” them from the handouts, forcing them to be independent and hunt on their own.

Our youngsters typically leave Pittsburgh in July and never return to the Cathedral of Learning nest. In 20+ years of watching there have been a handful of cameo appearances of a youngster at the nest after it left home. But they don’t stay. They don’t live with their parents.

And if they try to stay they are driven away, as shown in this video from @FaBPeregrines in which the youngster’s father hazes him for 30 minutes. (This video shows 23 minutes of it. Feel free to watch only the beginning.)

Thus I find it quite unusual that a one-year-old immature son — banded ‘GL’ in 2024 — is tolerated at his parents’ nest at Taunton Minster in Taunton, England, UK. The resident male (JN) and female (JY) raised him last spring.

Thanks to two falconcams, Taunton Peregrines was able to discover that GL has probably been present even before the cameras came online in February.

The juvenile male Peregrine’GL’ that fledged here last year may have been around sometime as he pops up on the camera recordings since early Feb when they were switched on. Here he is coming to the breakfast buffet and leaving the Avocet for something else. ?@somersetbirds? pic.twitter.com/FWH6efqNEj

— Taunton Peregrines. (@TauntonPeregri) March 9, 2025

Strangely, when his parents began incubation on 23 March, GL tried to incubate as well. At first he didn’t know what he was doing but soon he got the hang of it and really wanted to incubate.

On 24 March he had a stare-down with his incubating mother (JY) but she didn’t get up. However he is persistent. By 27 March he was incubating regularly and reluctant to let his mother take over. On 28 March he wouldn’t let his father (JN) incubate (video below). Eventually JN gently pushed him off the eggs.

For this morning and the Tiercel (male) Peregrine gently pushes and persuades 'GL' the 2024 fledgling off the eggs. Sound on the 2nd clip with GL making most of the noise. ? pic.twitter.com/ElnKcsvVcT

— Taunton Peregrines. (@TauntonPeregri) March 28, 2025

Soon GL escalated his activity. He wanted to incubate so much that he pushed his mother off the eggs on 29 March (below).

Here the Tiercel (male) works out how to push, eventually, the Falcon (female) off the four eggs. ? pic.twitter.com/FN1fQvbpkT

— Taunton Peregrines. (@TauntonPeregri) March 29, 2025

His father (JN) was getting tired of this and on 4 April zoomed into the nest “scary fast” to urge GL immediately off the eggs. But on 7 April GL tried to push his dad off the eggs.

The resident male Peregrine is starting to show his dominance and did not give way to the juvenile bird this morning when it comes to incubating the ???? pic.twitter.com/Dfx2HEvzJI

— Taunton Peregrines. (@TauntonPeregri) April 7, 2025

What is going on in this unusual peregrine family? What will happen when the eggs hatch?

Find out by following @TauntonPeregri on X.

p.s. X is the only way I know to follow the Taunton peregrines. If you know of another source please leave a comment.