If you miss seeing nesting peregrines on camera here’s a raptor family to watch online.  As of last night (June 5), there were two chicks and one egg still to go at an osprey nest in Montana.

The nest is in Hellgate Canyon next to the Clark Fork River in Missoula, Montana.  It looks like a very public place but the birds are right next to the river.  The Hellgate valley is so narrow here that the river, the railroad, some businesses, and Interstate 90 are all close by.  We see and hear I-90 traffic in the background. (Click here for a map of the site.)

Louis and Iris are devoted parents whose lives are sometimes complicated by terrible weather and threats from challengers.  And yet they persist.  In this video clip Louis brings Iris a fish to eat while she was incubating last week.  Click here for a 36 minute video of the first chick’s first feeding.

The chicks are tiny.  There’s plenty to see.  Tune in here to watch their progress at the Hellgate Osprey nest.

p.s. If you watch before 7:15a Pittsburgh time, you’ll see that the sun hasn’t risen yet in Montana!

(photo from tweet of Cornell Lab’s Hellgate Osprey nestcam)

The Pitt peregrines have flown. The young red-tailed hawks in Schenley Park are getting ready to go. Here are photos of their recent activity by Gregory Diskin.

The youngsters are fully feathered now, ledge walking and wing exercising.  On June 3, one of them flapped so hard he was nearly airborne.

When they aren’t busy exercising, they gaze at their parents who often perch in a large sycamore tree across the way.

And they watch intensely as their parents fly.  “So that’s how it’s done.”

For more photos of the hawk family’s progress, click here to see Gregory Diskin’s album.

(photos by Gregory Diskin)

This spring (2018) I’ve seen two red-tailed hawk nests in Schenley Park and there’s probably a third. Gregory Diskin is documenting one of them with his camera.

Above, the mother hawk watches her two chicks on May 14.  Below, the chicks gaze out from their bridge nest on May 17.

On May 18 a chick tests his wings.

On May 21 a chick displays his new, reddish chest feathers.

(Click on any photo to see more of Gregory Diskin’s album.)

These two will fly in the next few weeks.  They’re much further along than the tree nest overlooking the Parkway where the mother is still incubating or brooding.  She’s hard to see now among the leaves.

If you watch red-tailed hawks in your area you might find a nest. When you see one carrying prey in its talons, it’s taking food to the chicks.  Follow the bird and you’ll find the red-tailed hawks at home.

(photos by Gregory M. Diskin)

We’re taking a break from peregrine drama with the cutest owls on the planet.

This video of young burrowing owls was sent as a Thank You from Cornell Lab of Ornithology to its contributors in 2016.

Enjoy!  And happy Friday!

(video from Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

p.s. In case you’re not familiar with Cornell Lab … they’re a unit of Cornell University that works to advance the study, appreciation, and conservation of birds.  We, and the birds, have all benefited from their work.

You’ve probably used at least one of their online tools or participated in their programs:  All About Birds website, eBird, the Merlin ID app, online bird ID classes (new class this month on Warbler ID!), nestcams & feeder cams, Great Backyard Bird Count, Project Feeder Watch,  … to name a few.

Read more about Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s work.  Join them here.

Yesterday morning the first egg hatched at the Harmar bald eagle nest high above the Allegheny River.

In the midst of April snow his parents were very attentive as he made his way out of the egg. Fortunately the snow was gone by afternoon.  (video from Audubon Society of Western PA (ASWP))

Meanwhile over by the Monongahela River, the Hays eaglet is now eleven days old and will be an “only child” this season.  The last egg is not viable though it’s still in the nest.   ASWP posted this snapshot yesterday on their Pittsburgh Eagles Facebook page.

Watch the Harmar eaglecam for the second egg to hatch in the days ahead.

Keep tabs on the Hays eaglet at the Hays live feed.

And for all the latest eagle news, join the eagle watching community at Audubon Society of Western PA’s Pittsburgh Eagles Facebook page.

(photos and videos from the Audubon Society of Western PA’s Pittsburgh Eagles Facebook page)

UPDATE:  Second eaglet hatched at Harmar on April 3 at 4:30pm:

While I was out of the country I missed this year’s first hatching event at the Hays bald eagle nest on March 23.

The video below from Pix Controller’s Facebook page shows the eaglet on March 24.  The photo above from ASWP shows the entire family on March 25.

Though the mother eagle laid three eggs in February, she’s expecting only two to hatch.  Here’s this year’s history:

• Egg #1 laid on February 13
• Egg #2 laid on February 15
• Egg #3 laid on February 19
• One of the three eggs cracked. It was not viable and was removed by the parents.
• Hatch #1: March 23
• Hatch #2:  … UPDATE on MARCH 31: the egg is not viable and will not hatch

When will the second egg hatch?  If the timing of first hatch works for the second one, the last egg will hatch between March 25 (if the remaining egg is Egg #2) and March 29 (if it’s Egg #3). But my math could be wrong.

For more eagle baby pictures and videos visit the Audubon Society of Western PA’s Pittsburgh Eagles Facebook page.  You don’t have to be a Facebook member to see them.

Meanwhile, Hatch Watch continues.  Click here to see the live feed at ASWP.

(photo of the Hays bald eagle family from the Audubon Society of Western PA’s Pittsburgh Eagles Facebook page; video from Pix Controller Facebook page)

As of Saturday night we have bald eagle eggs in both of Pittsburgh’s on-camera nests.

Near the Allegheny River, the Harmar female laid her first egg for 2018 on Saturday evening 24 February around 5 pm. 

On Sunday Steve Gosser went to the Harmar viewing area and was seen on the eaglecam as a speck in the parking lot far below (photo at top).  He calls it his first Eaglecam selfie.  If you visit the gravel parking lot on Freeport Road near the Hulton Bridge, you might get an eaglecam selfie too.  😉

At the Hays bald eagle nest near the Monongahela River there have been three eggs since February 19, but we haven’t been able to watch them “live.” Pittsburgh’s overcast skies have kept the Hays solar panels too low to broadcast.   No selfies over there!

The sun made a brief appearance yesterday and is due to shine today so the Hays eaglecam will probably return soon at ASWP’s Hays Eagle Nest webpage.

Meanwhile, here’s a snapshot of the three Hays eggs on February 22 plus links to videos of the three eggs’ first appearances.

• Video of 1st Hays bald eagle egg, 13 February 2018
• Video of 2nd Hays egg, 15 February
• Video of 3rd Hays egg, 19 February

Keep up with both nests on Facebook at Bald Eagles in Western Pennsylvania — Audubon Society of Western PA or visit the Audubon Society of Western PA’s bald eagle webpage for links to the cams and the latest news.

(photos and video from Audubon Society of Western PA’s bald eaglecams at Harmar and Hays)

The female bald eagle at Hays laid her first egg of the season last night. This photo was captured by PixController and posted on their Facebook page.

Watch the Hays Bald Eagles on camera at this link.

Happy Spring!

p.s. February 13 is also the date she laid her first egg in 2016. Amazing.

(photo from the Hays Bald Eagle camera via PixController)