31 March 2023

This month southwestern Pennsylvania’s peregrine falcons got down to the serious business of defending their territories (at Pitt) and laying eggs, summarized in the spreadsheet below.

Note the last line! Margaret & Roger Higbee + others saw a peregrine along US 422 near Craigsville, Armstrong County. It’s an odd location but noteworthy in that it’s 8+ miles due east of the Kittanning nest site on the US 422 Bridge.

And now for the details.

Cathedral of Learning, Univ of Pittsburgh:

After chasing off a challenger during the third week of March Morela returned to the Cathedral of Learning nest and is again getting in the mood for egg laying. During the day she’s perched on the building but not on camera. At dusk she arrives to spend at least part of each night at the nest.

Though Morela did not lay yet this spring, her hormonal situation may be similar to having lost a clutch of eggs. According to Birds of the World, in temperate latitudes [such as Pittsburgh] clutch may be replaced in about 2 weeks if first clutch is lost.

Downtown Pittsburgh:

On 3 March Jeff Cieslak stopped by Downtown Pittsburgh and found a pair of peregrines at home on Third Avenue. Both members of last year’s pair, Terzo and Dori, were banded so he could tell immediately that the unbanded female is new. The male is a puzzle; Jeff couldn’t see his legs.

In Jeff’s 27 March photo below, taken from Mt. Washington, it appears that incubation has begun at bottom left.

Monaca RR Bridge, Ohio River:

During March Dante Zuccaro reported one or two peregrines almost every day at the Monaca Railroad Bridge. He last saw two on 18 March, but now only one. Perhaps incubation has begun.

Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge, Ohio River:

Every once in a great while a solo peregrine is seen perched on the Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge. The last incident happened to be this week, 28 March.

Sewickley Bridge, Ohio River:

Like the Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge, a solo peregrine is sometimes seen on the Sewickley Bridge. The last one was on 14 March.

Eckert Street near McKees Rocks Bridge, Ohio River:

Jeff Cieslak visits the Eckert Street peregrines nearly every day to see them courting loudly(!). On Tuesday the pair bowed near the nest. The female’s belly bulge indicates that eggs are due any day now.

Westinghouse Bridge, Turtle Creek:

Dana Nesiti saw the male peregrine at the Westinghouse Bridge on 18 March, above, and the pair on 23 March.

62nd Street Bridge / Highland Park Bridge / Aspinwall Riverfront Park, Allegheny River: No photo this time but on 8 March a bunch of observers, myself included, saw one and then two peregrines near the 62nd Street Bridge. We were all at the Sharpsburg Marina to see a long-tailed duck and happened to luck out with the peregrines.

Tarentum Bridge, Allegheny River:

This week Dave Brooke suspected that the female peregrine is incubating at Tarentum Bridge. Yesterday, 30 March, he came very close to confirming it in this photo showing her head-dipping and carefully moving away from the nest so as not to disturb the eggs with her talons.

No news in March from…

• Graff Bridge, Rt 422, Kittanning, Allegheny River
• Clairton Coke Works
• Speers Railroad Bridge, Washington County, Monongahela River: A solo peregrine was seen on 25 February. No news since then.

Check out any of these sites and tell me what you see. Need directions? Leave a comment.

(photos by Kate St. John, National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh, Jeff Cieslak, Dana Nesiti, Dave Brooke)

28 March 2023

After Morela returned from battling a challenger for four days, we wondered why she wasn’t spending much time at the nest. Before the challenge she stayed at the nest all day and looked as if she was about to lay an egg, but since her return on Saturday 25 March she hasn’t spent much time at the nest.

The reason is probably that Morela’s hormones tamped down so she wouldn’t need to lay an egg during the battle. She has to get back in the mood. Ecco is working on it.

Yesterday, 27 March, Morela and Ecco held three bowing sessions, each one longer than the last. At the second session Ecco warmed up for 20 minutes and made elaborate bows and pauses. All of his moves are part of his courtship “dance.”

Watch two of their bowing sessions in the video below. Alas, the microphone misbehaved so there is no sound.

Stay tuned to the National Aviary Falconcam at the Cathedral of Learning and watch them court.

Let’s see what happens next.

(photos and video from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

26 March 2023

Four days ago I wondered if a female peregrine was challenging Morela at the Pitt peregrine nest because I hadn’t seen her on camera since Tuesday afternoon, 21 March. Yesterday morning Ecco was still present and calling to a female off camera. Was she Morela? Or had the challenger won?

The answer came yesterday around 6:15pm. After Ecco spent five minutes calling and bowing to an unseen female she appeared on camera. Morela is back!

This video shows only a small portion of time it took Ecco to entice her to the nest.

After he left she was so confident that the challenger was gone that she snoozed at the nest for an hour.

Stay tuned to the National Aviary Falconcam at the Cathedral of Learning to see what happens next.

(photos and video from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

25 March 2023

UPDATE as of Saturday 25 March 2023, 7:15 PM: MORELA IS AT THE NEST!

News as of Saturday 25 March 2023, 8:00am:

On Wednesday morning, 22 March, I began to wonder if a female peregrine was challenging Morela at the Pitt peregrine nest. Morela hasn’t been seen on the falconcam since Tues 21 March at 3:32pm and two days have passed since I last saw her perched on campus (Wed 22 March at 4:14pm). Meanwhile Ecco waits and watches at the Cathedral of Learning.

Though none of us have seen any female peregrine for two days Ecco sometimes sees one in the sky — or maybe more than one. Yesterday afternoon he called to her from the nest. Whoever she was, she didn’t come in. Only Ecco knows whether she was Morela or the challenger.

Eventually a female will join Ecco at the nest so watch carefully at that point. Is she Morela? Or someone new?

Will there be eggs and chicks this year? No one can tell. Like Ecco, all we can do is watch and wait.

The drama continues off camera for now.

Stay tuned at the National Aviary Falconcam at the Cathedral of Learning.

(photos and video from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

22 March 2023

See Status Updates at the end.

As I mentioned yesterday morning Morela was looking as if she’d lay an egg any minute, but yesterday everything changed. After days of lounging at the nest and crouching over the scrape Morela was barely on camera at all. When she returned in the afternoon she looked vigilant. Meanwhile Ecco spent 2.5 hours waiting at the nest, sometimes watching the sky.

What’s up with Morela? Why isn’t she trying to lay an egg? I think she may have a challenger who’s keeping her busy.

From just after midnight on 21 March through 7:00am 22 March (today) this timelapse video shows how both peregrines are absent from the nest. I’ve provided a description of the action below the video, some illustrated with snapshots.

Activities on the video:

1. Morela is at the nest nearly continuously on Tuesday 21 March from midnight to 4:50am when she jumped to the roof, still present at the nest though not visible.
2. Morela looks relaxed for an hour at the nest 9:50-10:57am. Then she disappears.
3. Ecco takes her place for more than an hour 10:59am-12:02pm. Ecco has a bright orange beak and legs compared to Morela’s pale yellow.
4. Ecco stops in briefly and watches the sky.
5. Morela’s back at the nest 2:03pm-3:32pm, for about 90 minutes, but she looks sleek and vigilant, not egg-y at all.
6. Ecco returns for 90 minutes, 5:29p-6:56pm.
7. Neither bird is at the nest after that.

The photos are numbered to match what they illustrate.

#1. Morela is on the roof during the early morning hours of 21 March.

#3. Ecco has bright orange beak and legs.

#3 and #5 Morela’s beak and legs are yellow, not orange. At 2:00pm she looks sleek and vigilant, not egg-y at all.

#4 Ecco stops in briefly and watches the sky.

Neither bird is at the nest today which indicates again that there’s probably a challenger.

Fingers crossed that the intruder is driven off soon. Go, Morela!

UPDATE on Morela and Ecco as of Friday 24 March 2023, 5:50 am:

• Morela’s most recent appearance at the nest: Tues 21 March at 3:32pm.
• Morela last seen: Vigilant on Heinz Chapel scaffolding Wed 22 March at 4:14pm.
• Ecco last seen: Watchful at the nest, Thurs 23 March at 5:13pm.
• The Challenger: Has not been seen yet (which is good news).

My conclusion from these sightings: The challenger is female. Morela is keeping her away the Cathedral of Learning but has not vanquished her yet. The challenger has not won either.

(photos from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

21 March 2023

For almost a week Morela has looked as if she’ll lay an egg any minute at the Cathedral of Learning peregrine nest. Yesterday morning we thought she was ready. She lumbered off the green perch and stood in the scrape. We watched and waited.

But minutes later Ecco showed up with a snack. Morela didn’t tell him “Go away I’m busy.” Instead she got up to grab it and eventually left to eat. As Ecco steps up to watch her leave, he realizes he has fluff stuck to his toes.

This morning at 6:54am there is still no egg. So we’re still waiting.

Morela, of course, is waiting more than any of us.

Will she lay her first egg today? Stay tuned the National Aviary Falconcam at the Cathedral of Learning.

UPDATE, 22 March 2023: See this article about a possible challenger.

(photos and video from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)