Yes, today is April Fool’s Day but it’s no joke that house sparrows are in trouble. Though still considered pests in North America their population has declined dramatically, even in their native range. Seven years ago their disappearance was a mystery. Has anything changed?
Native to Eurasia and northern Africa, humans introduced house sparrows (Passer domesticus) to continents and islands worldwide in the 1800s, making them the most widely distributed wild bird on Earth. (Green is native range, yellow is introduced in the map below.)
House sparrows were successful worldwide — too successful — but as recently as 30 years ago they began a steady decline. They are down 84% now in North America and 60% in Europe. In the UK they are red-listed as a species of high conservation concern.
There have been many studies but no one cause for decline. The reasons include:
Agricultural intensification (2002): lack of spilled grain and gleanings, livestock not raised outdoors, changed sowing and harvest schedules.
In North America house sparrows are not just in trouble, they are trouble because of their aggression toward native species while nesting.
We’ll be happy to see them go but their mysterious decline should make us think. If a bird as hardy and human-oriented as the house sparrow is declining, it bodes ill for us too.
Yesterday was a great day to watch the three eaglets at the Hays bald eagle nest. It was warm and sunny so the nestlings were very active. The oldest (H13) even challenged his mother. “Feed me!” She gave him a stern look.
Today we’re in for all-day rain and falling temperatures to a low of just 24 degrees on Friday morning. At 6:30am today, rainwater beaded up on mother eagle’s back as she brooded them.
The eaglets are still so tiny that three is not a crowd — yet — at the Hays bald eagle nest. Watch them at ASWP’s Hays Bald Eagle Nestcam.
News from last Saturday 27 March: This year for the first time since 2014 all three eggs hatched at the Hays nest. The first two (H13 and H14) hatched 18 hours apart on 23 March. The last (H15) hatched on 27 March. In this snapshot from 3rd Hatch Day the oldest is four days old, the youngest is seven hours old.
Here’s a sure sign of spring: American goldfinches (Spinus tristis) are turning yellow.
In winter both male and female goldfinches are dull. The males have citrine yellow faces, whitish chests, and black wings with white stripes. The females are dull olive brown with buffy stripes on brownish wings.
In February goldfinches begin to molt into breeding plumage but they’re in no hurry to finish since they won’t breed until July. At first the males have “dirty” foreheads and a few yellow patches (below). When a male is nearly finished he’ll have a few dull patches among yellow feathers (top).
Male American goldfinch turning yellow, 2006 (photo by Marcy Cunkelman)
Harbinger of spring, Raccoon Creek Wildflower Reserve, 24 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)
29 March 2021
For more than a week the temperature has not dipped below freezing in western Pennsylvania, providing a chance to watch spring unfold.
On 24 March at Raccoon Creek Wildflower Reserve my walking route took me past harbinger of spring (top), hazelnut catkins, skunk cabbage, spring beauties and cutleaf toothwort.
Hazelnut catkins, Raccoon Creek Wildflower Reserve, 24 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)Skunk cabbage after the flood, Raccoon Creek Wildflower Reserve, 24 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)Spring beauty, Raccoon Creek Wildflower Reserve, 24 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)Cutleaf toothwort about to bloom, Raccoon Creek Wildflower Reserve, 24 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)
On 26 March my favorite northern magnolia in Schenley Park began to bloom.
Northern magnolia flower, Schenley Park, 26 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)
The buds looked like this only three days before.
Northern magnolia bud, Schenley Park, 23 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)
I also found spicebush in bloom, bottlebrush buckeye leaf out, and Ohio buckeye buds bursting.
Spicebush in bloom, Schenley Park, 26 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)Bottlebrush buckeye leaf out, Schenley Park, 26 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)Ohio buckeye bud, Schenley Park, 26 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)Ohio buckeye bursting buds, Schenley Park, 26 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)
The trees are still bare but European willows provide a spot of green and maple flowers add a hint of red and orange.
Bare trees lean toward the light at Pymatuning Lake, 27 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)Flowering sugar maple, Pymatuning State Park, 27 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)
Tonight the temperature will dip close to freezing in the city and will reach a low of 24 degrees on the night of April Fools Day. No fooling! Get outdoors before that happens. Many flowers will be brown on April 2.
Raining over the Monongahela River at Duck Hollow (photo by Kate St. John)
28 March 2021
This morning at Duck Hollow it was raining often, and sometimes hard. I really did not expect anyone to show up for the outing I announced last Monday but I was there anyway as a good excuse to look at the river on a wet day.
Best Birds were a green-winged teal, five lesser scaup, two hooded mergansers and a small flock of white-throated sparrows.
Best flowers were the blooming purple deadnettles which were dripping with rain.
Purple deadnettle at Duck Hollow, 28 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)
At 10am I was glad to go home.
My next outing is planned for Schenley Park on Sunday 25 April at 8:30am. Stay tuned.
There’s a Rule Of Thumb that says: Pittsburgh area osprey return from winter migration around St. Patrick’s Day.
This year the earliest eBird reports for southwestern Pennsylvania show osprey in Beaver and Butler Counties on 20 March 2021 and arriving this week along the Ohio River and at many lakes.
I haven’t seen an one yet so my goal this weekend will be to find an osprey, maybe at the Duquesne nest site.
Morela and Ecco are up there, Cathedral of Learning 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)
25 March 2021:
Peregrine falcons in southwestern Pennsylvania are very active in the month of March so this is the perfect time for a regional update before the birds “disappear” during incubation.
This year we are watching — or not watching — 11 sites.
Pittsburgh: Cathedral of Learning, Allegheny County
Pittsburgh: Downtown, Allegheny County
Monongahela Watershed: Westinghouse Bridge, Allegheny County
Monongahela River: Speers Railroad Bridge, Washington County
Ohio River: McKees Rocks Bridge, Allegheny County, NO NEWS
Ohio River: Neville Island Bridge, NO PEREGRINES DUE TO CONSTRUCTION
Ohio River: Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge, Beaver County
Ohio River: Monaca Railroad Bridge, Beaver County
Allegheny River: 62nd Street to Aspinwall Railroad Bridge, NO PEREGRINES NOW
Allegheny River: Rt 422 Graff Bridge Kittanning, Armstrong County
Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh:
Morela with 4 eggs, 24 March 2021 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Unit of Pittsburgh)
Morela laid her fourth egg yesterday at 3:38pm (real time, 3:42pm camera time). As you can see from the 24 March timelapse video, she and Ecco rarely step away from the eggs. Morela stood up at 3:38pm to lay the fourth egg then settled down again as soon as it dried.
Hatch day is expected sometime between April 20-25. We don’t have any history with Morela but I do have history with Dorothy so my guess is April 24-25. Click here for details on my calculation.
Peregrine in the Third Avenue nook, 20 March 2021 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)
Best viewing of the Third Avenue nest site is from Grandview Avenue on Mt Washington next to the Monongahela Incline. On 20 March Jeff photographed a peregrine perched inside the nook. At that point it appeared they were choosing this location, not Gulf Tower.
Yesterday afternoon, 24 March, I confirmed nesting. When I set up my scope I immediately saw a peregrine in the back left corner standing in the about-to-lay-an-egg posture. As I waited and watched she laid at egg at 3:23pm, paused, raised her foot, then carefully stepped around it and stood waiting for it to dry. Dori laid her egg just 15 minutes before Morela laid hers.
Jeff Cieslaks’ photo insets from Tuesday at 5:43p show an incubating peregrine where the egg was laid … so maybe I saw Dori laying her last egg.
Third Avenue, incubating peregrine, 23 March 2021, 5:43pm (photo by Jeff Cieslak)
Monongahela Watershed: Westinghouse Bridge
Peregrine at Westinghouse Bridge, 21 March 2021 (photo by Dana Nesiti)
Dana Nesiti photographed the Westinghouse Bridge peregrines mating on 21 March 2021. They are certainly planning to nest!
Male peregrine flies toward female, Westinghouse Bridge, 21 March 2021 (photo by Dana Nesiti)
Male peregrine lands on female
Mating occurs
Female watches as male flies away
Monongahela River, Speers Railroad Bridge:
Peregrine pair at Speers Railroad Bridge, 21 February 2021 (photo by Joe Ciferno)
The Speers Railroad Bridge peregrines have been identified thanks to photos by Joe Ciferno and Dana Nesiti. Both birds are banded:
Female – 07/BS Black/Green, banded on 5/18/2017 on the Commodore Barry bridge over the Delaware river in Chester, Delaware County, PA.
Male – 68/AC Black/Green, banded on 5/23/2012 at the Cathedral of Learning University of Pittsburgh Allegheny County, PA.
Ohio River, McKees Rocks Bridge: No news. Observers needed!
Ohio River, Neville Island I-79 Bridge: No peregrines due to construction. The underside of the bridge is completely covered. No nest access.
Ohio River, Ambridge Bridge: Peregrines are present throughout the year. Karen Lang has recently seen a single bird, apparently the male, perched on the bridge — Sunday 22 March at 4pm and Wednesday 24 March at noon. Perhaps this pair is incubating.
Ohio River, Monaca Railroad Bridge:
Peregrine on the Monaca Railroad Bridge, 21 March 2021 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)
Jeff Cieslak was in Monaca on 21 March and photographed the peregrines perching and flying around the superstructure. Sometimes they are hard to see.
Peregrine at Monaca Railroad Bridge, 21 March 2021 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)
Allegheny River, 62nd Street Bridge to Aspinwall Railroad Bridge: No peregrines. One was present in January and February but no sightings since then.
Allegheny River, Tarentum Bridge:
Peregrine incubating, Tarentum Bridge nestbox, 16 March 2021 (photo by Dave Brooke)
Dave Brooke’s 16 March photo shows a peregrine very low in the nestbox. (Can you see her?) It appears this pair is already incubating.
Allegheny River, Rt 422 Graff Bridge, Kittanning:
Kittanning Bridge, May 2018 (photo by Kate St. John)
On 14 March I walked under the Graff Bridge at Manorville and immediately saw a peregrine perched on the upriver side. Peregrines are present. Are they nesting?
Observers needed! Visit these sites and tell me what you see.
(photos by Kate St. John, National Aviary falconcam at Cathedral of Learning, Jeff Cieslak, Dana Nesiti, Joe Ciferno, Dave Brooke)
