On Tuesday morning, amidst fog and drizzle, four intrepid men from the University of Pittsburgh, PixController, and the National Aviary visited the Cathedral of Learning to replace the peregrines’ streaming nestcam.

Last year the old camera stopped displaying color in bright sunlight.  Ideally its replacement would have been installed in January when the peregrines weren’t territorial but scheduling was a problem.  High winds a week ago postponed the trip until February 5.

At first the peregrines were nowhere to be seen, probably because the fog kept them drowsy at their roosts.

Dave Marti (Pitt), Bill Powers (PixController) and Chris Gaus (National Aviary) worked undisturbed in the photo below.  Mike Faix (National Aviary) was on the ledge too but not visible in this picture.  The work area is so small that everyone has to stand in a row.

The effort took longer than expected and Dorothy got tired of roosting.  Even though it was drizzling she dropped by to see what was happening (above) and Chris held out the broom so she would keep her distance.

The new camera is now in place and will start streaming in a few weeks.  Thank you to everyone who made this peregrine nestcam possible.  To…

• The University of Pittsburgh for hosting the peregrines’ nest and cameras.
• Phil Hieber of Facilities Management who makes all the arrangements and keeps the peregrines in mind whenever there’s Cathedral maintenance …  and to Dave Marti & his toolkit.
• Bill Powers and and PixController for camera expertise.
• The National Aviary’s Urban Peregrine Program that hosts the falcons’ website (that’s Teri Grendzinski, Chris Gaus and Mike Faix).
• And to everyone who donated to the National Aviary to make this camera possible.

By the end of February, Dorothy will drop by more often.  😉

(peregrine/broom photo by Mike Faix, installers’ photo by Kate St. John)