15 April 2015
It looks like this peregrine falcon is jumping out to surprise us — and so she is!
When Dana Nesiti photographed her at the Westinghouse Bridge last Sunday he got a really good look at her bands and they’re not what we expected.
For the past three years the female peregrine at Westinghouse has been Hecla (Black/Red 68/H) who hatched at the Ironton-Russelton Bridge in Ironton, Ohio in 2009. Dana’s photos earlier this month confirmed Hecla was still there.
But these bands are Black/Green 66/C, the female peregrine that Hecla defeated and sent to rehab in 2012. Named Storm when she was banded in Canton, Ohio in 2005, she nested at the Westinghouse Bridge in 2010 and 2011. PennDOT employees discovered her nest when she attacked them during bridge repairs.
Has 10-year-old Storm fully reclaimed her nest from 6-year-old Hecla? We’ll have to wait and see.
Meanwhile there’s an added twist. Storm hatched at Bank One in Canton, Ohio and so did Magnum who nests at the I-79 Neville Island Bridge. Were the same peregrine parents at Bank One in 2005 (Storm) and 2010 (Magnum)? If so the Pittsburgh area has sister peregrines nesting at two of our bridges.
Thanks to Dana for such great photos. A picture is worth a thousand words!
(photos by Dana Nesiti)
p.s. Happy news on Monday April 13 indicates that Ohio’s peregrine population has fully recovered: Peregrine falcons have been taken off the Threatened list in Ohio. Here in southwestern Pennsylvania we can know that Ohio has a surplus because most of our new nest sites are established by Ohio-born peregrines.
Kate, could you please explain how the process of banding the falcons works? Or, if you have already written about it, just point me in the right direction? Thanks so much. I love your blog. Keep up the good work!
Erika, here’s the information on banding: http://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/peregrine-faqs/question-why-and-how-are-peregrines-banded/
And here’s the entire Peregrine FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page with lots of interesting information:
http://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/peregrine-faqs/
Cool that you keep track of these things. Also, good news for the falcon population. My how things have changed in the 30 years I’ve lived in Pittsburgh! Thanks for sharing.
According to the Canton famiy tree info sent to me by Chad Steel last year, Storm and Magnum are half sisters… father is Maverick. Magnum’s mother is Mystic.. not sure of Storm’s mother. Hopefully Chad is going to weigh in here! I’m excited for Storm’s return.. just hope Hecla found a nice new place to live!
That is correct Anne! Storm’s mother was Priscilla. (Unbanded) and Maverick. 2005 hatch, in Canton, OH. 🙂
More info on banding can be found here
https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/homepage/pefaprot.cfm
Wondering from your vast experience observing, is it more likely that females or males get into aggressive encounters with the same sex?
kc, both of them fight. Seems to be the way of peregrines.