Question: Why do the adult peregrines visit the nest after their babies have flown?  Do they miss their babies?

Answer: It is normal for adult peregrines to visit the nest occasionally after the young have flown.

They don’t visit because they are “missing their babies” or attempting to re-nest.  Instead they go there to strengthen their pair bond or rest peacefully out of sight of the “kids.”

You may see the pair bowing together as shown in the photo above of Dorothy and E2 on 22 June 2009, a couple of weeks after their young had fledged.

If you see one adult perched at the nest or sunbathing in the heat, he or she is grabbing a peaceful moment away from the “kids.” Peace is possible because the nest is the baby’s crib. The youngsters won’t return to it after all have fledged.

Elsewhere peace is often impossible for the parents. Young peregrines would prefer that their parents drop off food for them just as they did in the past. As the youngsters gain hunting skills the parents reduce food deliveries to encourage the “kids” to hunt on their own. The youngsters don’t like the change so they relentlessly pursue their parents and shout for food. The nest is one of the few quiet places the “kids” won’t show up.