Landing is harder than it looks!

Birds seem to land where they want to without effort, but that’s not the case when flying is new to them.

Landing is a lot harder than it looks.

Kim Steininger captured the trials and tribulations of a young peregrine who landed on a spot too narrow for comfort.  Click on her photo to see a slideshow from Wilmington, Delaware a few years ago.  It repeats after four frames.

What does a young peregrine do next? Fly again and choose a better landing place.  Practice makes perfect.

(all photos by Kim Steininger)

2 thoughts on “Landing is harder than it looks!

  1. Cute! When Pitt’s first fledgling followed E2 up to the lightning rod Monday, instead of landing on a crossbar like Dad, he latched onto the vertical mast. He hung there awkwardly for half a minute before deciding the roof below was safer. Of course, I didn’t have time to get a photo!

    Last evening about 6:30, one of the kids was on top of the Community of Reconciliation’s tower across 5th Ave. That’s the funny-looking gothic church tower, attached to a modern building, for anyone not familiar with it (the original church building was badly deteriorating, but the tower was saved!) Image here:
    http://www.pittsburghdailyphoto.com/2009/05/bellefield-towers.html

    Those youngsters are ranging further afield — soon I’ll see them flying over my yard!

  2. At 3 pm Saturday, one of the chicks at the Gulf Tower jumped up on the (viewer’s perspective) right wall and seems reluctant to jump back down.

    A couple of others acted like they were interested in joining the adventurous chick , but decided against it. They got fed, while the one on the wall did not.

    Now it is raining and guess who is getting wet.

    I can’t tell whether it is Louie or Dori feeding them lately.

    The greenery is nicer to look at, and not a problems as the chicks have gotten so big.

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