I’m not telling you to watch this bridge because it’s in bad shape. Far from it! This is the 62nd Street Bridge over the Allegheny River at Sharpsburg that was completely refurbished in 2008.
No, I’m suggesting you watch this bridge for peregrine falcons.
After Mary Cleo (now called Dori) left the 62nd Street Bridge for the Gulf Tower last spring, there were no peregrine falcons here for five months. On September 13 Dan Yagusic was under the bridge in his boat when he saw a peregrine above him eating a freshly killed bird. This was new! He watched for 45 minutes.
Since then Dan has seen a solo peregrine at the bridge throughout September. On the 23rd he saw two peregrines fly off it and soar together. By size they appeared to be male and female.
There’s another reason to watch carefully. Dan says the solo peregrine has a white patch of feathers on its left wing. The only peregrine we know with this feature is Tasha, formerly of the Gulf Tower. Could Tasha be at this bridge? Did she trade places with Dori (Mary Cleo)?
We won’t know until someone identifies the peregrine by its bands — if it has any.
And that’s why I say, “Watch this bridge.”
p.s. October 12: Got an email from Dan Yagusic. He says the peregrines are gone from the 62nd Street Bridge. Maybe they were just migrating through the area.
(photo of the 62nd Street Bridge in 2007 by Dan Yagusic. The bridge has since been fully reconstructed in the same design.)
Wouldn’t that be something if it were Tasha. I, for one, would like to know she is OK and still around.
Wow!!! I echo Patsy’s comment. Waiting for further developments 🙂
Wow! Could it be another interesting twist to this story?
Well maybe it will be the miracle on 62nd Street; like the movie miracle on 34th street only in stead of Santa we have Tasha!!!!!!!!!!
UncleCrappy & I live in Brighton Heights, and I swear I had a visit from a peregrine this summer, plus can hear at least one calling as it flies around.
Sitting on back porch one night. Robins & doves under large maple in backyard and something silently flies past me going for the other birds, which scatter.
Falcon landed on fence looking really pissed off about missing dinner.
Hoping for future visits.
That would be SO great if it really is Tasha! I like to think that she had been driven away from the GT, but was still alive.
Thanks to Dan for the great observations!
It is kind of bittersweet that Tasha may still be alive when there wasn’t much hope of that and the female at Harrisburg seems to be confirmed deceased.
I enjoyed watching the Harrisburg peregrines raise a family this year, in addition to the 2 peregrine nests in Pittsburgh.
The whole amazing story is here:
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/falcon/falcon_stories.html
This is pretty amazing! A few months ago, I was driving up 28 and spotted what looked like a lone peregrine flying near that bridge. I remember half-jokingly speculating that Tasha & Dori had traded places! I never thought it might actually be true though. Keep us posted, Dan.
MrsCrappy — if you’re in Brighton Heights it’s probably a McKees Rocks Bridge peregrine visiting your yard.