Today the three oldest Gulf Tower peregrine chicks are 31 days old. This slideshow of yesterday’s banding event shows how fast they’re growing. A few of them are brown while though one is quite downy. They grow up fast!
I’ve tracked Pittsburgh peregrine fledge dates for many years and if my records are any indication the Gulf Tower chicks will fledge at 39 to 44 days. That’s next Thursday, May 29 through Tuesday, June 3. I could be wrong. They might be earlier or later…
Pittsburgh Falconut John English and I will organize a Gulf Tower Fledge Watch for next week — dates and times to be announced. Here’s the view John had from Flag Plaza during yesterday’s banding. (Notice Dori flying in to attack the banders!) As at the Cathedral of Learning we’ll have a good long view to see all the action.
Check back here or on Pittsburgh Falconuts Facebook page for Gulf Tower Fledge Watch dates and times. Coming soon!
(photos by Kate St. John)
p.s. Click here for KDKA’s news of the Banding Event.
Love the pics! Always in awe of how big those babies are once you see them being held. They look so small in the nesting box.
Wonderful slide show, Kate. Thanks for the photos and the updates.
Terrific slide show, Kate! As a first time viewer it was wonderful to get the new perspective of the nest and banding.
Kate,
Which falcon at Cathedral of Learning spends the night there & part of the day also? Male or female?
Thank you –
Deborah
Deborah, that’s Dorothy, the female, who spend so much time at the nest.
Any idea why I haven’t been able to access the Aviary webcams the past few days? I’ve been watching via another site, but I’m wondering if it’s my computer or the Aviary site.
Sue, it may be a browser or Windows update that caused the problem. It won’t work if you’ve installed an Ad Blocker. Try a different browser (Firefox or Chrome). Hope this helps!
Thank you!
Tom might have had less commotion if he had borrowed the Pirate Parrot’s outfit. He might have made the Jumbotron. Those chicks for the first time show their true size in human hands.
Now their the “Band of Gypises”. Thanks for a real up close and personal HD look at them. Thanks for the slide show Kate and J. P. English’s photo of the action from outside. Never saw a photo of where the Peregrine Penthouse was located. Good to get another view besides the boring tight shot all the time. Maybe you could get one of the local news choppers to get some fresh looks or some photos from nearby buildings. How about some murals around their enclosure to give it a more organic look easier on the eyes. Maybe some live plants. The same for the Cathedral of Learning. Would any of those improvements discourage Dory and Louie from returning? You have to admit the enclosure and the immediate surroundings are depressing and especially in light of the drama that takes place there. Compare the environment that the Eagles choose making it much more appealing to watch. I know I didn’t do my research. Most people looking at these web cams are not looking from a “scientific” view but for pure entertainment. Enrichment none the less. Not to appear condescending.
Sincerely
John, your suggestions would certainly discourage Dori & Louie from nesting at Gulf. Peregrines like high rocky places with no disturbance. Believe it or not peregrines like exactly what you see on camera.
Kate,
Has E2 left poor Dorothy now that she’s no longer able to have viable eggs? For a while I saw that he still brought her food. She seems to always be looking for him.
Deborah, E2 will never leave the Cathedral of Learning. It’s his home. He visited the nest yesterday at 1:30pm, then Dorothy and E2 courted at the nest. Both will live at the CL until they die or are forcefully driven off.
Kate that is heart warming news about E2 with Dorothy. I can see why you have invested so much time with them. They worth it.
They are worth it.
Thank you, Kate – your information is very much appreciated!
Hope to see you over the weekend for the fledge watch. This has been a fascinating experience . Love your daily “Outside My Window” !
Gulf Tower Falcons at: 2014/05/21 07:58
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I just found a great video/slideshow of the peregrine banding at Cleveland’s Terminal Tower last week. Awesome to know that another old Pittsburgh gal, this site’s rugged, 15-year old female SW, was able to raise two healthy chicks. She accomplished all of this, even after losing a toe this past year…but hey, she comes from the City of Champions, after all!
Here’s the link from the Cleveland Metro. The variety of photos and vantage points are impressive:
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/05/peregrine_falcon_chicks_banded.html
Thank you very much Carolyn I will share with others on the Hays Bald Eagle Chat. One of the moderators on Wild Earth Chat, Louise, shared a link to a Facebook page where anyone can upload photos of Bald Eagles of Hays. It has a very large portfolio. Link below.
https://www.facebook.com/eaglesofhayspa
Best Regards