Now incubating on her 15th nest(*) at the Cathedral of Learning, Dorothy is quite the peregrine matriarch. She has fledged 42 youngsters and is a grandmother and great grandmother many times over. Most of her “kids” disappeared in history but a few who chose to nest at monitored sites have been identified by their bands. This spring there’s news of three of her many daughters.
Beauty has four eggs in Rochester, New York
Pictured above, Beauty is Dorothy’s most photographed offspring. Born in 2007 she flew north to Rochester, New York where she nests with Dot.Ca on the Times Square Building. Five cameras watch her every move but she is unfazed by the paparazzi. Her love life was rocky in 2011 and 2012 but she and Dot.Ca are a devoted couple now and they’re incubating four eggs. Follow her news and live video at RFalconcam.
Hathor is incubating in Mt. Clemens, Michigan
Hatched in 2003, Hathor nests at the Macomb County Building in Mt. Clemens, Michigan where Chris Becher and Barb Baldinger check on her progress every week. On April 2 they found two eggs. When they checked on April 9 she was incubating. Hathor’s nest is not on camera but you can follow her news on the Peregrine Falcons Southeast Michigan Facebook page.
Belle is gone from the University of Toledo
A nest-mate of Hathor’s, Belle made news when she became the first female peregrine to nest at the University of Toledo. She had undisturbed success at the bell tower, year after year, and fledged 24 young. But in 2014 another female challenged her while she was incubating four eggs. During the fight the eggs were scattered and Belle sustained injuries to her face (click here to see). She healed and hatched two of them. With extensive help from her mate Allen both youngsters fledged successfully.
Perhaps the fight was a hint of the future. Cynthia Nowak sent me news that Belle went missing in February and a new, younger female is on the scene. Though it’s sad to see a peregrine go — especially one of Dorothy’s daughters — we welcome the hope of new peregrine chicks at the University of Toledo where the new female, Liadan, has laid five eggs. Stay tuned at Toledo Peregrine Project’s Facebook page.
(photo credits: Beauty from RFalconcam, Hathor’s eggs by Barb Baldinger, Belle photos from the University of Toledo Fal-cam)
(*) Dorothy first nested at the Cathedral of Learning in 2001 but the nest failed and was never found. A nestbox was provided in 2002.
University of Toledo now has 5 eggs Kate!
Thanks, Donna! Correction made!
It’s true that Beauty is Dorothy’s most photographed offspring. In fact, she’s the world’s most photographed Peregrine falcon, and quite possibly the world’s most photographed bird. Maybe even the most photographed living thing.
Thanks much for the post, Kate. One further correction: Belle and Allen fledged 24 offspring.
Thanks, Cynthia. Corrected!
Thanks Kate, I love these types of updates. So neat to be able to trace avian genealogy this way!
So Dorothy built a nest at the Cathedral before a box was provided? When there is no box, what types of materials do peregrines use? Do they build a large structure like the eagles with sticks, etc? Or is it quite different? Is there some reason why all of the nest boxes are constructed with gravel and no typical nesting materials are ever present? I assume peregrines must prefer this or they would bring in appropriate materials to make it more homey.
Susan, here’s an explanation of peregrine nests and why they look the way they do. Click on the links within this page to see a wide variety of birds’ nests. Why doesn’t the nest have sticks?
Poor sweet Belle. We know this is nature, but it is still difficult to see the results of some of these struggles. Hurts my heart. Thank you, Kate for keeping us in the know. We so appreciate it.
Thank you, Kate! Always so informative and helpful.