Yesterday at 5:30pm Carol D. and Megan Briody saw something that the rest of us missed: This unbanded 1-year-old female peregrine bowed with Terzo at the Cathedral of Learning nest.
Apparently Hope was not at home.
Hope was last seen on camera on Sunday evening, July 31 at 6:49pm. No peregrines visited the nest on Monday. Then yesterday afternoon, August 2, Terzo visited alone several times and often looked up. Was he looking for someone?
At 5:29pm Terzo came to the nest and called to someone. Soon an unbanded young female arrived and they bowed for five minutes. Her color is a mix of gray and brown because she’s molting into adult plumage.
When the session began Terzo was in the back corner but the male peregrine (almost) always leaves the ledge first so the two had to change places. That maneuver was so clumsy that it looked as if the young female chased Terzo away.
But no, Terzo paused on the nestrail to watch her as she bowed again.
He left. And then she left.
Female “intruders” at this site have become a routine occurrence. As I said in my reply to Carol D, Hope has probably gone wandering. Her behavior shows she’s a weak owner of the Cathedral of Learning so I won’t be surprised if she’s chased away next spring and replaced by a new female.
p.s. Click on these links to read Carol D’s and Megan‘s reports. (You might have to scroll down.)
(photos from the National Aviary falconcams at Univ of Pittsburgh)
NOTE: You may have noticed that the time stamp on the snapshot camera was about 4 minutes off. I fixed it this morning.
Kate, I saw the young unbanded female in the scrape bowing with Terzo again this morning around 7 a.m. And the drama continues!
He’s robbing the cradle.
Marylou, no he isn’t. She is old enough to breed. That’s why she is looking for a nest site. In addition, he is only 3 yrs old. Hope is 8.
I wonder if Hope is still ‘tied’ to her old site, hence her absences from here. I think you are correct about next Spring, Kate. A stronger female will no doubt displace her given how many have been checking out the place. I suspect some of them are likely watching her from the fringes and when they feel the time is right they will make a move.
Yes, Hope still comes “home” to Tarentum. I saw her the evening of July 27. POSITIVE ID! I had a clear view of the green USFWS right-leg band in brilliant sunshine.
Kate, has anyone seen Hope? I think you are right about her losing the nest, as sad as that makes me. I thought peregrines were faithful to their nest, so why is Hope so different? She sure does perplex me!
Janet, see Rob Protz’s comment just before yours for the answer to your question.
It wouldn’t be too bad a thing if a normal female replaced Hope,although that thought does hurt a bit!
It appears that Terzo is quite a good catch, having all these women stopping by!
Cindy, actually it’s the good nest site that’s a good catch. They’re attracted to the site& then they meet him.
The odd thing to me is that shouldn’t the new female,if claiming the site, stick around the scrape more?
At least Hope did seem to pop in and it a lot with and without Terzo.
Dee, “claiming the site” means claiming the entire territory and protecting her borders. The nest isn’t that important at this stage and this time of year. It’s just the place where she cements a pair bond with the male. Peregrines are very different from humans. Peregrines care about the place, not so much the “person.” We care more about the person, not the place.
Kate, hasn’t Hope been gone a long time? What do you think? Thanks a bunch.
Janet, wet don’t know if she’s gone. We only know she’s not been to the nest. It is normal not to visit the best in late summer.
Terzo came into the scrape at 9:55am and then the unbranded female came in. She stayed until 10:03am. It looks like she is staying.
Heard that Hope was seen at the Tarentum Bridge. Wondering if Hope displaced the immature female that you previously reported at that bridge and if that is the female that is now bowing to Terzo? Maybe Hope thinks the Tarentum bridge is still part of her territory?
Robin, the bridge that has/had an immature female is the Westinghouse Bridge.
Kate, not to be picky, but I noticed the date of this article is August 3rd, but the last photo the caption says August 5th. The cam timestamp shows August 2nd. Just for fun I’m going to check the cam on August 5 at 5:32 pm and if I see what is shown above, I’m taking you to the casino and letting you pick the winning jackpot, haha.
So is this young female now claiming the territory? Or is this all still very much up in the air until the nesting season begins again? This year has been never ending drama at this site.
stan d ard, Thank you for proofreading the captions. It’s a typo. Yes, the time stamps on the photos are real.
The new female is claiming the territory but — as you’ve pointed out — there’s so much drama here that anything can happen between now and next spring.
Terzo has been in the scrape silently for some time now, earlier (~1:36pm) I heard what sounded like alarm calls and other calling from a falcon off cam. I was wondering if anyone in the area saw or heard anything around then.
Sue, I was at Pitt from 12:20 to 1:45pm & saw the new female perched on the shady side of the building. She stayed in that comfortable place the whole time I was there and even called to Terzo when he flew in at 1:30pm and perched on the nest rail. You could not see Terzo on camera; he was calling her. Eventually he went to the nest but she did not follow. She seems to prefer the shade (so do I!). It is hot here today.
Hope and Terzo bowing to each other at 3:25 pm Saturday the 6th.
Kate, sometime around 3:30pm today I think it was Hope who flew into the scrape. Terzo then came in and they bowed. Terzo left and then Hope left. Did you see anything between Hope and the juvenile?Thanks
Janet, I am not in the vicinity. All we know today is what happened on camera.