Are the Downtown peregrines changing their minds about where they want to nest?
In February they spent a lot of time courting at the Gulf Tower, so much so that Downtown monitor Lori Maggio said they were completely absent from their other nest site on Third Avenue. She captured this photo of Dori perched at the Gulf Tower during that period. (The triangular shape and tube are the nest box roof and perch.)
On Thursday March 2 Dori was at the Gulf nest before dawn but later that day, at 4:00pm, Lori found a peregrine near the Third Avenue nest (photo at top). It was the first time they’d been there since February 17.
And the next day, they were both at the Third Avenue site at noon when Lori took this photo of Dori leaving the nest area.
Why do they visit the Gulf Tower nest if they aren’t going to use it?
Will they come back to Gulf? We’ll find out this month.
(photos by Lori Maggio)
My understanding of how it is (or was when they nested on cliffs) in the ‘wild’ is that the tiercel might show his mate one or two potential nest locations and the female would choose the one that best suits her. I also expect they visit the old nest to show any wanderers that the ‘box’ is taken in case someone passing through gets any bright ideas about moving in.
Wandering around? The name peregrine is so apropos.
The gulf tower is such a nice nest. Would be wonderful for viewers if they were able to see a family raised there. Hard to say what makes a nesting site attractive to these birds.
What makes the Gulf site unattractive are all those bright lights on it at night! While it is fine for daylight courting, and would otherwise be the preferred site, I am sure Dori prefers the Third Avenue site to nest where it is night at night!
Robin, there is no evidence that light is the cause.
I tuned in at 1:55PM today. Dori was SQUATTING at one of the scrapes at the gulf tower. I thought she might lay a egg, but no such luck. Louie came and they bowed.She hunkered down in the scrape. Then she tidied It up.
She Then hopped over to the other scrape.
She squatted there too. This scrape was also cleaned up, (a few rocks were removed.)
She then jumped up on the big metal perch. She sat there until 2:55PM then she flew away.
Maybe things are looking up at the Gulf tower. Louie came in at 12:36 this afternoon followed shortly thereafter by Dori. At about 1:23 it looks like Louie may have brought her some food. She was in the nest when he came in but was slightly obscured by that cement pillar. She was chirping loudly and went behind the pillar and looked to be eating something. He came back again at 1:57 for another courting session. I’m really hoping that they decided this is the nest that they are going to choose this year.
It’s 4:33 and Dori is still there. The fact that he brought food to her there is a good sign, right?
It’s Tuesday March 7 and 7:28 pm and there is a visitor at Gulf. From the size, I think it’s Dori but can’t swear to it. Talons crossed!
Someone is sleeping in the Gulf Tower nest tonight.
OMG, I do believe we have an egg at the Gulf site. Wahoo!