10 May 2021
Western Pennsylvania peregrine families are very active at this time of year but we often don’t see it. In May the parents are feeding hungry chicks but the chicks are typically hidden from view. At most sites we won’t know if a nest is successful until the chicks appear — loudly — when they’re about to fledge in late May or early June. Right now I have news from only 4 (boldface) of our 11 regional sites.
- Pittsburgh: Cathedral of Learning, Allegheny County
- Pittsburgh: Downtown, Allegheny County
- Monongahela Watershed: Westinghouse Bridge, Allegheny County
- Monongahela River: Speers Railroad Bridge, Washington County
- Ohio River: McKees Rocks Bridge, Allegheny County
- Ohio River: Neville Island I-79 Bridge, NO PEREGRINES DUE TO CONSTRUCTION
- Ohio River: Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge, Beaver County, NO PEREGRINES SEEN FOR SEVERAL WEEKS
- Ohio River: Monaca Railroad Bridge, Beaver County
- Allegheny River: 62nd Street to Aspinwall Railroad Bridge, NO PEREGRINES NOW
- Allegheny River: Tarentum Bridge, Allegheny & Westmoreland Counties
- Allegheny River: Rt 422 Graff Bridge Kittanning, Armstrong County
Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh:
Yesterday the chicks were 14 days old (2 weeks): Their second down is long and fluffy and pin feathers are beginning to emerge at wing tips and tail. The chicks walk around on their tarsi and sit like white Buddhas.
In good weather their parents guard them from the nestrail (bulwark) above the nest. I’ve put yellow V’s on the photo below to show Ecco’s typical perch on the left and Morela’s in the center. When on the bulwark they are not visible on camera but you can see them with binoculars from Schenley Plaza.
Watch the family at the nest on the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh.
Downtown Pittsburgh:
We know that the Downtown peregrines are nesting at Third Avenue this spring (yellow arrow) even though it’s impossible to see into the nest from the street. The best vantage point is from the sidewalk on Mt. Washington near the incline. Use a scope.
When they’re ready to fledge we can see them at Third Avenue.
Meanwhile, though the Gulf Tower nestbox is not in use an immature peregrine showed up on 4 May to have a look at the building. Photo by Ann Hohn at Make-a-Wish.
Monongahela Watershed: Westinghouse Bridge
The Westinghouse Bridge peregrines must be too busy to show themselves. Dana Nesiti visited the site yesterday and said, “[It] Took a while to find one of the falcons. It then flew to one of the arches and was hanging out. Didn’t hear any calls.”
Allegheny River, Tarentum Bridge:
On Saturday May 8 Dave Brooke stopped by 1st Avenue in Tarentum to film the Tarentum Bridge peregrines during a feeding. Click on the photo or caption above to see Dave’s video.
The three chicks already have “faces,” a trait that appears at 3 weeks old. Art McMorris estimates they are 18-20 days old. This means they are likely to fledge around 27 May 2021. Be sure to visit Tarentum before they go.
(photos by National Aviary falconcam at Cathedral of Learning, Kate St. John, Jeff Cieslak, Dana Nesiti, Dave Brooke)
How old? Oops.
Suggestion for article(s) – camera and ‘scope power and brand.
Ooops! Days. It’s fixed
Love Tarentum photo.
Have the Peregrines abandoned the RT 51 Elizabeth bridge? I know there was lots of construction on the bridge the past couple of years, but I think it has been completed.
Scott, because the bridge was so dangerous for fledglings (all landed in the roadbed and were hit by cars) PennDOT sealed all the openings so nesting there is no longer possible.
What about an update on the Hays eaglets? Fledging dates? They look quite large for the nest. What about other sites around town?
Other sites around town: As I mentioned at the beginning of the blog post there is no news from the other sites at this point.
Hays eagles: I’ll look into it. It may be a week before I get to it though.
I am beyond thrilled that COL is successful this year. Thank you to Dave Brooke for the video of the Tarentum Bridge nest!
I used to work on the 53rd floor of the USX Tower. We would have peregrine visitors that would just hang out on the ledges and rest/sleep. I wish I had a cell phone back then so I could have taken pictures.