27 May 2021

Thanks to photos by Jeff Cieslak and Lori Maggio we have news of the adult peregrines and chicks at the Third Avenue nest in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Dori is (probably) the resident female. Lori photographed a pinkish USFW right leg band on one of the adults on 23 May, an unusual color that’s the same as Dori’s. Dori hatched in Akron, Ohio in 2007 and has nested in Downtown Pittsburgh since 2010. She is 14 years old.

Here’s a two year old photo of Dori showing her face, chest and leg bands.

Adult male has a silver USFW right leg band. Lori’s photos on 23 May give us several views of the resident male. The photos at top and below show him facing forward.

Then he turned and showed his silver right leg band.

Last year the new resident male had a silver right leg band as shown in Lori’s photo on 28 June 2020(*). Dori’s previous mate, Louie, died in the summer of 2019.

Considering Dori’s lightly spotted breast these face-shots by Jeff Cieslak on 25 May are probably the resident male.

At least 3 chicks in the nest. Viewing the nest from Mt. Washington, Jeff and Lori’s photos indicate there are at least three chicks in the nest. Jeff’s slideshow on 14 May make it easy to count white chicks in the lower opening.

Lori’s image from 23 May, below, confirms that count. Notice three white blobs with the short dark tails. I think they are slightly younger than the Pitt nestlings because they are whiter than the Pitt chicks were on 23 May. I expect them to fledge some time between June 1 and June 10.

Since Third Avenue is partially blocked by construction, I am not going to schedule a formal Downtown Fledge Watch. However, I encourage everyone to stop by Third Avenue to see the adults and eventually chicks at the edge of the ledge.

If you take photos, please let me know in a comment and we’ll swap addresses. Maybe your photo will be the one to identify the adults!

(photos by Lori Maggio and Jeff Cieslak)

(*) UPDATE/Musings (in early 2022) on Terzo’s move to Downtown: On 8 June 2021 Lori Maggio’s photos confirmed that Terzo is the male nesting Downtown via his Black/red N/29 band + silver band on right leg + heart-shaped cheek markings. Lori’s photo a year earlier, on 28 June 2020, also matches the silver band + heart-shaped face. In my opinion, Terzo was the resident male Downtown in 2020, which could explain why he had no time to nest with Morela that year.