15 May 2023
In Sunday’s update I explained that Morela was very ill when she disappeared last Friday and said: “If Morela is gone a new female will come to the Cathedral of Learning to be Ecco’s mate.” Well, that didn’t take long! A new female peregrine showed up at 2:00pm and displayed her bands. I already know where she came from.
Yesterday was so warm and sunny that Ecco sunbathed for 90 minutes at midday. Then at 2:00pm a new female peregrine showed up and sunbathed for half an hour. (See slideshow at end.)
She periodically looked at the sky as she stretched her legs and wings. Amazingly she aimed her color band at the camera!
Female peregrine Black/Blue S/07 was banded on 18 May 2020 at nest on a building at One Summit Square, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
From her photos she looks paler than Morela to me and her face is different.
Will she stick around? We’ll have to wait and see. Meanwhile here’s a slideshow of her from a different angle.
(all photos from the National Aviary falconcam and snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh)
Good morning Kate, could this be the same female Morela battled with?
Janet, she might be but we will never know.
I will miss Morela. She was so lovely and did a great job with her youngsters. She and Ecco were great together. Hopefully she is not suffering. So now we wait to see if the new female, a three year old youngster, will hang around. Quite right, Kate, no time for mourning with nature marching always forward.
She was named Carla I believe. I watched her from an egg as well. Her aunt Midnight is the long time resident female at our Mississauga, Ontario nest site.
I found a news article about Carla!
https://www.wndu.com/content/news/Peregrine-falcon-chicks-banded-and-named-570598081.html
“FORT WAYNE, Ind. – For the eighth consecutive year, falcon father Jamie and mother Moxie squawked loudly and angrily Monday as their baby chicks that hatched atop Indiana Michigan Power Center (IMPC) were briefly removed from their nest to receive identification bands. The three male chicks were named Bolt, Unity and Artemis, and the one female was named Carla. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing standards, I&M was unable to invite student groups to IMPC to watch the banding, hear an education presentation from Soarin’ Hawk Raptor Rescue and name the chicks as in prior years. But the I&M team didn’t let this exciting time escape us. We used the opportunity to invite I&M employees to select the names – and they submitted more than 650 names for consideration. There is special importance to each of these names: Bolt is symbolic of the energy industry; Unity is a symbol of our society coming together during these uncertain times; Artemis is a follower of the goddess of wild animals; and Carla is in recognition of one of I&M’s respected leaders, who is retiring this summer after more than 30 years with the company.”
Some research on ‘Carla’ the falcon (Black/Blue S/07): Tracy Warner at Indiana Michigan Power confirmed that Carla E. Simpson is the person for whom “Carla” the falcon was named: https://aepretirees.com/2017/03/29/aeps-outstanding-women-carla-simpson/
Carla Simpson worked at AEP Indiana Michigan Power for 30+ years https://www.indianamichiganpower.com
She was named in honor of someone. https://www.wndu.com/content/news/Peregrine-falcon-chicks-banded-and-named-570598081.html (Carla is in recognition of one of I&M’s respected leaders, who is retiring this summer after more than 30 years with the company.)
Naming is fraught with difficulties.
We will miss you, Morela. You were such a welcome and beautiful mother after the nightmare of Hope. Fly high forever!