Category Archives: Peregrines

The Pitt Peregrine Falconcam Is Up!

Nesting & Courtship, Peregrines
Ecco bows and echups to Morela, 31 Jan 2022 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

1 February 2022, 10:30am

Today the National Aviary’s Falconcam started up at the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning for Live Streaming the 2022 nesting season.

Yesterday while the stream was in test mode, Ecco and Morela courted at noon. Ecco bowed to Morela who was outside the camera view, but you can hear both of them in this video. Morela’s voice is gravelly. Ecco’s voice is whistle/squeaky. At the end, Morela flies away. Listen for her flapping and see her shadow pass by.

Click here and scroll down to watch the National Aviary Falconcam at the Cathedral of Learning.

It’s Peregrine Season!

p.s. In case you’re new to the falconcam, click here for a recap of last year’s nesting season.

(photo and video from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

Pitt Peregrines: A Look Back at 2021

Nesting & Courtship, Peregrines
Morela feeds 4 chicks at the Pitt peregrine nest, 27 April 2021 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

30 January 2022

Peregrine falcons Morela and Ecco have been staying close to home at the University of Pittsburgh and courting occasionally at their nest. On 1 February the National Aviary’s Live Stream will start at the Cathedral of Learning. In just 6+ weeks Morela will lay her first egg.

To get in the mood for the 2022 nesting season here’s a slideshow of last year’s successful nest, a recap of highlights, and the Top 3 videos from the 2021 National Aviary falconcams.

Pitt Peregrine Highlights, 2021

  • As the year began Terzo was the resident male and Morela the resident female at the Cathedral of Learning. There was no sign of the second male, Ecco, who challenged Terzo throughout 2020.
  • At the end of January Terzo became alert and wary. Ecco was back.
  • February 1-5 Ecco and Terzo alternated at the nest until the afternoon of 5 Feb when Ecco permanently chased Terzo away and fully claimed the Cathedral of Learning and Morela as his mate. (Terzo ultimately nested Downtown.)
  • Courtship intensified. Ecco brought food to entice Morela. Morela laid four eggs:
    • 1st egg on St. Patrick’s Day, 17 March 2021
    • 2nd egg, 19 March
    • 3rd egg, 22 March. Incubation began.
    • 4th egg, 24 March
  • Hatch Day, 25 April: 3 of 4 eggs hatched on 25 April, the fourth on 27 April.
  • The chicks grew up into fully feathered juveniles through the end of May. See Top 3 Videos below.
  • On 1 June three began ledge walking.
  • The first flew on 4 June, the last on 11 June.
  • By mid-July the young started to disperse.
  • Ecco and Morela remain at Pitt year-round.

2 May 2021, Day in a Minute: The chicks are one week old.

23 May 2021, Day in 90 Seconds: Four weeks old, the chicks are speckled brown and as large as their parents. Messy nest!

30 May 2021, Day in 90 Seconds: Five weeks old, the chicks are fully feathered and very demanding. Nearly ready to fly.

(slideshow photos by The National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh, Charity Kheshgi, Dr. Alan Juffs and Kate St. John)

See a Peregrine? Say Something!

Peregrines
Peregrine near Westinghouse Bridge, 22 Jan 2022 (photo by Dana Nesiti)

23 January 2022

Have you seen a peregrine falcon recently in southwestern Pennsylvania? Say something. Here’s why.

January through March is the best time to see peregrines in the Pittsburgh area. Conspicuous and territorial, every peregrine move right now is designed to tell all others “This is mine!” In just 8 weeks the females will lay eggs.

Ecco (left) bows to Morela, Pitt Cathedral of Learning, 19 Jan 2022 (photo from the National Aviary snapshot camera)

Last year there were 11 territories in our region including seven confirmed nests. This year I expect more. Peregrines have been so successful in Pennsylvania that by 2021 they were taken off the state’s threatened and endangered species lists. They are still protected by the PA Game Commission but they no longer have a dedicated staff member whose sole job is peregrines. PGC’s Peregrine Coordinator Art McMorris retired in December 2021(*).

Pair of peregrines in McKees Rocks Bridge territory, 15 Jan 2022 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)

Because I’ve been monitoring peregrines for over 20 years, I’ve been tracking them myself as a volunteer. Please help me! If you see a peregrine in southwestern PA, say something so I can update the records and continue to bring you regional peregrine news.

There are many ways to Say Something. Choose one.

  • Record it in eBird
  • Post a comment on my blog (I receive your comments in email!)
  • Post it on my Kate St. John Facebook page (you might need to Friend me first)
  • Post it on Facebook in PA Birders Photography and Art or in the private group Pittsburgh Falconuts.
  • (*) If you used to contact Art McMorris with peregrine updates, Art is now tracking peregrines as a volunteer and would love to hear from you.
  • The PA Game Commission will announce plans as well.

Where do you find them? Peregrines have been seen at half the sites in the past month so get a dose of Peregrine Splendor there, then check the places where they’ve not been seen. Keep your eyes out for new locations, too.

Banded male 48/BR at Tarentum Bridge, 16 Jan 2022 (photo by Dave Brooke)

Check out the photo captions to see where and when these peregrines were seen on territory.

Peregrine at Monaca RR Bridge, 25 Dec 2021 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)

Did you see a peregrine falcon in southwestern PA?   Say something.

(photos by Dana Nesiti, Jeff Cieslak, Dave Brooke and the National Aviary snapshot camera)

In Snow and Cold

Nesting & Courtship, Peregrines
Morela and Ecco bow at the Cathedral of Learning nest, 8 Jan 2022, 9:10am

9 January 2022

This morning in Pittsburgh it’s rainy and foggy and 41oF but yesterday …

Yesterday morning it was sunny and 12oF with an inch of snow in the nest when Ecco and Morela decided to meet at the Cathedral of Learning.

The sun was so bright that they were hard to see.

  • Ecco arrives, his head in the sunshine

In 10 minutes they were gone.

(photos from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh)

Morela Casts a Pellet

Bird Behavior, Peregrines
Is Morela shouting? No (photo from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh)

28 December 2021

Earlier this month Morela preened at the nest and frequently paused to raise her beak and open wide (photo at top). She was not shouting. She was casting a pellet.

Like other birds of prey, the peregrine’s digestive system gathers indigestible bits of feather and bone into a pellet in the gizzard. When the pellet is big enough the bird regurgitates it. If you found a peregrine pellet it would not be as interesting as an owl pellet because it is just fractured bits and pieces. Peregrines don’t swallow their prey whole like owls do.

It is rare to witness the actual casting. The snapshots show Morela preparing to cast the pellet but we never see it leave her body. She looks our way when it’s over.

In May 2020 the Richmond, Virginia falconcam captured video of their unbanded female casting a pellet near the nest. Though it looks to us as if she’s sick, what she’s doing is completely normal and necessary.

Learn more about peregrine pellets and see photos of them at the Richmond VA peregrine page.

(photos of Morela from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh)

Pitt Peregrines Near the Solstice

Peregrines
Morela and Ecco bow to each other on Christmas Eve 2021 (photo from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh)

26 December 2021

Around the winter solstice the Pitt peregrines are well aware the days are shorter. They make the most of every minute.

For instance, on 19 December they bowed at the nest at 9:45am.

Then Morela shook off some downy feathers and preened for half an hour.

In mid afternoon 50 pigeons poured off the top ledge of this building in such a tight ball that I suspected a peregrine had caused it. Not just one peregrine. There were two! Morela and Ecco were cooperatively hunting, a sign of their close pair bond.

Pitt peregrine hunting zone, December 2021

Morela dove to break the flock’s ball while Ecco chased the loners that missed rejoining the group. This went on for at least 20 minutes with so many near misses that I began to think the peregrines were having fun as they worked together for their dinner. When it was over the pigeons drifted back to the ledge, unconcerned.

The pigeons are improving their flying skills. So are the peregrines.

p.s. Morela spent more than two hours preening and hanging out at the nest on Wednesday 22 December and the pair bowed together on Christmas Eve (at top). On sunny days check the snapshot camera to see if she’s there. Unfortunately we’re in for several days of rain this week.

(photos from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh and by Kate St. John)

Peregrine Goings On in Early December

Peregrines, Phenology, Weather & Sky

12 December 2021

The Cathedral of Learning peregrines remain on campus all winter, keeping tabs on their territory making it safe for future nesting.

On Friday I saw an adult red-tailed hawk circling up over the museum and thought for his sake, “You’re asking for it!” Sure enough, both peregrines popped off the Cathedral of Learning and zoomed down to relentlessly dive on the hawk until he flew low between buildings at Carnegie Mellon.

Scaffolding has been rising at Heinz Chapel but I paid no attention until a peregrine found it interesting. On Wednesday 8 December I noticed a dot on the top rung. Through binoculars I identified Morela checking out the new view (circled).

What’s that dot on top of Heinz Chapel scaffolding? A peregrine! 8 Dec 2021 (photos by Kate St. John)

Meanwhile Morela and Ecco are thinking of spring even though the winter solstice is more than a week away. Their abbreviated bonding rituals are becoming more elaborate as they bow they turn their heads, nearly touch beaks. Both have been digging the scrape(*) and Morela sometimes pauses to stand in it.

Here’s a selection of their goings on in early December.

  • Ecco waits for Morela to arrive

p.s. The scrape (*) is the depression in the gravel where Morela will lay her eggs.

(photos by Kate St. John and from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

Pair Bonding in Late November

Nesting & Courtship, Peregrines
Morela and Ecco nearly touching beaks, 28 Nov 2021

29 November 2021

Despite the fact that egg laying is more than three months away, Ecco and Morela have been visiting their nest at the Cathedral of Learning. Yesterday the camera captured them pair bonding and nearly touching beaks.

You can tell the two birds apart by size and plumage contrast. Morela is larger and her body, wings and tail colors are essentially uniform (on left above). Ecco is smaller with a sharp contrast between his gray body and the dark/black tips of his wings and tail.

Peregrines are brightening our gloomy winter days.

(photos from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh)

Hello, Morela!

Peregrines
Morela looks in a window at the Cathedral of Learning, 19 Oct 2021 (photo by Dr. Alan Juffs)

22 October 2021

Last year’s work-from-home COVID restrictions kept most University of Pittsburgh faculty, staff and students away from campus. The peregrines could perch anywhere on the Cathedral of Learning with no one to see. Now everyone is back and the peregrines are observing people inside the building. On Tuesday morning Morela looked into Dr. Alan Juffs’ window from a favorite dining ledge where he first saw her back in 2019.

Hello, Morela!

The peregrines eat at this perch but also cache food for future meals. When Morela left the ledge, Juffs photographed some cached prey.

Peregrines’ cached prey on a Cathedral of Learning ledge, 19 Oct 2021 (photo by Dr. Alan Juffs)

Mike Fialkovich helped me identify the two birds in this pile. On the left an American woodcock, on the right an eastern meadowlark.

Neither of these prey species lands on campus because both require wilder habitats. American woodcocks live in young forests and shrubby fields, meadowlarks require grasslands. However both are migrating over the Cathedral of Learning this month. They migrate at night.

Peregrines capture their prey in flight so to catch these birds they would have been hunting at night in the glow of the city lights.

By Thursday morning the meadowlark had been eaten, the woodcock was still cached.

(photos by Dr. Alan Juffs, University of Pittsburgh)