13 February 2021

For the past 10 days Ecco has been present at the Cathedral of Learning peregrine nest every day, his longest streak since he first arrived 12 months ago. The streak began on 4 February and continued today when he bowed with Morela at 7:30am this morning.

The photos below, one per day, show what Ecco’s been up to. As a special treat he came in for a closeup (above) when he jumped up to the pillar below the snapshot camera on 8 February.

All of the photos are from the National Aviary falconcam at the Cathedral of Learning. Click here and scroll down to watch.

Terzo was last seen at the nest on 5 February. Does Ecco’s every day presence mean Terzo is gone? We’ll have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, watch for Morela on camera. She’s been preoccupied. I wonder why.

(photos from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

12 February 2021

Yesterday Game Wardens Madison Kyle and Dan Puhala of the PA Game Commission (PGC) installed a new peregrine falcon nestbox at the Gulf Tower in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Getting to this point was a group effort. PGC’s Peregrine Falcon Coordinator Art McMorris, with years of experience installing nestboxes, coordinated the fast-tracked project remotely from Philadelphia, bringing together Dan Hosier of the National Aviary (he built the nestbox), Ann Hohn of Make-A-Wish Greater PA and WV (offices next to the peregrine ledge), Allison Guidish of Rugby Realty (Gulf Tower management), and Game Warden Dan Puhala.

It all came together on Thursday 11 February 2021 after Tuesday’s snow delay.

The nest ledge is small so Madison did the on-ledge work while Dan took pictures.

Thumbs up! Thanks to all for a successful install.

The next step is to restart the National Aviary’s Gulf Tower falconcam. A lot has changed since it was shut off two years ago so this group effort is going to take a while. Please be patient. As soon the falconcam is running both the National Aviary and I will let you know. Stay tuned.

p.s. I played a part, too. As the lead volunteer peregrine monitor in southwestern PA I periodically checked the Gulf Tower roof project and kept Art informed on its progress, providing local contacts and filling in the odds and ends. Perhaps you remember my plea on Pittsburgh Falconuts for help with the gravel and cinder blocks. I bought them online and Dan picked them up in his truck.

(photos by Game Wardens Dan Puhala and Madison Kyle of the PA Game Commission)

Sunday, 7 February 2021

Though Terzo called at the Pitt peregrine nest as recently as 8am Friday I haven’t seen him on camera since. (Terzo on 5 Feb, 7:40a below.)

Meanwhile Terzo’s rival, Ecco, began visiting the nest frequently that afternoon. At every visit he tried to charm Morela but it didn’t always work.

On Saturday morning, 6 February 8:22a, Ecco made all the right moves of an ardent male peregrine. He stood tall, hunched his back and high-stepped back and forth. He bowed low and softened his voice to a whistle. He froze in place and dared not look at her as she perched above the camera … except he had to peak just in case.

It took more than two minutes to convince her to join him. The whole episode is six minutes.

It’s hard to say what has happened off camera. Did Ecco permanently chase away Terzo … or not? All we know is that Ecco has really turned on the charm.

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

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

A note about the audio hum. The hum is *not* audible at the nest. It is an electrical artifact of the microphone. It comes and goes.

2 February 2021

Today is Candlemas and Groundhog Day and only 46 days until the Spring Equinox. The next 46 days will see winter waning, bald eagles laying eggs, and peregrine falcons in courtship mode. The equinox has special significance for Pittsburgh’s peregrines. The females usually lay their first egg around that time.

Yesterday the National Aviary Falconcam resumed live streaming at the Univ of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning. When I tuned in to pull a screenshot, Ecco jumped into camera view and bowed to an unseen female.

Six hours earlier, before dawn, Terzo had courted Morela at the very same place (*sound muted on video).

Ecco stayed a while when he appeared at 1:30pm. He was clearly communicating with another peregrine and bowed deeply to a female we hear in the background (probably Morela).

Alas. There are still two male peregrines at Pitt, a situation that caused the nest to fail last year. I hope Terzo and Ecco figure out who’s in charge in the next 46 days. I’d like to see a happy nest this year.

Watch the National Aviary Falconcam at Univ. of Pittsburgh at this link.

*NOTE about the muted video: When the camera first came up yesterday it made a loud buzz-hum sound (click here to listen) which was too annoying on the 7:20am video. The sound disappeared on its own as you can hear in Ecco’s video.

(videos from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

1 February 2021, 1:35pm

Today live streaming resumed as planned on the National Aviary Falconcam at the Cathedral of Learning.

When I opened the live stream to pull some screenshots I heard e-chupping and behold! Ecco is back! In the snow. In the nestbox. Prancing and calling to an unseen female peregrine. Probably Morela.

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

It’s Peregrine Season and it starts with a bang this year!

p.s. In case you missed last year’s soap opera: In 2020 there were two male peregrines and one female at the Cathedral of Learning nest. Terzo, the established male, never completely chased away Ecco, an unbanded 1-year-old. Both males courted Morela. She laid 2 eggs in early May. Neither male assisted with incubation and the nest failed. We are hoping for a better outcome in 2021.

(photos from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

27 January 2021

Peregrine Season is fast approaching. At the Cathedral of Learning, Terzo and Morela are visiting the nest for brief periods every other day. Yesterday, 26 January, they bowed for four minutes as shown in motion detection snapshots(*) above.

Interestingly, the pair did not move enough to trigger motion detection for most of their bowing time. Courtship must have been pretty intense.

Meanwhile there has been no sign of the second male peregrine, Ecco, since 26 December. I hope he has found his own territory and won’t be back.

Here’s a bridge to watch:

The 62nd Street Bridge nestbox, 3.2 miles away from the Cathedral of Learning, was vacant in 2020 after the tiercel died and “Ms Indiana”(Black/Blue 48/N) moved to the Westinghouse Bridge. In the prior year, 2019, she successfully raised at least one fledgling so we know this is a good site.

A week ago, 20 January 2021, Joe Stavish saw a peregrine fly over Tree Pittsburgh’s field next to the 62nd Street Bridge. Fingers crossed that we’ll have a pair here this year.

Peregrine Season is about to begin! Start watching for peregrines at these sites.

(*) p.s. The Cathedral of Learning peregrine nest can be seen on the snapshot camera here. Please be patient. The streaming camera will start next week.

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

10 January 2021:

In the next 10 weeks peregrine falcons will court and claim nest sites in southwestern Pennsylvania, then lay eggs mid-March to early April. Right now through mid-March is the best time to see them. Here’s an update on recently active sites and information on locations where observers are needed. Get outdoors and look for peregrines! I hope you can help.

Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh:

It’s easy to watch peregrines at the Cathedral of Learning because they’re on camera. The snapshot camera captured Morela and Terzo courting on 8 Jan 2021 as shown in the slideshow above. Stop by Schenley Plaza and look for them on or above the building. The streaming camera will start running in February.

Downtown Pittsburgh:

If I was to bet where the Downtown peregrines will nest this year, I’d say there’s a 90% chance they’ll be at the Third Avenue site, shown above, where they’ve nested for the last three years. Though the roof rehabilitation project is done at the Gulf Tower, the nestbox hasn’t been reinstalled yet. I’m awaiting news from the Game Commission. Meanwhile, observers are needed Downtown! Let me know if you see anything.

OHIO RIVER, McKees Rocks Bridge:

The McKees Rocks Bridge has been active nearly every year since 2008 but COVID-19 restrictions made it hard to observe so we have no reports of nesting in 2020. Observers are needed in 2021!

OHIO RIVER, Neville Island I-79 Bridge — no nest in 2021 and 2022.

PennDOT’s rehabilitation of the Neville Island I-79 Bridge will encompass the full length of the bridge through the 2021 and 2022 peregrine nesting seasons. Peregrines will be excluded from the bridge during that entire time so they can’t start to nest and then fail. We hope the bridge pair finds an alternate site nearby, but we won’t know where they are until we look for them. Observers needed! Look for peregrines in the Ohio Valley. Be alert for battles over an existing site.

OHIO RIVER, Monaca Railroad Bridge:

Speaking of the Ohio Valley, on 4 Jan 2021 Jeff Cieslak found a peregrine pair at the Monaca Railroad Bridge, perching, bowing and flying as shown in the slideshow above. If you’d like to see for yourself, stop by the north shore of the Ohio River in Beaver and Bridgewater PA at the sites marked by Jeff Cieslak on the map below.

OHIO RIVER, Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge:

Again in the Ohio Valley, Mark Vass saw a peregrine at the Ambridge Bridge on 3 Jan 2021. This bridge had an active pair in spring 2020 though nesting was not confirmed. Watch this bridge for more excitement.

TURTLE CREEK, Westinghouse Bridge:

The Westinghouse Bridge pair is gearing up for nesting as seen by Dana Nesiti on 2 Jan 2021. Click here for more photos.

ALLEGHENY RIVER, 62nd Street Bridge:

The nestbox on this bridge was last used in 2019. On 20 January 2021 Joe Stavish saw a peregrine fly over Tree Pittsburgh’s field next to the 62nd Street Bridge.

ALLEGHENY RIVER, Tarentum Bridge:

Both peregrines were at the Tarentum Bridge when Dave Brooke stopped by on 29 Dec 2020. Click here for more photos.

ALLEGHENY RIVER, Rt 422 Graff Bridge, Kittanning:

Margaret and Roger Higbee saw a peregrine at the Graff Bridge on 6 Jan 2021 (and also in December). Peregrines have nested here since 2016. Stop by to see for yourself.

Get outdoors and see peregrines! Let me know what you find.

(photos by National Aviary snapshot camera at Cathedral of Learning, Kate St. John, John English, PENNDOT, Jeff Cieslak, Dana Nesiti, Dave Brooke, Wikimedia Commons)

5 January 2021

As promised in early December, Dan Hosier of the National Aviary returned to the Pitt peregrine nestbox yesterday and installed a new roof. It took him only 15 minutes to clear away the old pieces and attach the roof and awning. The snapshot camera captured his movements, sped up in the 8-second video above.

When Dan was done he took this photo of the roof, a rare chance to see the nestbox from the peregrines’ perspective.

Morela and Terzo saw it too and visited the nestbox twice during the afternoon. Morela tried out the new roof with her typical leap to the awning after leaving the nestbox. In the slideshow below, Terzo looks up while Morela is on the roof. You can see her talons at the edge of the awning.

Very soon — next month! — the National Aviary falconcam will start streaming again. Don’t forget to support the streaming camera to keep it running! Click here to donate to the National Aviary today.

(photos from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh; nestbox photo by Dan Hosier)

3 January 2021

Now that the days are getting longer our local peregrine falcons are staying close to home and defending their territories. Pittsburgh has six more minutes of sunlight since the winter solstice. Peregrines are thinking of spring.

Westinghouse Bridge:

Yesterday, 2 Jan 2021, Dana Nesiti found both peregrines at the Westinghouse Bridge. The female watched from the catwalk (above) while the male carried a snack.

Tarentum Bridge:

On Tuesday 29 December, Dave Brooke found both peregrines perched on the same beam at the Tarentum Bridge. The female is the same spotted-breast bird who has nested there since 2018.

Cathedral of Learning:

At the Cathedral of Learning three peregrines have visited the nest since the winter solstice. Ecco and Morela courted during Christmas week, 22-26 December, shown above.

Then on Christmas Bird Count day I saw two males chasing while Morela waited at home. Terzo must have won the chase. He and Morela courted last week and Terzo has been present ever since.

Will either one of the males finally win the territory this spring? Or will both persist and the nest fail again?

Your guess is as good as mine.

(photos from Westinghouse Bridge by Dana Nesiti, Tarentum Bridge by Dave Brooke, and from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh)