Peregrine activity begins to wane in July but there’s still news from western Pennsylvania’s nine nest sites.  Some have active families, others do not.

1. Downtown Pittsburgh: 

In early June Dori and Louie fledged four youngsters from the Third Avenue nest but observers have seen only two Downtown since mid-June. At the end of June (while I was in Montana) I heard from Art McMorris that a seriously injured fledgling with infected wounds was found on Grant Street and had to be euthanized.

Happily, Lori Maggio saw two healthy youngsters yesterday, July 7, perched on Point Park University’s Lawrence Hall. Their parents seem to be avoiding them.

Dori and Louie have been visiting the Gulf Tower nest on the other side of town since June 24.  In the top photo, they bowed during a gorgeous red sunset.  On July 6, Ann Hohn at Make-A-Wish confirmed their identities. Yes, they are Dori (in Ann’s photo above) and Louie.

2. Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh:

On June 21 the female resident Hope briefly lost the Cathedral of Learning to rival Magnum but regained it within a couple of days (read more here).  Since then Hope visits the nest frequently to bow with Terzo.  Their fledgling C1 is doing well.  Peter Bell saw the whole family yesterday (July 7) when he heard C1 shouting as she chased one of her parents.  I’m sure C1 is learning to hunt but would prefer to mooch from Terzo.

3. Westinghouse Bridge:

John English and I visited the Westinghouse Bridge on June 23 and found the resident female, an unbanded one-year-old. She “owns” the place but has not nested this year.

4. McKees Rocks Bridge:

The McKees Rocks Bridge is hard to monitor but Joe Fedor got lucky.  Joe works at the nearby ALCOSAN plant where on June 7 he saw a peregrine fly and land unsteadily on a pier of the McKees Rocks Bridge.  On June 9 he saw two peregrines, one of which appeared to be “flying unsteadily as it landed on the ladder on our tall smoke stack.  I have never seen a fledgling fly, so I am wondering if it was a fledgling.”  Art McMorris says, “Yes, it sounds like a fledgling.”   That’s good news for McKees Rocks.

5. Neville Island I-79 Bridge:

This year the nest at the Neville Island I-79 Bridge was so hard to see that site monitors could not confirm if the pair was still Magnum and Beau.  Two young fledged in early June but one died and the other disappeared within two days.   All was quiet until Magnum appeared at the Cathedral of Learning on June 21 and ousted Hope for a couple of days … and then she disappeared.  One of her fans, Chad Steele of Canton, Ohio, came to Pittsburgh to check on her.  He found her at the bridge on July 2.

Those who know Magnum recognize her purposeful hunched walk along the beams.

Chad’s photos of her bands confirmed her identity.  Magnum is back home for now.

6. Monaca-E.Rochester Bridge, Beaver County:

Several people looked for peregrines in the Beaver-Monaca area this year including long time peregrine watcher Scott Gregg.  Scott says the peregrines chose the Monaca East Rochester Bridge this spring but their nest — if they had one — was unsuccessful.

7. Tarentum Bridge:

Rob Protz continues to monitor the Tarentum Bridge where he’s seen a pair of peregrines but no evidence of nesting.  He photographed one having a meal on the bridge on June 28, above.  Rob also saw one of the peregrines dragging its talons in the river as if to catch a fish.  Unusual behavior, but not unheard of.

8. The Graff Bridge, Route 422 Kittanning, Armstrong County:

Great news! In their second year at this new nest site, the peregrines have successfully fledged two youngsters.  Tony Bruno visited the Graff Bridge several times last weekend to capture these beautiful photos. The best place to watch is from the bike trail on the Manorville side.

9. Erie, PA Waterfront:  Mary Birdsong reports that the peregrine pair is still hanging out at the DonJon building but they have not nested. Alas. Better luck next year.

(See the captions for photo credits. Webcam photos from the National Aviary falconcams at Gulf Tower and Univ of Pittsburgh. McKees Rocks Bridge photo from Wikimedia Commons. Remaining photos by Ann Hohn, John English, Rob Protz, Chad Steele and Anthony Bruno.)

Yesterday there were new developments in the peregrine saga at the Cathedral of Learning.

I thought that the new female, Magnum, had claimed the site this week but…

Megan Briody is keeping a close watch on the falconcam and reports that Hope came back to the nest on Friday June 24 around 6:30pm. The snapshot above shows Hope’s black/green bands as she’s leaving. (Both Magnum and Terzo have black/red bands.)

Observers on the ground saw three peregrines flying near the Cathedral of Learning but could not tell if all three were adults — Terzo, Hope and Magnum — or if one was C1.

Meanwhile, C1 is doing just fine. She’s spending lots of time at St. Paul’s Cathedral, a few blocks away from the nest, where she’s taking her many meals. Terzo is making sure she’s well fed.

Apparently site ownership is still up for grabs between Hope and Magnum. It’s hard to tell who’s in charge here.

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

Now that the Pitt peregrine nest is empty, most of us aren’t watching the falconcam so I was surprised when Megan Briody posted this comment on my blog yesterday:

Kate, did you see that Terzo has a new “visitor” at the nest?  I saw her on the camera today (6/22) at 3:58 PM.  At first, I thought it was Terzo because she also has a black/red band, but the band numbers didn’t seem familiar so I checked the video archives later.  The bands are black/red, 62/H on her left leg and purple on her right leg.  Your peregrine history pdf says that this is Magnum from the Neville Island Bridge!  Later at 4:40 PM, Terzo was in the nest, he called her in, and they bowed and chirped at each other.   I went back farther in the archives, and she was on camera last night (6/21) at 18:58.  If you have any thoughts on this development, we’d love to hear them!  It seems strange that Terzo would be courting a new female so soon after C1 fledged, but after this year, I guess we should expect the unexpected!

Wow!  Good job, Megan!

Here’s a closeup of Magnum’s bands.:  Right leg = black/red 62/H.  Left leg has a purple band .

Indeed Magnum, hatched in Canton, Ohio in 2010, raised up to four nestlings per year at the Neville Island I-79 Bridge since 2013.  This spring site monitors reported two fledglings at the bridge but weren’t able to confirm the pair’s identity because the nest was moved out of sight.

We don’t know if Magnum nested, but we do know that Hope was challenged by two females: On April 8 by an immature unbanded female, and on April 23 by a banded adult female with black/red on her left leg and a purple band on her right leg.  Perhaps that adult was Magnum, waiting her chance take the Cathedral.

Was there a fight?  Not that we know of.  Many watchers are scanning the sky for a glimpse of C1 and none of them reported a fight.

Meanwhile Peter Bell’s @PittPeregrines video (above) indicates that Terzo and Magnum are already establishing their pair bond so that means Hope is gone. (No she isn’t. See UPDATE below)

A prime nest site like the Cathedral of Learning can change hands at any time.  Fortunately Hope was able to keep the site while C1 was still in the nest and still primarily her responsibility.  At this point in C1’s life, her welfare is Terzo’s job.

So the peregrine drama continues.

Thank you, Megan Briody, for letting us know it happened!

UPDATE: Hope never left the Cathedral of Learning. Magnum merely stopped by for a visit.

(video by Peter Bell (@PittPeregrines) from the archives of the National Aviary falconcam at University of PPittsburgh)

This week Peter Bell (@PittPeregrines) followed peregrine fledgling C1 around the Cathedral of Learning as she practiced her flying skills.

Monday evening, June 13: Peter waited for C1 to fledge but left the area just 10 minutes too soon (video above).

Tuesday, June 14:  C1 spent the day whining for attention and shouting for food.  (Notice that the incoming adult is already molting.)

Wednesday June 15:  A rare photo.  C1 in flight!

Thursday June 16:  Many thunderstorms and heavy downpours. C1 stayed put long enough for Peter to photograph her from above. She’s not as close as she looks. Peter’s camera can really zoom. 🙂

This weekend C1 will fly to other buildings as she expands her flight skills. Soon she’ll be hard to find … and that’s as it should be.

(video and photos by Peter Bell, @PittPeregrines)

For every other big event in the Pitt peregrines’ lives this spring, I’ve been out hiking without cell coverage so it was fitting that I was in the Laurel Highlands this morning without cell coverage when Fledge Watchers confirmed that C1 had fledged.

As it turns out, C1 probably flew last night around 7:30pm.  When Lori Maggio was leaving The Porch restaurant last night she heard a peregrine screeching, looked up, and saw a brown bird flying toward Phipps.  She didn’t know what was going on so she emailed me:

“An adult peregrine came flying toward the bird and seemed to go after it, bumping into it. The original bird circled back around and headed toward the Cathedral. It tried to land on one of the windows about 1/2 way up, pushed off the window and circled around the right side of the cathedral [out of sight].  The adult peregrine flew back and forth in front of the cathedral for about 45 seconds and then landed on the railing above the nest.”

Apparently Hope told C1 to turn back and land on the Cathedral of Learning … which she did safely on the other side.  I’m sure the fledgling had a snack and slept all night after that excitement.

This morning at Fledge Watch Peter Bell saw Hope but not C1.  When you can’t find a fledgling, find both parents and they’ll give you the clue so Peter found Terzo on the north side of the building.

By midday C1 was up and at ’em on the west face, shouting for food and flying to different ledges.  In the photos above she’s in a very safe location 250 feet up.  She’s exploring her new world.

Congratulations, C1!  I knew you’d do it if I went out of cell range.  😉

(photos by Peter Bell (@PittPeregrines))

The peregrine chick at the Cathedral of Learning has still not fledged as of yesterday evening.  She prefers to sleep during the hottest part of the day so we sit and wait for nothing at midday Fledge Watch.  Notice her in the yellow circle above, sleeping on the roof of the nestbox.

I suspect this is a difference in parenting styles.  Dori and Louie (Downtown) fed their young a little less as they approached fledge date so the “kids” associated fledging with food.  C1’s parents feed her so well that she has little incentive to leave.  Some of you said she’s a spoiled only child.  Perhaps so.  She’ll fly some day but I can’t predict when.

The official Pitt Peregrine Fledge Watch is changing and tapering off.  Today, June 14, John English (Pittsburgh Falconuts) will be at Schenley Plaza from 11:00am to 1:00pm.  Peter Bell (@PittPeregrines) will visit when the chick is off camera (i.e. ledge walking or flying). I’ll stop by today from 4:30pm to 5:30pm.

You’re welcome to visit the watch at any time to see the peregrines on your own.

p.s. No need to worry that C1 will land on the ground in her first 24 hours of flight.  She has 400 feet of headroom and many comfortable landing sites on the Cathedral of Learning at 380, 320, 250 and 150 feet.  (The Downtown chicks started only 120 feet up with landing zones at 60, 20 and 10 feet high. No wonder they reached the ground!)

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

Sunday’s Fledge Watch was very boring at the Cathedral of Learning . The weather was beautiful but the winds were gusty and the peregrine chick, C1, spent the entire time sleeping at the nest.  As far as I know, she didn’t fledge yesterday.

Will she fly today?  I hope so.

Come to the tent at Schenley Plaza today (June 13) and see what the peregrines are up to.  I’ll be there from noon to 2:00pm.  Check the Events page for additional schedule information.

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

Before young peregrines fly they walk on the cliff ledges and exercise their wings.  Their parents encourage them by flying nearby.

Since the chick C1 walked off camera at the Cathedral of Learning yesterday, all the action has moved to the air above Schenley Plaza where Peter Bell (@PittPeregrines) recorded this video last evening.  We see the entire peregrine family at once — swooping, diving, and “wingercising” (wing + exercising).

This is why I love fledge watch.  It’s the best part of peregrine season!

I’ll be at Pitt Peregrine Fledge Watch at Schenley Plaza today, June 11, 9:00 to 11:00am followed by John English (Pittsburgh Falconuts) noon to 3:00pm, weather permitting.  We’ll also be there Sunday and Monday.  Visit the Events page for the schedule.

Come on down!

(video by Peter Bell @PittPeregrines)