Here’s a video captured by Peter Fullbrandt showing Hope laying the egg. Skip to the 5:00 mark and you will see her breathing with her beak open for about 30 seconds. When she raises her tail (at the 5:33 mark) it’s just after she’s laid the egg, though you cannot see it. We waited for an hour for her to move off the eggs so we could count four.
(photo from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh; video capture by Peter Fullbrandt)
The flowers are ahead of schedule and so are some migratory birds. This week in Schenley Park I found four new arrivals.
Brown creepers (Certhia americana) spend the winter in the central and southern U.S. so they know about our warm weather and can decide to migrate early. I saw several brown creepers and heard their high pitched, squeaky song along the Bridle Trail on Thursday.
“Brown Creeper (Certhia americana nigrescens)” from xeno-canto by Mike Nelson. Genre: Certhiidae.
Two very tiny birds, smaller than chickadees, arrived on Tuesday. It’s unusual to see them together.
Golden-crowned kinglets (Regulus satrapa), at left below, have a winter range similar to the brown creeper’s and usually migrate through before their ruby-crowned cousins show up. I found both birds on March 29 when I heard the ruby-crowned kinglet singing “Stay away!” as the golden-crowned chased him. I’ve never seen these two species fighting!
Golden-crowned kinglet (photo by Steve Gosser)
Ruby-crowned kinglet (photo by Steve Gosser)
Ruby-crowned kinglets (Regulus calendula) spend the winter in the southern U.S. and even in eastern Pennsylvania but they’re a big deal here. An appearance on March 29 is two weeks earlier than I expect them.
Here’s the ruby’s song and, at the end, the “chack” he makes when annoyed.
“Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)” from xeno-canto by Hal Mitchell. Genre: Regulidae.
On Tuesday I heard a lone chipping sparrow (Spizella passerina) along the Bridle Trail but couldn’t find him for two days. He was hanging out with a flock of dark-eyed juncoes. Bob Machesney says that in the North Hills the dark-eyed juncoes are gone before the chipping sparrows arrive. This solo bird isn’t playing by the rules. 😉
Chipping sparrow in May (photo by Steve Gosser)
Here’s the chipping sparrow’s song:
“Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)” from xeno-canto by Martin St-Michel. Genre: Emberizidae.
Watch for the first three birds in the days ahead. Only the chipping sparrow will stay to nest in Schenley Park.
Two nestlings watch as parent bald eagle returns to the Hays nest (photo from Hays eaglecam)
By now it’s clear that the two nestlings in the Hays bald eagle nest are doing well but many of you wonder about the third unhatched egg. What will happen to it? Why hasn’t it hatched?
One unhatched egg is a fairly common occurrence in the nests of many birds. Some eggs are not fertile, some have developmental issues. There are many reasons. Birds often lay more eggs than actually hatch, perhaps as insurance against this rather common eventuality.
Among bald eagles, the need to brood the young for a week allows ample opportunity for remaining eggs to continue incubation and eventually hatch. While the adults brood the nestlings they can hear if an egg has a live bird in it because baby birds make peeping and hammering sounds inside the egg a day or more before hatching. Eggs that aren’t going to hatch are silent.
What happens to unhatched eggs? Birds are not emotional about them. When it’s obvious an egg won’t hatch, the family moves it around the nest for their convenience. In bald eagles’ nests it may eventually become buried under debris along with the remains of dinner.
What if it hatches now, more than a week late? Here’s the answer from the Audubon Society of Western PA on their Bald Eagles of Western PA Facebook page on March 30, 9:39pm:
“We’ve gotten many questions about the last egg in the Hays nest. At this point there are no good options for what can happen with that egg. Perhaps the egg is just not viable and will not hatch. But if the egg should hatch (there is still a remote possibility) the newly-hatched eaglet would have a difficult time thriving. It would be more than a week younger than its siblings, meaning it would be much smaller and have a hard time competing for available food. While nobody likes to hear this, it is nature and if we didn’t have a webcam focused on the nest, we wouldn’t even know it was happening. All we can do now is wait and see how it plays out…and be thankful for the two vibrant eaglets that we do have in Hays.” — eagles.aswp.org
The text above gives you a hint.
Knowing bald eagle family life as I do, my hope is that the third egg never hatches.
Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania Statement on the Remaining Egg in the Hays, PA Bald Eagle Nest
For immediate release, April 2, 2016.
There is one unhatched egg remaining in the Hays, PA Bald Eagle nest. The egg has gone one week past the typical 35 day incubation period and at this time, the adult eagles are no longer actively incubating the egg. Audubon believes that the egg is not viable and will not hatch.
While we will never know for certain why this egg did not hatch, it’s possible that it was not fertile from the start. An infertile egg cannot develop into an eaglet and the egg would thus be deemed non-viable. It’s also possible that something went wrong developmentally within the egg after it was laid.
Across the state in Hanover, it appears that their local Bald Eagles also have an egg that is not going to hatch. We do not believe that there is any connection between the non-hatchings in Hanover and Hays—it’s nothing more than a coincidence. Last year, both sides of Pennsylvania had abnormally cold winters, which we believe was one of the factors that led to an unsuccessful breeding season for our Pittsburgh Bald Eagles. But in 2015, the Hanover Bald Eagles raised and fledged young, while facing the same cold temperatures. Before webcams were pointed on these nests, we did not know what was happening inside of them. Today we can see nature at work—both the good and the hard, sometimes uncomfortable reality of it.
The positive news is that the Hays Bald Eagles have two healthy and vibrant eaglets in their nest—eaglets that are approaching two weeks old and growing every day. We look forward to watching their continued growth and development, and eventual fledging from the nest in early summer. The Hays Bald Eagles have successfully hatched six eaglets: one in 2013, three in 2015, and two in 2016. The unhatched egg will eventually be broken through activity in the nest—parents and eaglets moving around. The egg, like the shells of the hatched eaglets, will eventually become invisible within the nest. An image of the female Hays Bald Eagle and two eaglets is attached.
Watch Pittsburgh’s eagles at eagles.aswp.org. For additional information on the Hays and Harmar Bald Eagles, please visit our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/pittsburgheagles, where daily updates on both nests are posted. The Harmar Bald Eagles’ first egg is expected to hatch on our around April 13.
p.s. Celebrate bald eagles this weekend at Audubon Society of Western PA’s Beechwood (Allegheny County) and Succop (Butler County) locations with a free “Eagle Egg” Hunt and other activities.
On Saturday, April 2 at Beechwood: Egg hunts at 11 am, 12 pm, and 1 pm – bring a bag to collect eggs! Parking is at Fairview Elementary School, 738 Dorseyville Road. Shuttles will bring visitors to Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve. Please allow time for the shuttle to transport you to the event. The Pennsylvania Game Commission and PixController will be onsite, as well as a local chicken expert who will bring baby chickens! There will also be games, crafts, and activities. Register today for Beechwood!
On Sunday, April 3 at Succop: Egg hunt begins at 12 pm – bring a bag to collect eggs! Then participate in eagle-themed games, crafts, and activities. Register today for Succop!
Great horned owl on nest under the Homestead Grays Bridge, 27 March 2016 (photo by John English)
For months we thought the old red-tailed hawks’ nest under the Homestead Grays Bridge was abandoned, but last Sunday John English discovered it is very much occupied — by a great horned owl. John posted the photo above in the Duck Hollow Facebook group with this diagram of its location.
Location of nest under Homestead Grays Bridge (formerly called the Homestead High Level Bridge) as seen from Red Robin at The Waterfront. Duck Hollow is on right, across the river (photo by John English)
Dana Nesiti (EaglesofHaysPA) stopped by yesterday and got this beautiful shot of the mother owl. In this species, only the females incubate and brood. Father owl perches nearby during the day.
Great horned owl on nest under the Homestead Grays Bridge, 30 March 2016 (photo by Dana Nesiti)
Dana watched for 45 minutes and was rewarded with a glimpse of the tiny owlet — the round white head at center-right of the nest. I’m no expert but my guess is this owlet hatched 1-2 weeks ago.
Great horned owlet in nest under Homestead Grays Bridge, 30 March 2016 (photo by Dana Nesiti)
Meanwhile, not far away….
At midday on Monday Cathy Bubash posted a comment on my blog that there was an injured owl on the road at Schenley Park’s Anderson Playground. We traded email addresses and Cathy sent photos. Oh my! It’s not an injured adult. It’s a fledgling great horned owl!
Great horned owl fledgling, Schenley Park, 29 Mar 2016 (photo by Cathy Bubash)
He’s old enough to fly, though he isn’t very good at it. He appears to be about 8 weeks old.
Great horned owl fledgling in flight, Schenley Park, 29 Mar 2016 (photo by Cathy Bubash)
I visited the area at 4:30pm and found the owl safely perched on a hillside tree below the playground. His parents could find and feed him overnight … but where were they?
In all my visits to Schenley Park I’ve never encountered a great horned owl and never seen a nest. I rechecked two abandoned red-tailed nests on nearby bridges. Nothing.
On Tuesday morning the owl was back on the asphalt at Anderson Playground so Public Works employees wisely called the PA Game Commission who collected the owl and delivered it to ARL Wildlife Center for evaluation.
Great horned owl fledgling rescued at Schenley Park by PGC, 29 March 2016 (photo by Kevin Wilford)
It’s a good thing this owl was rescued. He’s not injured but he is emaciated. Did he have parents in Schenley Park?
Based on his age — two months older than our local owlets — I had a theory that he hatched in the South, perhaps the Carolinas, and was brought to Pittsburgh by someone who dumped him at the secluded end of the playground when he got too big.
But my theory was wrong! After publishing this blog I learned that a Public Works employee saw a great horned owl this morning at 6:45am near the Anderson Bridge.
In any case, while this owl fattens up he will have a good foster mom at ARL. Martha the great horned owl will teach him everything he needs to know.
(photos by John English, Dana Nesiti, Cathy Bubash and Kevin Wilford)
Event: This Sunday, April 3, 4:00-6:00pm, you can meet owls from the ARL Wildlife Center at their fundraiser at the Galleria of Mount Lebanon. Click here to register.
p.s. Ravens are rare in the City of Pittsburgh but I saw a pair poke at the Homestead Grays Bridge nest on February 18. They were agitated. Now I know why. The owl was probably in the nest and just beginning incubation. Ravens hate great horned owls.
Bloodroot gone to seed, Cedar Creek Park, 27 March 2016 (photo by Kate St. John)
30 March 2016
Spring is coming in fits and starts but mostly it’s coming too soon in southwestern Pennsylvania.
On Easter Day, 27 March 2016, I took a walk at Cedar Creek Park in Westmoreland County and found native plants blooming two to three weeks ahead of schedule. No wonder! It was 75 degrees F.
Male peregrine, Terzo, (bands Black/Red N/29) at the Cathedral of Learning nest, 29 Mar 2016 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
The primary nest monitor names the bird for his/her own convenience using these two rules. If the peregrine was named at banding that name is preferred. Otherwise the primary monitor names the bird.
N29 did not receive a name on Banding Day so it was my job to decide what to call him. After many hours of deliberation and repeated consultations with my fellow peregrine monitor, Karen Lang, …
the third male peregrine to nest at the Cathedral of Learning has a name: Terzo.
Terzo means “third” in Italian.
p.s. In Italian it’s pronounced Tare-tzo. It rhymes with “scherzo.”
Male peregrine (N/29) “Terzo” at the Cathedral of Learning, 25 Mar 2016, 10:50 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
Mystery solved!
The new male peregrine at the Cathedral of Learning nest — Black/Red, N/29 — hatched in 2013 at the (PNC) 4th and Vine Tower in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio.
He remained a mystery for days because his band colors indicate he’s from the Midwest but Cincinnati doesn’t enter peregrine band numbers in the Midwest Peregrine Database.
This did not daunt Kathy Majich of Toronto, Canada. Her excellent detective work uncovered a news story with a photo of N/29 on his Banding Day, Tuesday 18 June 2013, when he was about three weeks old. She sent me this link on Saturday with a photo of him showing off his bands.
I sent Kathy’s link to Art McMorris who contacted Ohio DNR. Jennifer Norris sent confirmation today, adding that N/29’s parents are “feisty” … so we’ll have that to look forward to.
Hope’s new mate should feel right at home at the Cathedral of Learning. He hatched on a 31-story Neoclassical building, completed in 1913, shown below.
PNC Tower at 4th & Vine, Cincinnati, OH (photo from Wikimedia Commons)
There’s even a webcam at his former home. Watch it here at RaptorInc.org.
N29 was not named at banding so he earns a name now that he has a nest. As the third tiercel to reign at the Cathedral of Learning, his name is “Terzo” which means third in Italian. (In Italian it’s pronounced Tare-tzo; rhymes with “scherzo.”) Click here to read how he got his name.
Welcome to Pittsburgh, Terzo. We’re happy to have you here.
For two decades, Chook the superb lyrebird lived at the Adelaide Zoo, South Australia and wowed visitors with his vocal abilities.
Superb lyrebirds (Menura novaehollandiae) are the size of pheasants and native to southeastern Australia. The males are famous for their courtship displays which include shaking their elaborate tails and accurately mimicking a wide variety of sounds.
In the wild, superb lyrebirds mimic natural sounds. In 2009 there was a lot of construction at Adelaide Zoo. When the breeding season came Chook faithfully reproduced the sounds of hammers, power drills and workmen whistling on the job.
Close your eyes at the 3:15 mark and listen to the handsaw!
PEREGRINE FANS, I have no news since Saturday. I will update you when news comes in. Meanwhile, here are links for all Peregrine News to date and Peregrine FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions).
p.s. Thanks to Ed McCord for pointing out this video.
Coltsfoot blooming in Schenley Park, 18 and 24 March 2016 (photo by Kate St. John)
Spring is early, as expected, so I wasn’t surprised to find leaves unfurling in Schenley Park last week. Here are a few highlights from my walks in the past nine days.
Above, coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) began blooming on March 7 and was still flowering when I passed by on March 24.
Below, Yellow buckeyes (Aesculus flava) are one of the first trees to leaf out in Schenley Park. These leaves picked up fluff from other trees whose flower parts had blown away, perhaps a wind dispersal strategy. The buckeye makes flowers that attract bees.
Yellow buckeye leaves unfurl, 24 March 2016 (photo by Kate St. John)
Purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) began blooming March 10 and will continue for many weeks. Its flower has a spotted lip that says, “Land here, little insect.”
Purple deadnettle blooming, Schenley Park 18 and 24 March 2016 (photo by Kate St. John)
The weather’s been mild so get outdoors soon. Don’t miss our early Spring.
New male peregrine at Pitt, 25 Mar 2016 (photos from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
Yesterday morning the new male peregrine at the Cathedral of Learning stepped on the nest and paused in front of the falconcam.
Ta dah! He is banded and we captured two clear snapshots of his bands: Black/Red, N/29.
(The black/white image was taken in the infrared light before dawn.)
Peregrine fans searched online for his identity and came up empty. This isn’t surprising. Eastern states don’t keep an online database.
I sent the ID photos to Art McMorris, PA Game Commission Peregrine Coordinator, and he looked in his databases — which include states that don’t report online — and came up empty as well.
The bands are within the color/number series issued to a midwestern state but they are not in that state’s database. They were probably used somewhere else. But where?
Art contacted peregrine coordinators in other states and is awaiting information. He says it may take days to get the answer. (Remember, it’s Easter season and the person who knows the answer may be on vacation.)
So we’ll just have to be patient.
In the meantime the new male’s bands provide us with an easy way to tell the two birds apart on camera: Hope is Black/Green, he is Black/Red. 🙂
