14 January 2025

The peregrine falcons at the Cathedral of Learning, Ecco and Carla, are already thinking about the upcoming nesting season. Two months from now Carla will be only days away from her first egg so the peregrines are ramping up courtship this month, snow or no.

There’s been snow on the nest since 2 January but that hasn’t stopped their visits. Yesterday the temperature nudged above freezing for most of the day and shrank the snow cover. At 4pm Ecco and Carla stopped by for a courtship bowing session.

If you’re lucky this month you’ll see them in the still shot at FALCONCAM – CL snapshots.

Stay tuned for the National Aviary‘s Live Stream that starts in February.

2 January 2025

Though my Last Bird of 2024 and my First Bird of 2025 were the same species — a flock of crows flying to/ from the Oakland roost — my Favorite Bird started off the new year right.

Pitt peregrines Ecco and Carla visited the ledge yesterday to bow and strengthen their pair bond. Their visit was captured by the National Aviary snapshot camera at the Univ. of Pittsburgh.

As the breeding season heats up in January and February, Ecco and Carla will become more visible even though it’s cold. Watch for them in the sky around the Cathedral of Learning this month and on camera beginning in February.

Meanwhile, click here to see the current snapshots from the nest.

I’m looking forward to a good peregrine year.

26 June 2024

Peregrine season is wrapping up with confirmation of breeding in one location and a bunch of “pair only” sightings in the Ohio River valley.

East Liberty Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh:

Adam Knoerzer confirmed one chick at the nest in early June but hadn’t seen any sign of it since the 17th. Then on Monday evening 24 June, Adam was near East Liberty Presbyterian Church and confirmed “Juvie Alive and Well.”

After hearing a lot of noise, I noticed the juvie perched on a low tower on the Penn Ave side and the male dropping some food. We later saw [the juvie] fly back up to the nest.

— email from Adam Knoerzer, 24 June 2024

Adam’s photo at top shows where the young peregrine was perched. Congratulations to the East Liberty peregrines and nest monitor Adam Knoerzer!

Brunot Island RR Bridge / Eckert / McKees Rocks, Ohio River:

The Eckert Street peregrines went missing this spring but there are many nest site choices within a mile of that site. Jeff Cieslak tried to find them with no luck but on 13 June Andy Moore (author of Pawpaw: In Search of America’s Forgotten Fruit and the upcoming book Beasts in the East) photographed a pair of peregrines at the Brunot Island Railroad Bridge.

Jeff Cieslak started checking Brunot Island and has seen the pair as recently as Sunday 23 June. Jeff remarked “I’m pretty sure the female from Eckert is there, with a young male.” No evidence of young.

Spruce Run Bridge, Ohio River: This pair is present every time Jeff Cieslak stops by, most recently 23 June. This pair is an adult female with a 1-year-old male. No young at this site.

Monaca-East Rochester Bridge, Ohio River:

On 16 June Tim Johnson saw a pair of peregrines near the Monaca East Rochester Bridge and on 24 June Jeff Cieslak photographed them. There is no evidence of young this year.

West End Bridge, Ohio River: Remember that banded peregrine Jeff Cieslak photographed here on 13 June? Its bands have been traced to Baltimore, Maryland, but it hasn’t been seen since. No peregrines at the West End Bridge.

PEREGRINE SUMMARY FOR SOUTHWEST PA: This is probably the final update for 2024. Many of these sites did not have successful nests.

19 June 2024

It’s been eleven days since my last regional peregrine update. Here are just a few of the sites. More to come in the days ahead.

Cathedral of Learning, Univ of Pittsburgh:

The juvies have made a lot of progress since 11 June when Liz Adams took this photo of one of shouting from the 32nd/33rd floor parapet. Such a lazy bird! On its belly demanding room service! It eventually flew away toward Carnegie Museum.

This week both juvies harassed a crow at Bayard and Bellefield and chased their parents around the top of the Cathedral of Learning. By the time I snapped this photo they were out of the frame.

They’ve learned how to hunt at this point but it’s a lot harder than wheedling food from their parents. On Monday they figured out that Ecco hides from them at the nest so they both invaded. Ecco shouted and left immediately. See the slideshow of their antics.

Juvenile Pitt peregrines invade the nest, 17 June 2024 (photos from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh)

Downtown Pittsburgh:

On Monday morning 10 June PGC’s Patti Barber emailed that a Downtown juvie had been rescued from the ground and placed up high again. This Monday, 17 June, Matthew DiGiacomo heard a juvie peregrine calling overhead and posted this photo of it on Pittsburgh Falconuts Facebook page.

First, I heard the distinctive call. Didn’t take long to spot it soaring above the Forbes Avenue Garage.

— Matthew Digiacomo posted to Pittsburgh Falconuts Facebook page, 17 June 2024

East Liberty Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh: No photos available but Adam Knoerzer wrote yesterday, 18 June:

In E Liberty now — the young one was definitely flapping wings yesterday and exercising, and I can’t see a thing in the nest today. The female is perched much lower than usual today on the eastern face, and I wonder if perhaps the young one tried to fledge and is somewhere on a low roof.

The female is in a decidedly unusual spot for her — and she has some prey in her clutches but isn’t eating it. I did briefly hear vocalizing, but it wasn’t very long or intense.

I guess it’s possible that the chick is lying flat due to the heat or something, but yesterday it was pretty easy to see it anywhere due to its size.

— email from Adam Knoerzer, 18 June 2024, 6pm

West End Bridge, Ohio River: On 13 June Jeff Cieslak photographed a solo peregrine at the West End Bridge. It is banded Black/Green and appears to be “xC/20”. (The “x” means I can’t read that letter. Jeff digitally flipped the band rightside up.) Did I read the band correctly? Do any of you know this bird?

Rt 40 Bridge, West Brownsville, Monongahela River:

On 1 June five birders visited the Rt 40 Bridge to watch the peregrine family of four. When Fred Kachmarik visited on the 9th and 15th of June the two youngsters were doing well.

There is a 60% mortality rate among peregrines in their first year of life so the loss of a chick is, unfortunately, an expected outcome.

8 June 2024

Peregrine falcons have been busy this week and so have been their observers. Here’s a quick roundup of peregrine news in Pittsburgh.

Cathedral of Learning, Univ of Pittsburgh: Everyone is flying; the family is doing well.

• This week I learned that both Pitt peregrine chicks fledged on Sunday 2 June. At Fledge Watch at 4:30pm there was only one chick on the nestrail so the first one must have flown between 3:30pm & 4:30pm. Then at 7:00pm Jenna Burdette and her husband were at Schenley Plaza when the second one make its first flight. They saw Carla and Ecco accompany the fledgling around the building to its first landing.
• On Tuesday 4 June I watched Carla and Ecco demonstrate an aerial prey exchange while a youngster chased them. Carla then tried to entice the juvie to do the prey exchange with her but the youngster was tired of the game. Carla caved in and brought food to the fledgling.
• Also on Tuesday 4 June, Carla and Ecco took a “time out” from the kids by perching in inaccessible locations and bowing at the nest.
• On Wednesday 5 June Stephanie Hoogendorn on 19th floor saw and heard a juvie begging on the 16th floor patio. The juvie flew off toward Carnegie Museum.

Downtown Pittsburgh:

• John English and I visited the Third Avenue peregrine site on Monday 3 June and saw four chicks at the opening and an adult on the gargoyle. The chicks hadn’t flown yet.
• On Friday 7 June Debbie Kalbfleisch stopped by Third Avenue and saw 2 young birds. One at the nest and another on the nearby roof. “While I watched, the one on the roof lifted off & down 3rd & over the building where I lost it. Also saw an adult on the bar above the nest earlier.” By now two or three have fledged.

East Liberty Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh: There’s a chick at the East Liberty Presbyterian nest! Adam Knoerzer photographed it at the nest opening on 5 June.

West End Bridge, Ohio River: On 4 June Jeff Cieslak photographed a peregrine at the West End Bridge (photos at top and below). When he processed the in-flight photo he noticed that the bird is banded. I wonder who it is.

Eckert / McKees Rocks, Ohio River: No photos available but on 4 June Marcie at Don’s Diner saw peregrines at the Ohio River Boulevard Eckert Street Bridge. They were gone by the time Jeff Cieslak could get there. 🙁

Spruce Run Bridge, Ohio River: Also on 4 June Jeff Cieslak saw both peregrines at the Spruce Run Bridge. They are still getting acquainted … loudly!