Lots of Action in the Downtown Canyon

Sunday was a busy day for the Utica Peregrines. Fledge Watch volunteers were treated to many flights including some awesome demonstration flights by both parents. Skye was particularly active and made many forays into the air – always returning to the State Office Building in the end. That building has become the falcons’ base. After one of Skye’s flights, we couldn’t locate her. At the time her brother was on a high window ledge on the west side of the building. It turned out that Skye had joined her brother on that same ledge. This was the first time the two had been together since Comet left the nest box nearly a week before. On Sunday, Comet only made one small flight. That was between a high window ledge and the roof of the State Building. There he finally had enough room to exercise his wings. In fact more than once he walked (or hopped) across an entire side of the building all the while flapping away. Skye joined him up there several times and the two fledglings spent much time on the northwest corner. Astrid and Ares put on an impressive airshow for the youngsters. They seamlessly alternated between slow cruising and quick diving. Some of the swooping dives were reminiscent of the birds’ courtship displays.

Toward evening, both parents came to the Adirondack Bank building and appeared to be looking for Orion. They perched uncharacteristically low on the building and made extremely low flights over the east parking lot. This was right where Orion had come down earlier in the week.