Author: Matt Perry

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After plenty of coaxing by both parents, Comet, who hadn’t left the east face of the Adirondack Bank Building since Tuesday, finally flew on Saturday morning. His flight was relatively strong and direct. It led him across the canyon and to the west face of the State Office Building where he put down on a high window ledge. It was a great relief to see him flying so well. We were beginning to think that he may have sustained an injury when he “crash landed” against a window screen five days before, but in flight he appeared to be fine. However, once he had his nook on the State Building, he was committed to remain there and didn’t move again for the rest of the day, and that’s despite some tireless coaxing from both parents. Skye, on the other hand, needed no coaxing. She (Or he! – the relatively small size of Skye’s wingspan is now forcing us to reconsider the bird’s gender) made at least ten flights today – all between the State Office Building and the Adirondack Bank. She is starting to become adept at landing on the window ledges of the State Building, which is no mean feat.

The parents surprised us today by returning to the empty nest box more than once and performing their in-box courtship dance. This entailed lots of bowing and calling and culminated with Astrid making a few nest scrapes! Don’t worry though, these two are not going to nest again this season.

Folks, just because the box is usually empty now doesn’t mean that the fledglings are out of danger. They are still in need of flight experience and for at least the next 2 weeks, they will be practicing their skills in the Downtown canyon. We still need fledge Watch volunteers to step up and help us safeguard these birds. If you’re able to assist, please sign up for a time on the Fledge Watch page or contact us directly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of stuff happened on Friday. Just after 3:00 PM, Skye fledged! Unlike her siblings she was well prepared. She spent much of the day flying between the nestbox’s perches and the roof of the box – testing her wings and landing gear. Her first flight was reported to be strong. She sailed high over to Grace Church’s steeple, where she attempted a landing on its peak. She aborted that landing and glided over to the State Office Building where she aborted yet another landing. She finally touched down on the roof of the County Building. Later in the day she flew over to the roof of the Adirondack Bank, and after that she settled on the very top of the State Office Building. Meanwhile, Orion, who fell out of the nest on Thursday, was taken to be treated at Kindred Kingdom Wildlife Center in Pennellville. While there she was temporarily placed in a cage right next to one that held the Binghampton Peregrine nestling that was injured on the same day after a fall from its nest. If all goes as planned, Orion should be able to be released back at the nest site in one week. Comet remains on the east side of the Adirondack Bank Building where he’s been since Tuesday. His parents have been visiting him and dropping off food for him, but he shows little inclination to try to fly again. He shows no obvious signs of injuries. He continues to travel around on that narrow ledge and he occasionally flaps his wings, but our worry is that he is not able to get enough exercise there.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s now been three days since Comet fledged and there is little new to report. In fact Comet didn’t fly at all yesterday and seemed quite content to stay put on a high window ledge on the east face of the Adirondack Bank building. Since his “inadvertent” fledgling on Monday, he flew only once and that was on Tuesday. We were pleased to see two food drops to Comet take place Wednesday morning. As far as anyone knew, Comet hadn’t been fed since early Monday morning. Meanwhile in and around the nestbox, Skye, the second chick to hatch, was actively pumping her wings and trotting around the east and west verandas – and even traveling beyond them along the narrow ledge that runs beneath the windows. Orion has been happy enough to flap her wings inside the box and remain in the place where most meals are served. She had a few scuffles with her sister on Wednesday, but by that evening they were sleeping on top of each other as is often their habit. Though no new fledge took place today, the Fledge Watch volunteers were treated to some nice aerial acrobatics by Astrid and Ares. The most impressive was a barrel role executed by Astrid. She did this in order to slow her decent to the ledge where Comet was perched. Also, an unusual amount of low level pigeon chasing took place today. Primarily Astrid was seen in hot pursuit of low flying pigeons within the air space of the Downtown “canyon”. Though most of these witnessed chases were unsuccessful, at least one was successful and she was seen flying back her prize.

What happens next with the Utica Peregrines? Will Comet begin flying again before Skye fledges? Only time will tell. If you’re able to get Downtown, come find out for yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

Just after 3:00 PM yesterday, June 15th, Comet, the first Peregrine chick of the season to hatch, became the first one to fledge. Earlier in the afternoon Comet had been spending time out on the nestbox perch flapping his wings and strengthening his wing muscles, but we believe that leaving the perch was not exactly what he intended to do. Apparently, Astrid landing  right beside him on the perch, was what forced him off the ledge. Fortunately his wings were ready and he managed to navigate around the Adirondack Bank Building. He came down on a tiny 15th story ledge on the back of the bank building. The Fledge Watch volunteers took a while to locate him and were (obviously) relieved to find him unscathed. He wasn’t a happy camper though, and at one point he tried to scamper up the bricks alongside a window frame. He ended up right back were he started  – back on that same narrow ledge. Both parents seemed to know where he was and flew by him several times; possibly they were trying to coax him off the ledge and to somewhere they could see him (and drop off food to him) more easily, but he wasn’t having it. There he seemed content to stay for the night.