LATEST NEWS

Life goes on for the Utica Peregrine Falcon family. Comet seems to have adjusted to being an only child. For a few days after Skye’s accident he seemed to become more sedentary – recalling for us what he was like for the five days after he fledged. This time it was just that he was lacking a brother to lure him into flying games. Soon enough though he was back to careening around the canyon and regularly displacing both his father and mother from their perches. With one fledgling certainly easier to provide for than three, Astrid and Ares’ jobs have become a bit easier. There is now typically a surplus of prey in the pantries and often enough the birds have full crops. Meanwhile Skye was transferred from Woodhaven Wildlife Center in Chadwicks to Kindred Kingdoms Wildlife Center in Pennellville. At the latter facility there is a flight cage where Skye’s flying ability can be accessed. With luck he will be able to be released to his family by the end of the week. Fledge Watch Volunteers, please stand by!

 

 

 

 

 

Sometime last night in the early evening – probably between 6:00 and 7:00 PM, Skye, the 2nd of this year’s Peregrine chicks to fledge, met with an accident. He was found standing in the parking lot of the State Office Building with his wing drooping. After capture he was brought to a local Wildlife Rehabilitator. A cursory examination revealed nothing obviously wrong with his wing, but he awaits x-rays and a more thorough examination. At this point we are hopeful that he will be able to be released back into the Downtown territory, but only time will tell. Though official Fledge Watch had ended only the day before, there were observers on the scene, but none of them saw the incident that brought Skye down.

 

Skye and Comet are becoming very hard to keep up with as they zip through the Downtown canyon and beyond. Walking around Downtown and looking for them on roofs and ledges is not as easy as it used to be. As soon as you find them – or one of them, they are up and soaring again. As our official Fledge Watch came to an end on Tuesday night, those of us present got to see another fantastic air show by the four remaining falcons. They were practicing maneuvers like mid-air food hand-offs and hovering. The winds were pretty strong in the evening, but falcons like it that way since it makes for seemingly effortless flying. Comet and Skye continue to act in tandem in nearly everything they do. Together they escorted an Osprey out of the territory while their parents watched from their perches on the State Office Building. After the comparatively giant bird had been dealt with, the two siblings returned and landed next to each other on the same window ledge of the State Building. Even though on Sunday, Comet proved that he could catch his own prey, the fledglings will remain dependent on their parents for most of their food for at least a few more weeks. This means that they will continue to beg, chase and even displace their parents from their perches. For anyone interested in seeing the best bird show in town, you still have a chance. Just come Downtown and bring binoculars and a folding chair. They won’t disappoint!

 

 

 

 

 

 

After fledging successfully from the nestbox at 5:48 Monday morning, Orion was observed making a some excellent flights and landings. However, at approximately 7:50 AM, she struck a window of the State Office Building and was killed instantly. Herbody was recovered by DEC personnel.  If more details of the incident are discovered they will be relayed at a future time.