Category: Awesome

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.

On Sunday, Orion remained in the immediate vicinity of the nestbox. She did a lot of calling and some exercising. She was also well fed. Astrid continues to reject her, but made about 75 % fewer dives on her than she did the day before. We’ll take that as progress. It was only too clear on Sunday that Orion’s father and brothers are all squarely on her side. More than once, Ares brought food to Orion, including one remarkable incursion made in the midst of one of Astrid’s swooping raids. Even more remarkably, more than once, Comet flew to Orion’s defense by challenging his mother and even chasing her off. It was fledgling solidarity day in the canyon and it was something to see! Definitely Comet was in rare form on Sunday. The fledge watch volunteers got to see him make a kill. It was large prey too. By the description, I believe it was a pigeon! Comet flew laboriously with it over to the State Building, where with great effort he managed to pull it up over the ledge. This is an amazing feat for any fledgling of his age, but especially for Comet who seemed so slow to take to flying. We’re not sure what to expect from our falcon family on Monday. Lately every day has been filled with surprises. It seems certain that Orion will try to fledge very soon and when she does we are uncertain what Astrid’s reaction will be. Possibly she will attack or at least try to drive Orion into potentially dangerous situations. Will the males falcons be on hand to play interference for Orion? We don’t know. Fledge watch volunteers are needed more than ever for this next phase. It’s quite a show, folks.

This just in: As of 6:00 Monday morning, Orion has fledged!!! She took a nice flight around the Canyon and landed on the roof of the Adirondack Bank Building. Comet is there with her. Importantly: Astrid did not interfere with Orion’s flight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After being absent from the Downtown breeding site for just over a week, Saturday morning, Orion, the youngest of this season’s brood, was brought back and released at the nestbox. Things didn’t go smoothly. Putting Orion in through the back of the nestbox worked like a charm, but Astrid, who was already quite perturbed for some unknown reason, went ballistic. She dove at the box again and again, which served to get the entire family (minus Orion) agitated and flying in tight circles around the bank building. So it was a swooping swarm of frenzied raptors that greeting Orion’s return. Astrid’s alarm chatter was nearly incessant and it put everyone’s nerves on edge – birds and falcon watchers alike. Orion spent her first hour home backed up into the box and ducking each time Astrid swooped close. By an hour later the parents, Comet and Skye, were all back on the State Office Building and some semblance of peace and quiet returned to the canyon. Later on Ares landed on the nest box and got a close look at his daughter. He couldn’t stay long, but he was obviously not looking at her like an intruder. After that, Comet and Skye returned to the box together. This was the first time all 3 siblings had been together since Comet inadvertently fledged about 11 days before. The three birds seemed fine together and spent over an hour loafing on the box’s perches and side verandas. Soon Orion was causal enough to preen and practice flapping. She even started hopping up onto the roof of the nestbox.  Later on in the day after a successful midair food exchange from Ares to Comet, Comet brought the prey over to the nest box and Orion grabbed it. Was that an intended feeding? Unfortunately as the day wore on, Astrid didn’t lighten up at all. She resumed diving at Orion in a manner consistent with an attempt to drive away an intruder. Time will tell if Astrid will change her behavior toward Orion. In the end, the acceptance shown by the other members of the family will mean little if she continues to reject her. If the rejection continues the chances of a mishap will increase and the need to have Fledge Watch volunteers on hand will be greater.