There’s still action in the nest box every now and then!  Here’s a short video!

I meant to post this a week or so ago but time just got away from me.  White Boy was actually in the nest box on August 31st!  Here he is looking at the camera. I think he’s saying “see ya ’round”!

If you’re needing a falcon fix, there are several hawk watches in the area!  My favorite is the Ashland Hawk Watch in Hockessin, DE since it’s so close to where I live.  There’s also the Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch in Lewes, DE and the Bucktoe Creek Preserve Hawk Watch in Kennett Square, PA.  Peregrine Falcons migrate mostly in September and October with the peak being in early October so you just might get lucky and see one! 

This week starts the big Broad-winged Hawk migration!  Sometimes you see hundreds of them all soaring around in the sky together!!!  On September 19, 2009, we counted 3263 migrating Broad-winged Hawks with 842 of them coming through between 3:00 and 4:00!  At one point we were all laying on our backs watching them swirling around over us.  What an incredible sight!

The hawk watches are always looking for people to help spot migrating raptors so if you have any free time, please stop by and help find some birds!  No experience is necessary and we have extra binoculars!  I should warn you though, it can be very addicting!!!  Next thing you know you’ll be taking vacation days like me.  I took off this Thursday, Friday and Monday so as to not miss the “big flight”! 

Some other good hawk watches that aren’t too far from this area are Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Kempton, PA and Waggoner’s Gap which is just outside of Harrisburg, PA.  Hawkcount is the website where hawk watches enter their count data and where you can find site summaries.

If anyone is needing a falcon fix and likes to kayak and has any free time this week, please check out this notice for help with the falcon fledge watch in Lancaster/York Counties at the Rt. 462 Bridge.   The post below is from the 18th but they’re still looking for coverage all day for 7/25 & 7/26 and the afternoons of 7/28-7/31.

Please email Meredith at ctsnature@yahoo.com if you’re able to help!

———————————————————
Date:    Mon, 18 Jul 2011 19:19:08 -0700
From:    M L <ctsnature@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Lancaster/York Counties, Rt 462 bridge, Peregrine Fledge Watch: Help Wanted

Greetings All,
 
The pay is purely in memories, but the help wanted is real.
 
 This is the fledgling year of the “official” Peregrine Falcon Fledge Watch of the eyases (young falcons) at the Rt 462 bridge over the Susquehanna River.  Last year, the pair of youngsters that attempted to fledge safely, ended up swimming on the river for several hours each.  It was sheer luck that boaters saw and saved each bird, as one of them was well down-river from the nest site, splashing weakly in the water and was exhausted when finally saved. (We dubbed this bird, aptly, “Splash.”)  This year, we hope to be better prepared for the event, and are asking anyone available to spend a few enjoyable hours on the river to monitor and save any plunged peregrines.
 
The payout can be spectacular.  Already, we’ve seen both adults hunt and bring food to the nest, and some near altercations with innocent intruders that happened to be flying nearby.  You may be lucky enough to witness one of the adults catch prey as happened recently when the female caught a bird over kayakers’ heads.  The eyases are currently keeping close to the inside downstream arch, but can be seen peering over the edge waiting for dinner.  When dinner arrives, it’s a scream-fest.  I really don’t know why peregrine parents haven’t gone deaf from raising a family….
 
In a short time, the young will be walking the arches and exercising their wings to strengthen them.  Last year, this happened frequently on the north side of the bridge (the upstream side), likely because the adults favored bare trees near the old piers on which to perch, and the eyases liked to keep an eye on the adults (all the better to scream for dinner).
 
ALL HANDS ON DECK!  This year, Marty Cox of Chiques Rock Outfitters, 717-475-6196 has graciously lowered the hourly rental fee of a kayak to a really, really, really low price to help the Peregrine Fledge Watch be successful.  Last year, Marty rescued the second bird after a local boater told him there was a bird in the water that couldn’t fly.  Marty rescued the young male (which we’ve playfully dubbed “Duncan”).   The Outfitters is adjacent to the parking area of the Riverfront Park in Columbia Borough, Lancaster County.  Marty said he would offer the LOW price to anyone who mentions the magic words, Peregrine Fledge Watch.  The deal will endure when he has kayaks available (call for reservation) and for the period of July 25 to about August 6th, or until the birds have successfully managed to fly without ending up in the water, needing to be rescued.   Riverfront Park is at the end of Walnut Street where it crosses over N. Front
 Street, and the railroad tracks.  
 
 There are three local boat ramps in this area of the river.  One at Columbia, and two in Wrights ville, one north of the Rt 462 bridge at the John Wright Restaurant–suitable only for canoe or kayak launch (shallow), and one below the bridge at a regular boat launch area.  The area south of the bridge (downstream) is suitable for small motorized boats, but north is too shallow.  North of the bridge is relatively calm and shallow.  As a precaution to protect the breeding pair, if you can spend time on the river, please avoid “parking” or climbing out of your watercraft at any of the old piers where you see dead (bare-limbed) trees.  And don’t forget to take water to drink and snacks…
 
The expected fledge area is about mid-river, near the hand-painted, large white “Smiley Face” someone graffitied on the south-side of a pier.  Just listen for the prey squabbles between the young ones.
 
So, if you can help, what should you do if a peregrine needs to be rescued from the river?
First, save the bird.  If you can, put it in a safe, darkened place if it appears to be injured.  Call the local PGC Officer, John Veylupek at (610) 926-3136 x 0 (avoids the menus).  There are other contact numbers and information posted on flyers at the boat launches mentioned above. 
 
Please email me if you have questions.
 
Thanks
 
Meredith Lombard

For those in need of a falcon fix, check out this link!

I saw three of the falcons on the Brandywing Building before I came to work this morning so at least one of the kids is still around!  This past Saturday when I only saw three on the building two of them were kids. 

The adults are usually in the nestbox at least once a day doing some of their courtship rituals.  Sometimes you can’t see the male because he’s in the far right corner but if you see the female bowing and facing that direction, there’s a good chance he’s there.  Here is a picture of them from yesterday afternoon.

Unfortunately the falcon season is coming to an end.  The only good thing about it ending is that it means it will soon be time for fall raptor migration!  Be sure to check out one of the DOS hawk watches this fall!  I spend a lot of my free time at the Ashland Hawk Watch in the fall.  I’m happy to say that Cyrus Moqtaderi will be back as the official Hawk Watch Coordinator for Ashland!  If you want to learn about migrating raptors, he’s a great person to learn from!  One of the best times to be there is in the middle of September when all those Broad-winged Hawks are migrating through.  One day in September 2009 we had over 3000 of them in one day!!!  Hope to see you there!

Moqtaderi

Just a quick post to say that all four falcons are still around!  We thought maybe WB had left town but I saw him in the nestbox this afternoon.  It won’t be long before the two of them leave though!

Here’s a picture from this morning of the adults doing their courtship thing….

Also here’s a picture of the male working on the scrape this morning…

Here’s WB inside the box this afternoon…

I guess one good thing about being pretty much chained to my desk these days is that I almost always catch what’s going on inside the nestbox since I always have the webcam open on a third monitor! 

The past two mornings I’ve seen three of the falcons on the Brandywine Building but not all four.  Red Boy has been seen in the nestbox and I got some shots of a juvenile flying yesterday and today and they both had the red tape on the band.   They fledged around June 3rd so this would be about the time they might start leaving.  Check out this link from Kate St. John’s blog for some information as to where young falcons go when they leave home.

For some interesting information on just how far they travel, check out this link!  Wow!

All three falcons were in the scrape at some point today.

Here is the adult male…

Here is the adult female who is in the process of scraping…

And here is RB…

I saw three birds flying this morning around 5:15 and then the adult male landed on his usual ledge on the Brandywine Building and a kid landed on the roof directly above him screaming loudly.  Shortly thereafter the adult male took off with the kid in hot pursuit!  He actually caught up to him and they did a couple spins in the air and then kept on flying out toward the Brandywine River.  They hadn’t returned when I left about 10 minutes later.  

Around 7:00 I checked from an office across the hall where I work and saw an adult and a kid sitting on the roof of the Brandywine Building about a foot apart.  The kid was eating and the adult was preening.

This afternoon around 1:00 both adults were in the nestbox…

The male didn’t stay very long but the female stayed for almost 30 minutes.  She mostly stood in the same spot but she also worked on the scrape a couple times.

Around 4:00 this afternoon, the adult female flew into the box and was soon joined by Red Boy who chased her around a little and tried to get her to feed him!  Here’s a short video.

When I first got to the roof of the parking garage, there were two birds sitting next to each other on one of the ledges of the Brandywine Building and there was also a bird perched on a different ledge who turned out to be an adult.  I think the two sitting next to each other were probably kids.  One flew up to the roof and was joined shortly thereafter by the other.  One kid was chasing an adult screaming for a while and then both kids were chasing each other screaming when I had to leave.

Yesterday morning at around 10:40 both of the adults were in the nestbox doing some of their courtship routine.  Below is a picture of them bowing to each other and I was also able to get a video.  The video shows them bowing and if we had sound, we would hear them ee-chupping to each other.  You also see the female working on the scrape although the video seemed to get hung up for some reason so you only see part of it.  Luckily for me I have a second computer at work which always has the webcam running so if I see anything out of the corner of my eye I can quickly capture it!