Cabin John Peregrines, 2013

[Paul Hamilton]

Last Sunday at 8 AM, fellow watcher Ricardo and I made our first trip of the year to our local nest site. Some of you may remember Ricardo from last year's Watcher's Weekend in Rochester.

After an hour of scanning, Ricardo spotted a female far away on the Virginia side of the Potomac. The distance was at least 600 feet/18 meters). Was the male here, too? were they incubating?

An hour later, the female took off. In seconds, she crossed the river, circled over us, and went into the nest box up on the American Legion (Cabin John) Bridge. Instantly, a male flew out. Unlike Mariah and Kaver or Beauty and Dot.ca, there is no negotiation with this pair.  Ricardo switched to burst mode, reacted quickly, and photographed the departure. One bird goes in; another immediately flies out. He passed over us, flew to the Maryland bridge abutment (checking for other intruders?), and returned to a tree about 100 feet (30 meters) away where he could watch both us and the box. After a while, he flew south down the river to hunt, I left to teach a flying lesson, and Ricardo went off in search of Belted Kingfishers.

The male had only a silver band, on the right leg. The person who banded out long-term territorial male ran out of color bands, so this is almost certainly the same tiercel who has been here since the box was installed. Now, it remains to ID the female. It seems almost certain that there are eggs this year.

[Paul Hamilton]

And here is the male, watching us intently.

[MAK]

Now that I see the monster camera and hat I remember Ricardo! lol Nice pics!! 

[Paul Hamilton]

Last Saturday, I made the hike down to the Potomac shore beneath the bridge again. This time, it was very hot and I waited for two hours without a single falcon. Suddenly, a fast-moving bird with pointed wings appeared from the south, circled overhead, and landed near the nest box up on the bridge.  It was the territorial male! He perched for nine minutes, seemingly looking into the box.  Then, he flew to a girder beneath the bridge, probably to get out of the hot sun. There he stayed for the next hour.

What's going on? Well, it's pretty clear that incubation has ended. What I don't know is whether the female was in the nest box and whether they have chicks. Has there been a nest failure or a hatch? Perhaps this weekend I will find out.

Paul

[Donna]

ANTICIPATION!!!

[Paul Hamilton]

Unfortunately, I had a bad cold this weekend and did not think it wise to attempt the hike down to the bank of the Potomac. Resting in bed with my tablet set to Rfalconcam did a lot of good.

My friend Ricardo did make it and says, "They must have chicks because they make frequent nest exchanges. I know they are doing fine." He does not know when banding will take place.

Paul

[valhalla]

Hope you are recovered from the cold, Paul!  Sounds like all is on track for another generation of the CJ Peregrines.   

[Paul Hamilton]

We had a long falcon watch yesterday, with me on the Maryland side of the Potomac and Ricardo on the Virginia side. The distance between us was 540 feet, or 166 m, so we each had quite a different vantage point. There was a nest exchange at 7:50 AM with the male heading down to their hunting territory downriver, not to return until 10:30 AM. There was no prey and no nest exchange, the male perching near the box but not going in. When I left at 11:00, Ricardo was watching him perched out of my view on one of the Virginia-side bridge supports. He will get back to me with his report.

This time last year, the juveniles were taking their first steps outside the nestbox. Either the timing is very different this year or there has been a failure and possible re-nesting. Ricardo thinks something is happening -- "There is life in that box; I know it", he says.

It's always good to spend time in an active peregrine territory, and there were lots of Great Blue Herons out fishing, so I can't complain.

Paul

[MAK]

Nice pics Paul! 

[Donna]

I hope they have a few wee ones in there! Thanks Paul, I like your pics!!