Harrisburg, PA Falcons

[Kris G.]

Posted on BCAW

Just got home. What an exciting morning! I woke up at 5:30 and immediately tuned in the cam on the Kindle Fire. Both boys were on the ledge, then the internet connection went away and I had to reload. When I got back on, Lil Dad was on the ledge, downscreen from the stick, and both boys were jammed side by side facing him. It looked like he was giving them food. I thought, "good, they're both still home" and turned it off and laid back down. Only a minute or two later, the phone rang. When I saw it was Reenie, I knew what it was going to be. I had my pants half on before she was finished saying "There's a baby on the sidewalk!" Less than two minutes later, I was backing the car out of the parking space and on my way. When I got there, Reenie and a man were standing at the corner of Market and Aberdeen. I got my cat carrier out of the trunk and walked to the corner, where I could see Red crouched against the Carson Building wall. Once we got him
netted, I picked him up, took a good look at his head, eyes and mouth, took a deep sniff of his breath and checked his legs. He is fully alert and seems in perfect health. But since at that point we thought we heard Blue screaming from the top of the Fifth Street Garage, I just put him in the crate without checking the wings. I had called Ann from the Ed Center while I was on my way downtown, and she said keep him in the Ed Center til she got there, so we put Red in the office and went to the Garage to look for Blue. Turned out he was still on the ledge - his voice must have been echoing off the garage walls. So we went back inside to wait for Ann. In the meantime Jane arrived and we all waited together. I expect it will possibly be several hours before he is released, so don't be worried if the day is passing and you don't see him back yet. He is fine and oh, so beautiful!

What a cutie Red is. Glad he's OK.

He's OK and back on the ledge with Blue! 

[MAK]

Red is so small and as cute as the day is long!!! 

[Donna]

5/25/2012  ::   Update From the Ledge
Yesterday, just after 6AM, the red-banded eyas was swept off the ledge by a gust of wind as he flapped his wings. He was rescued from a nearby ally and returned to the ledge. At this age the eyases aren't quite ready to fly but they have the ability to make clumsy, relatively light landings. Volunteers are watching the young birds all day long from this point until they fledge and successfully return to the ledge. The adult male is doing a great job providing for the eyases on his own as there is still no sign of the adult female.

The eyases are very mobile on the ledge now and are sometimes completely out of camera view. They're spending time on a small ledge opposite the radius column behind the scrape.

[Dumpsterkitty]

5/29/2012  ::   Significant Happenings!
There is much to report on activities at the nest ledge over the holiday weekend. On Saturday, May 26th at 6:48 AM, the blue-banded eyas became a fledgling. His first attempt at flight resulted in a rescue from a low roof where a skylight prevented him from taking another attempt at flight. He was placed on the roof of the Rachel Carson Building and has been flying well since. At 7:25 AM on Memorial Day, the red-banded eyas flew and returned to the ledge. Today, the red-banded fledgling was rescued from the street after a precarious flight from a nearby treetop. The fledgling was returned to the nest ledge.

Thursday and Friday of last week the adult male seemed to be exhibiting attraction behavior, that is, he was sending notice to any passing female that he's available. Friday at 6:25 PM, a female arrived at the nest ledge and flew away. She has been spotted sporadically since the original sighting. Whether or not she is banded remains to be determined.

[Donna]

Just read that on my ph and was going to post! LOL Ei! Poor mom but hope the new girl stays and decides to help. Fledging isn't fun on your own. Good daddy.

[MAK]

  Sounds like  to me! 

[Donna]

6/4/2012  ::   Fledgling Update
Both of the fledglings have been observed in flight, at times with the adult male, getting advance lessons. They are being fed at the ledge occasionally. They have reached to the point now where they are capable of receiving in-flight food exchanges. They're developing their skills rapidly.

There have been no reported sightings of any other adult peregrine appearing at or near the ledge.

Seems the new female left. Guess she didn't want a man with baggage!

[Donna]

"This afternoon, an adult female peregrine was observed on the ledge. The female is banded. Based upon her alphanumeric band codes, she is from the PA/NJ Turnpike Delaware River Bridge in Bucks County, PA. She was banded on May 21, 2009, by the PA Game Commission."

Cool!  Found on FB

[Donna]

  A nice tribute to mom, (NG: New girl), who we believe has passed.  Fly Free NG

[MAK]

 

[Donna]

6/13/2012  ::   News from the Nest Ledge!
The new adult female falcon has been in the scrape with the male apparently pair-bonding.

She is a large falcon from the PA/NJ Turnpike Delaware River Bridge in Bucks County, PA, and was banded on May 21, 2009, by the PA Game Commission.

[Donna]

6/22/2012  ::   Fledgling Update
The fledglings have been sighted at various locations away from the nest ledge and occasionally visit the ledge briefly. They seem to have no interest in returning to the ledge. It is likely that the adult male is still flying with them and giving them advance hunting lessons. By the end of June, they should set out on their first long journey.   

[Donna]

11/28/2012  ::   Camera Upgrades
The cameras at the ledge will be replaced with new, state-of-the-art cameras to improve the image we provide for the 2013 nesting season. By Monday, December 3rd, the still image should be back on line.

8/8/2012  ::   Update from the Ledge
The live stream video has ended for the season. The still image capture is available year-round. The adult pair has been spending time together at the ledge and throughout the city. This is good news in that it indicates their pair bond is strong and the outlook for the next breeding season is good.

7/17/2012  ::   Update From the Ledge
Both of the adults have been at the ledge. This is a firm indication that the fledglings have dispersed from the area. The new female has been laying and rotating in the scrape. This behavior seems to be practice for the next nesting season which will get underway early in February of 2013.

[MAK]

 

[AlisonL]

Still waiting for the new cams at Harrisburg, but there is a temporary fix. If you go to the site and click on the black pic, it will provide streaming video (although I have found it to be frozen, or down, most of the time so far).

      

      

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/falcon/default.htm