Dunn Memorial Bridge Albany NY

[Bonnie]

Any news about Albany peregrines on the Dunn Memorial Bridge?  I have several friends in Albany who want to know.

Thanks.

[Donna]

Any news about Albany peregrines on the Dunn Memorial Bridge?  I have several friends in Albany who want to know.

Thanks.

Bonnie, I see a scrape but no eggs yet.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/33249.html

[Bonnie]

Thanks.  I finally saw that today, too. 

[Irish Rose]

She's a little later than everyone else, but our Albany falcon laid her first egg yesterday.  Here's hoping she and her new guy will continue the legacy.

Upstate Bonnie

[Donna]

She's a little later than everyone else, but our Albany falcon laid her first egg yesterday.  Here's hoping she and her new guy will continue the legacy.

Upstate Bonnie

CONGRATS Albany!

[Dumpsterkitty]

She's a little later than everyone else, but our Albany falcon laid her first egg yesterday.  Here's hoping she and her new guy will continue the legacy.

Upstate Bonnie

Yippee! 

Maybe I'll actually get a chance to stop by there this year...

[Irish Rose]

I'll let you know if/when we have a banding this year.

[Dumpsterkitty]

Thanks!  I'd love to try to make it!

[Irish Rose]

It was beginning to look like the Albany, NY falcons wouldn't be parents this year but after what seemed like forever and watching all the other nests come to life, we woke up to two hatches this morning.

Maybe they were waiting to see if the State workers were going to be furloughed.

Upstate Bonnie

[Donna]

It was beginning to look like the Albany, NY falcons wouldn't be parents this year but after what seemed like forever and watching all the other nests come to life, we woke up to two hatches this morning.

Maybe they were waiting to see if the State workers were going to be furloughed.

Upstate Bonnie

CONGRATS!! They are late but better late than never. 

[Donna]

July 23 Update and 2010 Nest Summary

This year's nesting season at the Dunn Memorial Bridge was unusual in a number of ways. First, was the pairing of the female with a male that still had immature plumage. This immediately raised questions as to whether the female would even lay eggs this year. The female did lay four eggs, although a couple of weeks later than usual, and two of those eggs hatched. The incubation period was also several days longer than expected. So far, so good.

Two chicks hatched on the evening of May 28th. Six days later, one of the chicks apparently died and was removed from the nest box by one of the adults. The adults continued to feed their remaining chick, but at the age of about 3 ½ weeks, we noticed that the chick's tail and wing feathers were not as well developed as is typical of peregrine chicks that age. It appeared that the chick was being well fed, and from that point on, feather development seemed to continue at the normal rate.

The chick first left the nest box at a little over five weeks, an activity that typically first occurs at a little more than four weeks. Once outside of the nest box, the chick appeared to be active and agile on top of the concrete pier as it finished growing and exercising in preparation for its first flight. It fledged in Mid July at around seven weeks old instead of the usual six weeks.

The early fledgling stage is very challenging for all birds, and attempting those first flights from nest sites in urban environments poses additional hazards. Since 1998, a total of 33 young have fledged from the Dunn Memorial Bridge. We know that five of those died shortly after fledging. Three landed in the river and were not able to swim to shore, and two were hit by vehicles on top of the bridge. On July 17th, this year's single fledgling was found on the sidewalk on top of the bridge. Not yet a strong flyer, the bird likely flew very low over the bridge and was hit by a passing vehicle. A veterinarian who specializes in the care of birds of prey determined that its injuries were too severe to repair, and on July 20th, the bird was euthanized.

On a brighter note, another pair of peregrine falcons has been nesting on the Route 7 Bridge over the Hudson River in Troy. A pair was first confirmed on the bridge in 2007 and the Department of Transportation (DOT) installed nest boxes in 2009. Four young fledged from the box that year, and another four chicks successfully fledged in 2010. Information on viewing opportunities at that nest site will be posted on the web site next year.

[Bonnie]

Anyone know if the peregrines have returned?  The scrape was closed off in 2011 and reopened on Jan 29 2013.