Here are some recent updates received this week on the Syracuse fledglings with photos courtesy of Jeff Gilka... From George Marleau 6/9/10...The young Peregrine Falcons at the State Tower nest box have moved to Juvenile stage. Pilgrim was the first to successfully fledge. After several test flights of short duration, roughly 10 feet from pillar to pillar along the balcony parapet, he flew from the nest box to the west end of the parapet, about sixty feet. He then returned to the nest box by hopping down to the lower ledge and jumping back up to the pillar, one section at a time. He seemed to be able to fly into the wind, but was hesitant to fly with the wind. After two more of these trips, he finally decided to try to fly back to the nest box. He was unable to maintain altitude flying with the wind and dropped below the nest box, circled around the building to the south, then reversed course and came back around to the north side, landing on a window ledge on the 16th floor. This was about 7:30PM. He spent the next half hour exploring every window on that level that he could reach by traversing the connecting ledges. Eventually he gave up and lay down for the night. The other three youths remained at the nest box. Chinook had been following Pilgrim along the ledges, but hasn't flown as far as Pilgrim. After he disappeared, Chinook seemed to lose his enthusiasm for adventure. Meanwhile, sister Chase has come out of the box and began exercising her wings in earnest. Hiawatha remains alone in the box, the reluctant sister who never gets out, but always seems to get fed by the adults regardless of her situation.
As of this morning, Pilgrim was still on the 16th floor level. We still need more help with the fledge watch. I took two days off from work, but can't do many more of these marathon sessions. If you can help at all, please give me a call.
From George Marleau 6/10/10...Our wayward Pilgrim is still wandering the bowels of our fair city. Boy, is he well named. After spending Tuesday night on the 16th floor window ledges, he remained there until mid afternoon yesterday when he flew again, ending up landing on a large roof air conditioner unit atop the 10th floor of the State Tower Building. There he remained all during the rainy afternoon while the warm air rising from the air conditioner offered him some comfort. His sisters and brother hunkered down in the nest box, sheltered from the drenching rain, and the adults were seen a few times checking on everyone.
After the rain abated around 5:30 PM, Fancy brought food to the nest box for the three juveniles there. Pilgrim cried out to be fed as well. Around 6 PM, Fancy took food from Groucho and sat high on the south east corner of the STB calling to Pilgrim. He cried back, but didn't move. She swooped down over his head showing him the food. He remained in place. She landed on a corner of the roof and called to him. He called back but didn't move. She flew right over and held the food out then took it back trying to encourage him to follow her, but he remained in place. She flew to the top of City Hall bell tower and then back to the nest box to give the food to the others.
A while later, Pilgrim finally decided to fly and took off again. Although his flight was good, he lost altitude and finally landed on a window ledge on the 10th floor of the STB. A half hour later, he flew again, gaining altitude this time and landed on the roof of City Hall. Groucho flew in and landed on the bell tower. Another drama proceeded with plaintive calls to be fed and calls to come and get it in reply. Eventually, Groucho flew down to a chimney top just a few feet above Pilgrim, but he wouldn't fly up there. Groucho finally flew off towards Verizon.
Around 8:00PM, Pilgrim flew again, circling north of the STB and then south above Warren Street. He landed atop another roof air conditioner on the Flat Iron Building, City Hall Annex, at the corner of East Washington and Warren Street. He was still there when I left at dark.
This morning, I found Pilgrim still atop the FIB at 6:00 AM. The other three were still around the nest box. About 6:30, Fancy flew in followed by Groucho with food. She took the food from him at the nest box and flew down to offer it to Pilgrim. She tried to get him to fly to her, but he wouldn't. After a few minutes she took the food up to the other three.
I came into work at 7:30 AM. About 8:15 I got a call from Tom McKay on the fledge watch that one of the adults had finally managed to get Pilgrim to take food atop the air conditioner unit on the FIB. The adult dropped the food there and Pilgim made his way up from the side where he was resting to eat.
That's Pilgrim's progress so far. I'm hopeful that Chinook will fly today. Chase should follow tomorrow or Saturday. Hiawatha remains glued to the nest box. She may be there in September. I hope not.
I left you in the dark about Pilgrim's situation yesterday, but he did finally get fed around 9AM when Groucho brought him some food. Jeff got a couple pictures of Pilgrim atop the air conditioner unit on City Hall Annex. Pilgrim stayed there all day after getting fed, enjoying the warm air rising out of the air conditioner. Meanwhile nothing much was happening at the nest box balcony. Hiawatha remained in the box. Chase and Chinook exercised and the adults brought food. Joyce Kempistry and Frank Brieady were on watch in the afternoon when Chinook took flight, circling the building and landing on the balcony on the north west side of the 17th floor. He was there when Jeff and I arrived around 3:30. From the windows on the 18th floor we discovered Fancy had brought food to Chinook, and were able to take pictures without disturbing them. Jeff also got shots of Groucho and Pilgrim on the air conditioner at the same time. All was quiet until later in the evening. Around 7PM, Chinook flew around the building and landed on the 10 floor roof. He found a spot he liked and bedded down for the night. Pilgrim, our wanderer, decided he no longer liked the air conditioner (I think it shut off for the night) and flew over Water St. to a roof top, landing on a chimney. From there he moved to next rooftop and then flew west above Water St. to land on another roof top. He kept Jeff, Mike Ado and I on the move trying to keep up with him. Jeff grabbed some more pics before Pigrim took his final flight of the evening and landed on First Niagara bank roof. That was his longest flight, across Erie Blvd. and James Street. Groucho watched his progress from Onondaga Saving Bank.
This morning, I arrived downtown at 5:50 AM. Chase was out on the balcony and Hiawatha in the box. I soon located Pilgrim, still on First Niagara although he had moved to the west side of the roof and was only visible from the steps of the Post Standard building or Clinton Square. I couldn't find Chinook until Groucho brought food to Pilgrim and I heard Chinook's plaintive cry from the rooftop of Bank of America, across the James Street. I don't know how he got there, but he flew out over Pilgrim and back to BoA. That's the old Syracuse Savings Bank with all of it's odd shaped architecture on the roof. Groucho watched from the peak. Tom McKay arrived on watch so I could go to work and compose this report. We watched Chinook make another short flight over Pilgrim before I left.
I think both males are now in a good position to succeed, able to fly and land without much trouble and sticking to the roof tops. Fancy and Groucho know where they are and are feeding and watching over them. The females are still developing their wing strength. With good weather they could be flying this weekend or early next week.
Thanks to all who have contributed time to the watch. Keep up the good work.
From Sue Wrisley 6/11/10... When Mike, myself and Joyce K left at around 8:45 pm, all 4 were accounted for.
One of the things that happened during the afternoon was that a seagull decided to dive bomb poor little Chinook up on Bank of America. I think the gull was actually after his food there on the chimney. He kept after him and dived at him over and over. Poor Chinook just stood there trying to figure out what to do. No Fancy or Groucho. We didn't see them most of the afternoon and I'm not sure that anyone got fed, although we think the females were fed early on.
There wasn't much movement until about 6 PM, when Chinook took off of the screen over the chimney at Bank of America. He flew out around First Niagara twice and then flew toward the clock tower and I lost him. Pilgrim had come around the roof to in front of the tall thin chimney, so we could watch him there. Then, as soon as Chinook took off and I lost him, Pilgrim decided to drop down off the roof. I lost him. A little while later, as I'm searching the sky and building tops, Pilgrim reappeared back on the roof top of First Niagara. Then, he took off and flew over to the State Tower Bldg and tried to land on the 10th floor and missed, then flew over to the clock tower. He landed up on top of that and stayed there for a while.
All of a sudden, I saw a bird flying over my head and thought at first that it was an adult, but soon realized that he wasn't flying like an adult. I thought, "Oh, wonderful! I found Chinook!" Sure enough, he flew as hard as he could and tried to make it back up to the nest ledge. He made a good effort, but not good enough. He landed on the 19th floor in a window. I think he was a little disgusted with himself. He tried so very hard to get back up there. He kept looking up to the nest box for a while and finally decided to spend the night there. Then, Pilgrim decided he was going to at least get close to his siblings and he flew over to the State Tower Bldg and ended up getting high enough to reach the 10th floor. I think that Chinook actually has better flying skills, but he flew a lot more today. Their landings are pretty good.
When we left just before dark, Chinook was on the 19th floor, 2nd window ledge from the left side. Pilgrim was on the 10th floor balcony - all the way to the right on the tan and black tiles in front of the balcony.
The girls were happy just to flap their wings every once in a while, but they're getting ready!
We will be downtown in the morning - probably around 8 a.m.
