PEREGRINES NESTING AGAIN IN DOWNTOWN TACOMA!

UPDATE, June 25, 2018, from Fergus Hyke:

6/11 Monday, Rescued Pacific from Pacific Avenue. Looked ok. Taken and released to the roof. (Sorry for the cut-off picture, I needed to know which one this was and focused on the band.

6/13 – Rescued Blue from the middle of the street. Was first spotted on a ledge 2 stories up from the front entrance to my building. After about 2 hours, it tried to fly and ended up landing in the street. I gave chase and eventually got a towel over it. Again, looked ok to me, and was pretty feisty. Placed in rescue box and after about 15 minutes to calm down, released to the roof.

What made me smile after this rescue, when I released to the roof, five minutes later it hopped onto the roof ledge, and flew along the roofline stopping at a few spots before disappearing around the building.

6/13 7:30, I get a call from WF Security. Says a pair of crows were “ca-cawing” and chasing a falcon on the plaza. By the time I got there with my kids (and ice cream in the trunk) it had managed to get itself trapped in a garbage can (that’s a first). I did a quick evaluation and it looked ok. This one ended up being Starbuck. So I removed her and released to the roof.

(The following is from June 15^th)

I did some observing at lunchtime, and it was nice seeing all three up on the ledge during that time. After about an hour, I was able to identify each, including a stop-by by Harriett. Pacific seems to be hanging out by himself lately, while his sisters have been together more so than not.

Since the above observations, I have sporadically seen one or two of them around the building, and as of yesterday I have not seen much of them at all. Other than the one week of the three rescues, with no injuries requiring rehabilitation, it so far looks to be a successful 2018 Banding and Fledging.

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PREVIOUS POST from MAY:

Fergus Hyke again has been following Peregrines nesting on his building in downtown Tacoma, the same site they’ve used for a decade now.  Jerry Broadus reports that the birds are “as noisy as ever and have 3 eyasses.  Ed Deal and Martin Muller banded them already with Clarice helping to hold their little talons. Actually, the couple (Harriet and Murray) have been hunting around downtown for quite a while this spring, and I have taken some students to see them.  Roger Orness has been taking notes on them and at least one other pair.”  There was apparently also a reporter from Grit City Magazine present at the banding.

Here’s Fergus’ illustrated history of the chicks (all photos by Fergus Hyke, click to enlarge):

It has been another busy season for our falcons. Murray and Harriett had four eggs, and three were viable, one was unfertilized. Jerry and Clarice took it to the Slater Museum for research and future educational purposes.

First hatching occurred around May 3^rd. First verification of three chicks was May 4^th.

May 12, 2004     – Approximate hatch date of Murray, the resident Male. 14 years old!

May 25 – BANDING DAY!

May 30, 2018 – Harriett continues to watch over the three. Murray is also nearby.

For details on the location of the building and last year’s chicks, see: http://abcbirding.com/peregrine-flash-mob-memorial-day-2017/