I went by the 86th and West End Peregrine eyrie this morning and first saw both parents on 257 West 86th Street. They were relaxed. The female flew off, went to a ledge on 530 West End Avenue, and quickly continued to the southern ledge of the eyrie with a pigeon. She fed an eyass on the ledge before hoping inside the tower.

Walking to 84th Street, I was able to see another eyass. Lastly, I saw the adult male perched on the southern ledge.

It’s still tough to spot the young hawks but with some patience you can find one. However, it should be much easier to see them as they get ready to fledge. Last year the first ones to leave, fledged around June 7th. The nest seems to be about a week behind last year’s, so I would guess they see them begin to fledge around the 14th.

I’ve been waiting for the day, the eyasses (young falcons) could be seen from the street. Last year, I could see them on May 26th. This year, it was today, May 31st. Today, I only saw one, but suspect I’ll see more than one in the upcoming days.

In addition to seeing my first eyass on a ledge, I saw the adult male hunt and kill a pigeon over the intersection of 86th and West End. He was fast and efficient, and then cleaned the pigeon in only a few minutes before delivering it to the nest. The female quickly followed and I suspect she then feed her offspring.

The adult male of the 86th and West End Peregrine Falcon family was in plain view in the early afternoon. He delivered the plucked bird to the nest, and the female followed. She only stayed a few minutes, so I suspect it was quickly eaten by the young falcons.

Thanks to a rooftop view, I was able to see one of the young Peregrin Falcons at West End and 86th. It was a very brief view, but nice to have. I can’t wait until I can see more of them in a few days when they begin to venture out on the ledges of the tower.

I’ve been wanting to confirm that the banded adult female is the same banded bird we’ve been for the last two years. On Friday, I was able to confirm that the band number is the same, 77 over BV. (She was born on the Du Bois Library, at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and banded that year, in 2019.)

I keep hoping that the young Peregrine Falcons will begin to explore the ledges of the church tower, but I think I’m a few days too early.

Photographers working on a documentary reported seeing three chicks today from a nearby roof top, which is great news. No one has a full view of the eyrie through the tower’s arches, so there’s a chance that their might even be a fourth.

I watched the parents from the street, and got to see the adult male clean the feather’s off a Rock Pigeon, deliver it to the nest, and then swap places with the adult female. The young falcons made lots of noise when the food was delivered.

I’m looking forward to a fun June!