While locals at 86th and West End report hearing and seeing the Peregrine Falcons early in the morning, when I’ve been going in the late afternoon it’s become much harder to find them.
On Monday afternoon, I had two fledglings on a water tank two blocks from the eyrie. The water tank is atop 160 West 86th Street, which is between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues.
Later, I had one fledgling on top of 535 West End Avenue being harassed by a Northern Mockingbird.
I didn’t stay long with the Peregrine Falcons on the west side as it started to drizzle. But I did see all of them. The father was on 530 West End Avenue and the fledglings were on the church tower, 530 West End Avenue, 2373 Broadway (on a balcony near 87th Street), and 255 West 86th Street. The mother made a quick pass by the church tower before flying up West End Avenue to at least 90th Street.
Thursday, was a repeat of Wednesday with the 86th Street and West End Avenue fledglings. Taking food from their father and then fighting over it. I’m so glad we’re past the risky fledging stage and on to sibling arguments and action. If you haven’t been, spend some time in the late afternoon and early evening to go watch them.
Watching Flaco on Wednesday night was somewhat disappointing. He roosted in a familiar tree, flew to some nearby trees, but didn’t hunt. He made a trip over the Andrew Haswell Green Bench area and then returned but made a second trip over the area and disappeared. Searches of the construction site came up empty. He could have be flying to the Loch or the Wildflower Meadow. But now that he isn’t hooting, and the trees have leafed out, he’s hard to follow.
On Wednesday it became clear that they Peregrine Falcon parents at 86th and West End have begun making the fledglings come and get their food. While the adult male is still hunting for the fledglings, he was making them come and get their meals. Delivery service is now over for the season!
As he did last year, he’s switched to bringing House Sparrows rather than Rock Pigeons. He’s passing off the entire bird, rather than a plucked pigeon which he was bringing to the eyrie.
The fledglings have also begun competing for the food. When all of this takes place, in just a few minutes, the sound is increadible.
A quick visit to Columbia University let me see what looks like the last eyass on Havemeyer Hall. It was climbing the scaffolding and then jumped to the top of the clock to enjoy some shade. I also saw the adult male on the Low Library watching the nest. I suspect the other two youngsters have fledged but I couldn’t find them.
