Hello from London!

August 30, 2018 in Near the Clock Tower

An email arrived a few weeks ago, from Joel and Shad, with this lovely message from a  group of over 60 Lawrence Peregrines fans at a very successful startup company in London!!

header

Shad and Joel here. We work at a startup in London, UK. We found the webcam for the Peregrines on the tower a few months ago and shared it with our colleagues. Before we knew it, over half of our company had entire monitors dedicated to watching these beautiful birbs. It’d become a cultural phenomenon. Over those months we all watched the Peregrines astutely and captured so many moments; from mama and papa switching places to the first birbling hatching, we were there all the way.

We all shared these moments and all got quite emotionally invested. So emotionally invested that we wrote some haikus about the birbs and did a company whipround to raise some money towards your running of the site. It’s not much, but take it as a token of appreciation for capturing so many beautiful moments of these beautiful birbs.

If you could let us know the best way to transfer you this money, or somewhere you’d like us to donate it to, that would be wonderful. It’s £250 (about $317).

Thank you,

Joel, Shad and about 60 other people

Improbable, London, United Kingdom

The tower rings out
A lone feather in the nest Flutters in the wind
— Luke

Birb enter our hearts
Birb birth many baby birbs All gone now, flown far
— Anonymous

Boston summer breeze;
This air moves less than it should. See you next year, birb.
— Joel

Eggs incubated
As we watched from our basement, Refrigerated
— Lotte

Like brother birblings
With your wings next to mine we Flew for the first time
— Andrea

Waiting patiently Shadow of an empty nest Feathers fall softly
— Bill

From four eggs, three birbs
You didn’t see this fall, discarded I do not have words
— Shad

Peregrines: both adults

August 28, 2018 in lawrence peregrines, Near the Clock Tower

_W7I9324-001Made a stop by the Clock Tower just before 10AM, under clear skies, bright sun, winds from the west at 8MPH, and temp at 86F, to look for any peregrine activity.  The adult male was observed on the south side of the New Balance building along Merrimack Street.  Initially, the male was perched along the roof line, and then it flew around to a number of perches and then flew around towards the nest box.

 

 

_W7I9532-001The female was spotted along the the same south side roof line.  She was very bust consuming a snack and feathers were flying all around.  Had a nice view as she was finishing off the pink legs of her fresh catch.  Nice to see both adults in close proximity!

Lawrence Peregrines: one juvenile and two adults!

August 27, 2018 in lawrence peregrines, On the Clock Tower

_W7I9090-001What a nice surprise to see one of the 2018 hatch year fledglings around the Clock Tower late this afternoon.  It was another steamy hot day with clear skies, light winds, and temp well over 90F.  Just happened to catch a glimpse of a peregrine and upon a close look, it was one of the this year’s youngsters perched on the west side pole of the weathervane.  The left leg band was visible but just out of reach for a positive identification.  One the adults was seen on the SE corner of the lower roof, and the other was perched high atop the Verizon Cell Tower over the Merrimack River!

Male perched on grate SW corner

August 15, 2018 in lawrence peregrines

_W7I8568-001Made a pass by the Clock Tower yesterday afternoon on the lookout for some of the peregrine falcons.  One of the adults was perched on one of the granite ledges on the NW corner. It departed in flight for a few moments, and then returned and landed onto the metal grates on the SW corner of the upper roof.

 

_W7I8549-001After a few adjustments, and a bit of wing flapping to maintain balance, the male adult, turned around and faced in outward direction.  The movement provided clear looks at legs and banding, and from that, an ability to see clearly that it was the adult male.  The female has been seen from time to time, but the youngsters have not been around these past few weeks, and may have dispersed early.  Will provide an update next few days on research on the varied dispersal patterns of fledglings!

Fledgling in flight; adult female perched nearby!

August 7, 2018 in lawrence peregrines, Near the Clock Tower, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

_W7I8274-001Made a visit to the Clock Tower this afternoon under mostly cloudy skies, winds from SW at 10MPH, and temp at 94F.  Very little action around the area.  With binocs, made a scan and observed one young falcon atop the tall smokestack on opposite side of the Merrimack River by 250 Canal Street complex.  Then, made a closer look at the distant Verizon Cell Tower at the corner of Hampshire and Canal Streets.  The adult female was perched on the east side of the cell tower on a lower cross bar.  Her black/green leg band was barely visible.

_W7I8326-001One of the juveniles was perched up much higher on the north side of the Cell Tower.  Moved around to the west side of the Tower for a better look with just a bit more light.  The young falcon spread its wings and departed in a downward stoop in pursuit of something just out of sight and returned a few minutes later.  It then made many loops in flight around the tower and landed.

Clock Tower: fledgling off balance!

August 6, 2018 in lawrence peregrines, Near the Clock Tower, On the Clock Tower, Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

_W7I7575-001Made a visit to the Clock Tower later this afternoon under clear skies, bright sun, wind from SW at 12MPH, and temp at 94F.  Both adults were seen perched and in flight around the Clock Tower.  One of the juveniles was perched for a while on the rood below the weathervane, and then launched into flight, circled a few times, and then landed on the nest box perch pole.

 

 

_W7I7564-002It was a bit challenged maintaining balance, and tuned around a few times.  Then, when ready to depart, it made a few awkward steps and lost its balance, falling into flight! Amusing to watch and a reminder that the youngsters are still learning their flight and safe landing lessons!