Lawrence Peregrines: week of March 20, 2023

March 26, 2023 in In the Nest Box, Near the Clock Tower

March 20, 2023 under clear skies, wind W at 13MPH, temp at 36F. After searching all around the Clock Tower, made way for the red brick Pacific Mills smokestack and located one of the Peregrines sunning and preening on the east side of the stack near the top. This was a common perch location last year when the nest ledge was under the Casey Bridge. Image just before 10AM.

Just a few minutes later while looking for the second falcon, made a possible sighting and then confirmed right away. The other falcon was perched up near the top of the Clock Tower, on the top of a north facing window frame in the shade, and just keeping an open eye. Image at 10:06AM. The falcons have not been in or near the nest box over the past week, so stay tuned!

March 21, 2023 at 10AM under overcast skies, wind SW at 5MPH, temp at 44F. After initial scouting around the Clock Tower, headed west on Merrimack Street and turned north onto the Casey Bridge. About halfway across the bridge, noticed the male Peregrine perched on one of the Pacific Mills rooftop edges facing south with a gaggle of Crows nearby. The male appears to have a full crop. Peregrines like many other birds, come equipped with an anatomical feature known as a “crop.”  It is essentially a widened pouch at the bottom of a Peregrine’s esophagus, just above the stomach.  Peregrines can store food in their crops and then, slowly transfer it to their stomachs as they digest. They will often display a noticeable swelling in their chests when their crops are full.  The male has a very full crop, strong evidence that it had just finished a meal!

Minutes later, discovered the unbanded female lounging on the SW rooftop corner of the Mill240 building. This has been a regular perch location this spring, and provides an excellent vantage point both up and down the Merrimack River. The river is a significant flyway for all kinds of local birds and ducks. She heard the active call from the male and launched into flight and landed on the red brick Pacific Mills smokestack.

March 22, 2023, just after 10AM, under clear skies, wind NE at 6MPH, and temp at 46F. Great news this morning while checking the New Balance web cam! Not one but both male and female Peregrines inside the nest box. The male had been finishing off a meal with the female out on the perch. The female came in and then the male was seen pushing gravel around in the bowl-shaped “scrape” area in the back left corner from the camera view. One or another of the pair can often be seen to lean forward, pushing with its talons, to use its breast to form the substrate into a bowl (scrape) where the eggs will be laid.  Scraping is part of courtship. The birds continue to work on the scrape in preparation for egg laying. Eggs should appear sometime toward the end of this month, or first week in April at the latest. Stay tuned!

March 23, 2023 under overcast skies, wind W 12MPH, and temp at 59F. Made a late afternoon visit to the Clock Tower and found both Peregrines on upper ledges.

Female in flight……

Male cleaning his bill on roof edge after food exchange

March 24, 2023 under mostly cloudy skies, wind W 8MPH, and temp at 44F. Webcam in the morning, male working on the scrape by laying his chest down and and using his legs to forward to deepen the scrape bowl.

March 26, 2023 at just after 6PM, under clear skies, strong W winds at 16MPH with gusts to 26MPH, and temp at 54F. The female continues to linger and spend time in the New Balance nest box.

Lawrence Peregrines: week of March 13, 2023

March 19, 2023 in lawrence peregrines

March 13, 2023 under overcast skies, winds E 7MPH, and temp at 38F. Just after 10:30AM, spotted a single falcon perched on a south side of a rooftop edge in the Pacific Mills building complex. Upon closer look, it was the male with a silver federal leg band on its right leg. It had likely finished a meal and was cleaning its bill afterwards.

March 14, 2023 under heavy overcast skies, heavy snow, wind NE 20MPH, and temp at 33 with wind chill at 22F. Searched the Clock Tower, nearby buildings, and other nearby rooftop areas, then on to the Verizon Tower just after 12 noon. In midst of heavy snow. discovered one of the falcons resting on one of the heat exchange ledges on south side of Verizon Tower.

March 15, 2023 under clear skies, wind at 13MPH with gusts to 28MPH, and temp at 40F. Both peregrines were seen on the south side of the Verizon Cell Tower. The male was warming himself while perched on one of the upper heat exhaust ledges. The female was close by and perched on a rooftop edge. The male turned himself a number of times as though standing in front of a fixed blower. This turning provided an opportunity for views of his left leg and revealing his sporty alphanumeric bicolored leg bands black over green “78/AB.” From Chris Martin at NH Audubon “really interesting that another Manchester NH fledgling has inherited the Lawrence MA territory after that long run of success (2003-2016) by black/green 6/4, although both of 78/AB’s parents in 2016 are different birds than were 6/4’s.” The second image shows the female in flight!

March 17, 2023 under light overcast skies, wind SE 8MPH, and temp at 47F. After scouting out all the normal perch locations for the falcon, discovered both of them, at noontime, atop the roof edges of the Mill240 building on the north side of the Merrimack River. They were just hanging out and loafing in close proximity to each other. This image shows the female perched on the SW corner of the roof.

The male was just kind enough to show off his  left leg with clear views of his alphanumeric black over green, bicolored “78/AB” leg bands!

See you next week!

 

 

 

Lawrence Peregrines: week of March 6, 2023

March 12, 2023 in lawrence peregrines

March 6, 2023 under clear skies, wind NW 15MPH with gusts to 23MPH, and temp at 41F. After viewing the female moving around inside the nest box around 7:30AM from the webcam, had a nice opportunity to view her again on the lateral perch pole outside the box just before 10AM. She continues to spend time in and around the nest box in advance of final pair bonding activities, and preparing to lay eggs around the end of this month. This view from Merrimack Street below the nest box.

March 7, 2023 under mostly cloudy skies, wind NW 13MPH with gusts to 22MPH, and temp at 33F with wind chill at 24F. Arrived at the Clock Tower with no sign of either falcon, then moved on to the Verizon Clock Tower. Not surprising with continued chilly temps to find the male perched on one of the south facing heat exhaust ledges. This is a favorite perch location in the winter months. No female in sight. The male scratched and preened for a while with this photo showing the male using his right leg for head scratching. Note the federal silver leg band on the right foot. Hoping to capture an image showing the black/green 78AB state leg band….stay tuned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 8, 2023 under overcast skies, wind N at 12MPH and gusts to 24MPH, and temp at 37F. Just before 10AM, the female was observed perched on the outer edge of the nest box and looking off to the west. She walked in and out of the nest box a number of times and was seen pushing the gravel around to prepare the scrape for laying eggs. Prior research indicates that although the male will lead the female to scrape locations and initiate scraping action, they will both make further adjustment to the scraping bowl. The image below shows a classic move by the female where she lies on her breast and pushes her feet backward to deepen the scrape bowl.

March 9, 2023 under clear skies, wind NW 10MPH, and temp at 40F. From the New Balance webcam, we can see her perched on the lateral pole extending out from the nest box while she preens herself and continues to establish this location as most likely for laying eggs this year!

March 10, 2023 just before 6AM, under clear skies, calm wind conditions, and temp at 28F. From the New Balance webcam the female was seen moving around inside the nest box and making squawking calls.

March 11, 2023, near 10:30AM, under overcast skies, wind N at 16MPH, and temp at 36F. From the New Balance webcam we see the female moving out further on the lateral perch pole while continuing to maintain an active presence in this location.

March 12, 2023, just after 1:00PM, under clear skies, wind E at 9MPH, and temp at 43F. From the New Balance webcam we see the female soaking in the afternoon sun and preening as the sun moves to the west side of the New Balance building.

Overall, it has been nice to have sightings of both female and male in the extended area. The female seems to claiming this location for this year’s breeding cycle, and we’ll likely know for sure within two, possible three weeks!  Stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ayer Mill Clock Tower

March 2, 2023 in On the Clock Tower

March 2, 2023: after scouting around looking for the Peregrines, stopped along Merrimack Street, facing east and scanning the Ayer Mill Clock Tower. The female was seen perched on the lateral pole outside of the gravel lined nest box on the west side of the Clock Tower. We are so grateful to our friends at New Balance for maintaining the live video feed of the nest box. The male was perched in an upper location on the Clock Tower. Still too early to say where the female will lay her eggs, so stay tuned!