Lawrence Peregines nest ledge and a fledgling!
June 12, 2022 in lawrence peregrines
Friday, June 10, 2022: Clear skies, wind W 8 MPH, temp at 71F; sunset time 8:22PM
After locating the nest ledge for the Peregrine Falcons last Sunday afternoon from the kayak, was hoping to see if fledglings were out and about in the local area. The view from the kayak strongly suggested they were about 34-35 days old, and days away from fledging, or making first flight from a flat ledge underneath the Casey Bridge.
Spotted the vigilant female on one of the old smokestacks, but was totally unable to find any fledglings. After moving to many different vantage points, finally settled in at the Mill240 Park with great elevated views up and down the Merrimack River. A group of loud Crows flushed a smaller raptor from a nearby tree in hot pursuit. The raptor headed upriver, swooped in flight from below me, pulled up, and landed on the black park railing just 15 feet away! The landing and balancing was very awkward. What an unexpected treat!
Turns out to be one of the 2022 fledglings!! While out scanning with just binoculars, had to quickly run back to the car and grab a camera. This was about 13 minutes after sunset with clouds on the western horizon dimming the light as dusk settled in. While trying to get the right camera settings, a group of 4 youngsters crept a bit closer from the park, and initially tried to startle the bird. After gently encouraging them to quiet down a bit, they were very curious to know what type of bird it was, how old it was, and where it had nested….a great teaching moment out in the field!
Click on images to enlarge!