Peregrine Falcon pair: Haverhill, MA

February 13, 2018 in Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts, Peregrine Falcons Haverhill, Peregrine Falcons Massachusetts

_W7I7691-001Made a pass through downtown Haverhill and found both adult falcons atop the apartment building at 170 Washington St. They were perched facing east and into the morning sun. After 12 minutes they both departed, a few minutes apart, for another regular perch, atop the Post Office and the Bank of America building to the east.  To the right is the unbanded female.

The male falcon  ‘black/green 72/AB’ – color-banded in NH in May 2012, and now approaching  6 years old.

This wild-hatched male was one of two chicks fledged from the falcon nesting box located at the Brady-Sullivan Tower in Manchester. Christian Martin banded him as a 25-day old chick, along with his 21-day old sibling, who later died after falling into an uncapped chimney at the nearby National Guard Armory, and was trapped out of sight in a basement boiler room.

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Black/green 72/AB has been present in Haverhill since at least December 2014, when he was spotted and identified by local resident, and well-known NH birders, Steve & Jane Mirick.