March 30, 2017 in In the Nest Box
The adult female and male continue to be seen and very active around the nest box but no signs of eggs laid just yet. This is just a bit later than past seasons for the onset of eggs being laid, but other peregrine nests are also a bit late! We’re getting much closer to the time!!
March 29, 2017 in Near the Clock Tower
Lots of pair bonding continues with the male and female. they are frequently seen in very close proximity to each other with the breeding cycle in full swing. This morning the female was seen eating prey on one of the triangle pediment ledges above the entry to one of the New Balance buildings located at 200 Merrimack Street under dark overcast sky conditions. The male was just to the east on one of the short steel beams just below the roof line.
March 23, 2017 in Near the Clock Tower
A late afternoon visit by the Clock Tower with both peregrines in sight. The male was seen on a window ledge along the very west wing of the New Balance Building. These ledges are more regularly used by fledglings after first flights. From time to time the adults will be perched on these granite ledges to be near the nest or just to be out of the wind and to soak up the warmth of the late day sun!
March 21, 2017 in Near the Clock Tower, On the Clock Tower
The Lawrence Peregrines continue to be very active around the Clock Tower! They perch in and near the nest box, make all kinds of aerial flight patterns, and continue with copulation activities. Late this afternoon, discovered the female perched on a NW ledge just below the clock face, the male circling in flight, and then finally, the male landed on the outer edge of the next box. He was good enough to provide a look at his alphanumeric leg bands for positive ID!
March 20, 2017 in On the Clock Tower
On a late afternoon visit under sunny and very clear skies, had a nice opportunity to watch the unbanded female in flight around the Clock Tower. She finally made a smooth landing on one of the upper struts on the weathervane. The male was perched nearby but no move to join her.
March 20, 2017 in Peregrines at 250 Canal St.
While scanning for falcons in the area, just happened to glimpse a perched bird atop one of the old brick towering smokestacks in the 250 Canal Street building complex. This a perch that gets much more use after fledglings have left the nest box. Once in a while the adults perch here as well….here the female enjoys a spectacular view of the river and surrounding area!
March 17, 2017 in Peregrine Falcons Eastern Massachusetts
According to an article by well known birder Kevin Ryan, a pair of peregrine falcons, the fastest bird in the world, has made downtown Brockton their home since 2012. They started nesting on the Verizon Tower in 2012 and successfully raised four male young peregrines. The falcons are back this year in the same place and if all goes well, the female falcon should lay 2-4 eggs in the next two weeks or so. Like most local peregrine nests, the female will sit on the eggs for about 30 days and the male will do most of the hunting, for small- to medium-sized birds, such as starlings and pigeons being a city favorite.
About 20 years ago with the help of organizations like the Peregrine Fund, and Cornell University, the peregrines started making a comeback, first in large cities such as Boston and New York City and now the numbers are growing so well that they are starting to spread to smaller cities like Brockton and Lawrence. The city of Lawrence has a camera placed at the nest called the Falcon Cam which lets everyone with a computer have a chance to watch these beautiful birds raise their young.
The Brockton pair with any luck should hatch the eggs after about 30 days after the eggs are laid, and about 40-42 days after that the young falcons will take to the skies above Brockton. Who knows, someday Brockton may have a local company sponsor a falcon cam in Brockton!
March 16, 2017 in Verizon Cell Tower
The sun was shining bright this morning with clear skies and moderate winds. After a quick look around the Clock Tower, and in light of cold temps in the twenties, and lower with wind chill, made a run over to the Verizon Cell Tower. Sure enough, up on the sixth floor ledge along the hot air exhaust vents, were both peregrines. The female seemed to be trying to get the attention of the male, but he displayed a clear indifference. So after ten minutes of walking back and forth along the ledge, she took a powder and flew around to the east side of the building to an awning over a pair of larger vents, and perched herself in the sun and out of the wind! Nice seeing them somewhat close together….
March 16, 2017 in Peregrine Falcons Haverhill
The Peregrine Falcons in downtown Haverhill continue to hang out atop the roof at apartment building on the east side of the railroad bridge. No indication of where the nest will be this year, but we should know within the next week….stay tuned! This morning,one of the adult peregrines was enjoying the morning sun!
March 13, 2017 in On the Clock Tower
It is that time of year and love is in the air with the peregrine falcons! The Lawrence Peregrines remain near the nest box and one of the them is proximate at all times. Made a quick visit to the Clock Tower and was happy to watch the female perched on a favorite corner. This is a large just below the actual clock face and it is located on the NW corner of the Clock Tower.
