Report from Tom French at MassWildlife:
Today, I received a call from Robert Carlson that two Peregrine Falcons were fighting on the front lawn of his house in North Andover, Essex Co., MA. When Robert and his mother came outside from the house to look, one of the falcons flew off after about half a minute, but the second bird did not. Eventually four people approached the second bird to about three feet away on two opposite sides. The first bird came back swooping between the four people standing six feet apart striking the bird on the ground. The first bird repeated this one more time, striking the bird in the ground, before leaving. The grounded bird remained on the lawn for about 20 minutes in spite of people standing so close, and did not fly until they attempted to place a box over the bird.
It is not known if the bird that flew off was banded, but the bird that stayed is banded 6*/4* black over green (type 6 band). This is the original resident male that has been nesting in Lawrence since 2003. This bird is now 17 years old bird and clearly lost this battle, so it will be interesting to see if he is able to maintain his place as the resident male in Lawrence for the rest of the season. Here is his original banding information.
Band numbers: 2206-59866, and 6*/4* black over green
Banding date and location: June 7, 2001 – NH, Hillsborough Co., Manchester, Brady Sullivan Tower Bldg. (12 story), 1750 Elm Street (25 miles north of Lawrence)
Sex: Male
Previous reports of 6*/4*: Became the resident male of the pair in Lawrence, MA – MA, Essex Co., Lawrence, 5 South Union Street, New Balance Shoes clock tower (042 42 8.75N, 071 09 16.95W). This was probably the banded male of a pair of juvenile-plumaged birds seen in Lawrence throughout the spring of 2002. The 6*/4* band was confirmed on 04-08-03, 06-04-07, 05-25-11 (Ursula & Dave Goodine), 02-05-12 (Craig Gibson), 05-18-12 (Dave & Ursula Goodine), 09-21-12 (Craig Gibson), 02-04-13 (Craig Gibson), 05-17-13, 06-09-15, 06-01-17
This report:
March 30, 2018 – MA, Essex Co., North Andover, Waverly Road (about 1 mile straight-line distance from the nest site) – fighting with another adult male Peregrine Falcon on the ground – photographed by Robert Carlson
Made a mid-morning visit tot he nest box and observed an interaction with two peregrines in the nest box. At the time it looked like the ongoing pair of peregrines. But upon closer look, it appears that the new male is in the box. The bird seen has a silver, federal leg band on its right leg and no left leg band. This is consistent with the new male, who may have been making a visit of two over the past few days…..stay tuned! They are engaged in head bowing and vocalizing with each other.
