When they’re not eating or sleeping young peregrines spend time playing – and they do it on the wing.

Last evening we were treated to quite a show at the Fledge Watch.  Two of the Pitt peregrines chased each other around the Cathedral of Learning and scuffled in mid-air, chasing and shouting and using their feet a lot.

We couldn’t see the expressions on their faces but I imagine they looked like the two juveniles in Kim Steininger’s photo.

Just when we thought the game was over, their mother got into the act and played Chase Me with one of her sons.  Whenever she caught up to him she flipped sideways to pretend a food exchange.  He was clearly excited by this attention and flew faster and it almost seemed Dorothy flew slower so her son could win some laps.

There’s one more game we haven’t seen yet this year but we’ll recognize it.  It’s a little taste of hunting called “You’re a Pigeon, Here I Come.”

Ah, youth!

Thanks to Kim Steininger for permission to use her photo of young peregrines in Wilmington, Delaware. See more of her online gallery at www.birdsbykim.com or click on the photo above.

After juvenile peregrines have been flying for about a week, they’re ready to learn to hunt. It may surprise you that the first step in the process is mid-air food exchange.

I imagine the lecture would sound like this – if their father could talk.

“Here’s how it’s done, kids. Your mother and I will demonstrate. Watch carefully.

“Boys, when you bring home prey call to your mate and she’ll come out to receive it. Watch how she moves and get ready for the prey exchange. You’ll be expected to transfer the prey from your feet to your beak and hold it out for her to grab.

“Girls, as you approach flip upside down and reach for the prey with your talons. Your mate will drop it right into your grasp. Be careful, though. This maneuver takes skill.

“Now, kids, we’re going to practice.

“Next time I come in with prey I’m not going to deliver it to your perch. I expect you to come out and get it. I’ll make this a little easier on you by not holding it in my beak. I’ll just lower my talons and hold it out. If you miss on the exchange your meal is going to fall so you better be ready to catch it.

“Are you all ready? Good. You’re going to have to work for it. No more free lunch.”

Thanks to Chad and Chris Saladin for permission to use their photograph of Angus and Stryker exchanging prey in Toledo, Ohio.

One of the young peregrine falcons at University of Pittsburgh fledged today. Karen Lang and I think it happened while we were at work this afternoon.

Though both of us walked past the Cathedral of Learning on our way to Schenley Plaza, neither of us noticed the young bird. It was only when Dorothy and E2 flew really low around the east and south face that Karen said, “I’ll bet one fledged. They never fly that low unless there’s a fledgling down there.”

Sure enough he was clinging to a narrow window arch above the 14th floor. His parents wouldn’t feed him in such a confined space so they flew back and forth, urging him to move to a safer spot.

That’s when E2 spotted the great-horned owl on the 4th floor roof. It’s a statue that rotates its head to scare the pigeons and it must have moved when E2 flew by. He totally freaked out.

Only 10 floors below their baby was their mortal enemy! E2 zoomed back and forth kakking and attacking. The owl wouldn’t budge (of course). Dorothy joined the fray and we watched two peregrines in attack mode only 40 feet above the sidewalk. The frightened youngster cowered on his perch, trying to look small and inanimate.

By 7:00pm, I was hungry and Karen had to go home. E2 and Dorothy were still kakking at the owl but slightly toned down. They weren’t flying at it.

My husband and I went to dinner a few blocks away and when we walked back at 8:30pm the fledgling was still on his perch and the adults no longer cared about the owl statue.

The fledgling will probably stay on his perch all night. Tomorrow at dawn he’ll be hungry enough to fly somewhere else. I hope I’m up and out there early enough to see it.

Thanks to Kim Steininger for permission to use her photo of a peregrine fledgling in Wilmington, Delaware. See more of her excellent bird photography at www.birdsbykim.com or click on the photo above.

p.s. Saturday June 7, 8:30pm: This evening two fledglings were perched on the 21st and 10th floors respectively. The third baby is still waiting near the nest. Maybe she’ll fledge tomorrow.

Monday June 9, 8:00am: Still only two fledglings.  Yesterday afternoon the female nestling finally jumped up to the launching area.  Maybe she’ll fly this evening.

Monday June 9, 2:30pm:  She fledged this morning.  At lunchtime Karen and I found the young female whining for food from the edge of the 32nd floor roof.  All 5 peregrines are present and accounted for.

As you’ve probably noticed by now, raising baby peregrines is a full time job and it takes two parents to do it.

Dorothy and E2 at University of Pittsburgh are nearly at the end of this season’s work, but there’s more to come before they can rest.

Here’s what we’ve seen so far:

After Dorothy lays her eggs she incubates them for 33-35 days. E2 relieves her on the nest, but he supplies all the food. She doesn’t hunt much during this period. He does the hunting for two.

As soon as the eggs hatch, Dorothy broods the young and guards the nest. Her mate must then hunt for the entire family. A family of three or four chicks must be fed six to eleven times per day. This means E2 – with a little help from Dorothy – has to catch, kill and pluck 6-11 birds a day. He brings the prey to the nest and Dorothy usually does the feeding.  This pattern of mother guarding the nest and father providing most of the food continues while the chicks are in the nest.

And in the next three weeks:

During the week before they fledge the chicks ledge-walk and fly-jump. They venture beyond the edge of the nest to walk the building ledges, flapping and jumping to various places.

The chicks also get rambunctious. Their parents stand back to avoid the craziness and they stop feeding them beak-to-beak. Instead they throw the prey to the chicks so they will figure out how to feed themselves.

When their parents think the chicks are ready to fly, they feed them less and demonstrate flight and food availability beyond the nest. This combination encourages the young to fly off the building (“fledge”).

As soon as a fledgling flies, his parents follow him and immediately bring him food if he landed in a safe place. If he landed in an unsafe area, his parents use food to entice him to come to a safe zone.

Now the parents’ jobs are even harder. They must hunt for food and deliver it to chicks who are scattered in a variety of places. This phase doesn’t last long. Soon the chicks figure out they can chase their parents to get food. The parents turn the chases into lessons in how to hunt.

Soon after the hunting lessons, the parents back off and make themselves scarce during the day so the young will hunt for themselves. This doesn’t prevent the young peregrines from waiting for their parents to return home at night. When they see their parents approaching from a distance they wail and fly toward them, hoping for a handout. Sounds like teenagers, eh?

Eventually – as soon as early July – the young peregrines leave Pittsburgh to start life on their own. Another nesting season ends. Dorothy and E2 can rest.

Thanks to Chad and Chris Saladin for permission to use their picture of Stammy and Stellar flying together in Youngstown, Ohio.

p.s. 9:00am, June 5:  This morning I stopped by Schenley Plaza after the thunderstorms passed.  E2 brought in a pigeon for breakfast – it was still alive.  He landed next to two of the chicks and then killed the pigeon while the chicks watched intently.  I guess today’s peregrine lesson was “Here’s how you kill a pigeon.”

For the peregrine nestlings at Pitt, the coming week will be the most important time in their lives. They’re going to learn to fly.

If they’re successful, they’ll eventually be able to do this.

Yes, this picture is quite real. It isn’t Photoshop. This peregrine is flying upside down!

He’s their brother, Stammy, born at Pitt in 2003.

One day before they had ever flown, Stammy and his siblings were lined up on the nest rail, loafing. Their father (Erie) decided they needed a stimulus to get them excited about flying.

First Erie flew back and forth in front of the nest rail. He zoomed faster and made sharp turns. Eventually a few of his children flapped their wings in imitation. Not good enough.

Erie swooped down and zoomed up the face of the building from below. His offspring flapped enthusiastically. Then he made a wider circle, did a loop-the-loop and flew in upside down. His kids went nuts with excitement and so did I! 

As the years went by, Erie aged and did fewer exciting flight demonstrations. This year E2 is a new father so maybe I’ll get a chance to see him teach some fancy flying.

I’m looking forward to the lessons.

Thanks to Chad & Chris Saladin for permission to use their photo of Stammy.