Outside My Window

Dorothy is spending quality time with her chick.

Thanks to @PittPeregrines for capturing this Pic-of-the-Day snapshot.

(photo from the National Aviary falconcam at University of Pittsburgh)

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It’s been two years since we’ve seen Pittsburgh’s Downtown peregrine family on camera.

Louie and Dori used to nest at the Gulf Tower where we had a great close-up view of their activities but in 2012 they abandoned Gulf for a building on Fourth Avenue.  They’ve nested in the same place this year but I was unsuccessful in finding the proper contact to permit a camera.

It looked like we’d have another year without a view of the Downtown pair until Amanda McGuire came to the rescue.   She works for Point Park University and her balcony is Louie and Dori’s favorite perch during the nesting season.  I was excited when Amanda said, “I think we can put a webcam on my balcony” so I began a flurry of email to put everyone in touch with each other.

Amanda made all the arrangements with Point Park, Bill Powers of PixController donated his time and equipment, and Point Park University donated the camera location and Internet access.  It all came together when Wildearth began streaming and the National Aviary put the Downtown peregrine page on their website.

The webcam is located here on the National Aviary website or by clicking on the image above.  That’s Dan Costa’s photo of Dori on the splash-screen.

When you watch the webcam, keep in mind that it’s a block away from the nest so you’re seeing an exterior view without sound and nightlights.  Bright sunlight hides the interior space so you’ll find that best viewing is during cloudy days or at dawn and dusk.

The image below shows the nest opening with Louie perched on the left while it rained Monday evening, April 29.  Yes, Louie matches the building.

Here’s a marked up snapshot that describes what you’re seeing.

By now Louie and Dori’s chicks are moving around the nest and visible in the back corner.  They’re white and fluffy but will turn brown as they grow their juvenile feathers.  Fortunately they’ll move to the front of the nest opening as they grow up.

Around June 1 they’ll attempt their first flight and leave the nest, so now’s the time to watch.  Click here or on the image at top to see them on the National Aviary website.

(images from the National Aviary’s Downtown Pittsburgh Falconcam)

p.s. Yes, this temporary camera is blurry.  We’ll have something better next year.

p.p.s. Pittsburgh Falconuts Facebook group have been watching this cam for several days and have captured snapshots of Dori and Louie in the nest area.

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Cape May warblers are some of the many wonderful birds at Magee Marsh, Ohio this year.

Other highlights on the south shore of Lake Erie include:

• An eye level look at a cerulean warbler,
• Discovering that a brown lump in a field was an American golden-plover when he turned around,
• Finding two soras in the reeds … and then they mated,
• Seeing a great horned owl nestling with pretty face feathers,
• And watching a sora cross the road. He made himself into a ball so he looked like a very slow, round muskrat without a tail (was this camouflage?) and risked his life by walking slowly in front of traffic.  Fortunately all the drivers were birders and we stopped to stare and spare his life.

Glad to be here!

(photo by Bobby Greene)

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This flower has a scary sounding name but is quite beautiful up close.

Native to Europe and Asia, purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) is often found in North American gardens where it escapes to the wild.

“Deadnettle” sounds daunting but is a happy name that means “similar to nettle but doesn’t sting.”

Two features make purple deadnettle easy to identify.  Its leaves are green at the base of the plant and purplish on top, and it has a uniquely shaped hood-and-lip flower that’s a favorite with bees because it blooms in early spring when other flowers aren’t available.

The lip provides a perfect landing pad.

Charlie Hickey’s close-up shows us what the bee sees.

(photo by Charlie Hickey)

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With only one nestling, Dorothy and E2 are spending lots of quality time with their only chick.

Above, after puttering around the edge of the nest Dorothy returns to the center and touches beaks with Baby.

Later, E2 takes over nest duty.  He and Baby gaze into each others’ eyes.

And they touch beaks, too.

In a large brood these moments are fleeting.  We’re getting a new look at peregrine family life this year.

(photos from the National Aviary falconcam at University of Pittsburgh)

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Last week we examined a newly laid bird’s egg.  This week things get more complicated.

Eggs are tiny incubation chambers with all the tools needed to transform an embryo into a baby bird.  The right temperature gets the process rolling.

As an egg is incubated the embryo changes and the membranes take on the critical functions of respiration, circulation and excretion.   The yolk and albumen shrink as they’re consumed and the shell participates in respiration and bone construction.

This illustration by Stuart Lafford, from Birds’ Eggs by Michael Walters, shows what’s going on inside.

• The embryo, surrounded by the amnion, floats in a fluid cushion.
• The yolk is attached to the embryo’s belly and shrinks as its food is consumed.
• The allantoic sac acts like a sewer collecting excretion from the embryo.  It also functions in respiration because it’s pressed against the chorion for air exchange.
• The chorion supports all the embryonic structures and acts like a lung, exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide through the shell’s pores.
• The shell thins as the baby bird takes up calcium to construct its bones.  The thinning allows for increased air exchange so the growing embryo receives more oxygen.  It’s also easier to break the thinner shell at hatch time.

In a matter of weeks the egg contains a baby bird … and then he breaks the shell.

The egg has fulfilled its role as an incubation chamber.

(illustration by Stuart Lafford from Birds’ Eggs by Michael Walters, published by Dorling Kindersley, 1994, used by permission. Click on the image to visit Stuart Lafford’s website. This “Tenth Page” article is inspired by page 425 of Ornithology by Frank B. Gill.)

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Yesterday we got a glimpse at how much Dorothy and E2′s chick has grown in the six days since he hatched.

Above, he doesn’t seem to fit under Dorothy.

He likes to play peekaboo.

And he draws a crowd at suppertime.  Thanks to @PittPeregrines for capturing this snapshot.

Baby is almost too big to brood.

(photos from the National Aviary falconcam at University of Pittsburgh)

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The Biggest Week in American Birding — May 3-12 — begins tomorrow in northwestern Ohio.

Birders are flocking from all over the world to see migrating warblers arrive at the south shore of Lake Erie.  The festival, headquartered at Maumee Bay Lodge, has great programs and outings scheduled for the next ten days.  Don’t worry if you haven’t planned ahead.  I learned at the San Diego Bird Festival that openings are often available — especially in mid-week.

If you live within a few hours of the festival it’s well worth the drive.  I’ll be at Magee Marsh but (alas!) only for the weekend.  I wish I could stay longer.  The birding will be great!   Here’s Kenn Kaufman’s report from Magee Marsh Boardwalk yesterday.

While there, be aware that Ohio Route 2 is closed between Magee Marsh and Metzger Marsh.  It’s the main road everyone uses so the organizers of the Biggest Week suggest this detour:  Click here for a snapshot of the directions or visit the Biggest Week website for more information.

I’m glad I checked the website.  Less driving, more birding!

Gotta run.  I hear warblers calling my name. 

(photo by Steve Gosser)

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Time for a beauty break.

April showers bring May flowers.  The redbud is blooming in Schenley Park.

Take a walk outdoors and savor Spring.

(photo by Kate St. John)

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There’s a new pair of peregrines in town and they’ve already made the news.

“Nesting Falcons halt Green Tree water tank work,” read the headline in the Post-Gazette yesterday.  “Pennsylvania American Water has delayed a project to sandblast and repair the interior of its 2.5-million-gallon water storage tank in Green Tree after spotting a nest of peregrine falcons.”

The nest would have failed but for a handful of dedicated observers.

Back in March a former Aviary volunteer spotted peregrines at the Green Tree water tower.  Her report made its way to me but without a contact name her information languished.

In mid-April Chuck Dinsmore heard kakking and saw a peregrine flying around the water tower during his morning commute.  His wife Vicky went there with binoculars and found a lot of workmen banging away and a peregrine perched on a ledge under the bulb of the water tower (pictured below).  No wonder the peregrine was upset.

The banging phase was short-lived but in subsequent visits Vicky and Chuck learned of plans to sandblast and paint the tower.  Vicky called WQED to let me know.

Her concern was infectious.  I notified the PA Game Commission (PGC) of a possible nest near imminent construction and called for more observers on PABIRDS.  Could someone check the water tower?

Shannon Thompson took up the challenge and photographed a peregrine perched beneath the Green Tree “G” on April 21.  The vertical striping on his breast indicates he’s a one-year-old bird so when I sent her photos to Art McMorris (PGC’s Peregrine Coordinator) I said, “Oh well, a juvenile bird,” but Art cautioned that one-year-old’s can breed so we couldn’t rule out a nest.

A few hours later Mary Jo Peden — the former Aviary volunteer! — contacted WQED to tell me that she’d seen a pair of peregrines courting at the water tower and mating as recently as the week of April 8.  She described their ledge and said she was worried about the coming construction project.  I quickly sent this news to Art with contact information for Pennsylvania American Water.

Everything was quiet for a week.  Could the Game Commission get through to the water company in time?  Then yesterday the Post-Gazette set my fears to rest.  Hooray!

Welcome to the neighborhood, new birds, and a big thank you to everyone involved!

If you’d like to see where they live their observers (and rescuers) suggest visiting the park behind the Green Tree Borough City Office.  Look beneath the G.

(peregrine and tower photos by Shannon Thompson.  Ledge photo by Vicky Dinsmore)

p.s.  Based on Mary Jo’s observations you’ll probably see only one bird until mid-May when the eggs hatch.  My hunch is that this juvenile is the male, standing guard.

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